HAve you noticed an increase in your coworkers on facebook, or texting CONSTANTLY on their cell phones?
So much that when you have a pt. going bad, and in front of your coworkers ( who are on the computer, giggling and texting too) and you are asking the unit sec. to place orders for a STAT stuff while you are on the phone with the doctor....that these coworkers ignore you, only to ask you later " You had a pt going bad, why didn't you ask for help??" The same coworkers who have no obligation for teamwork, and are too busy to help you when they seem to have PLENTY of freetime to help out? What is the appropriate way to handle this? I have already mentioned several times that they are too loud at the nurses station, and suggested they are on facebook way too much. Now I am the bad guy because I reported above incident to my supervisor, and now one of the nurses is playing the "i'm-not-talking-to -you" game. I feel bad she got singled out, and yes it should have been handled better, but spending 4 hours a nite on facebook is ridiculous. And it sets an example for our new staff! Plus I am so embarrassed when pts family members come to the desk and my coworkers are watching you tube and laughing loudly. And my favorite, texting while in a pts. room. Sigh......
This is one of a host of issues that get me up on my personal hobby horse, which is that stuff like this would not be a problem if there were managers actually out on floors providing clinical leadership to their staff and seeing what is going on, instead of sitting in their office or off in meetings. A manager sets a tone for a unit and if the manager is not visible and present, the tone sinks to the lowest level. At my hospital, we never see managers out and about and I didn't really realize the difference until my mother was hospitalized in another facility and I was at her bedside many hours a day. I was struck by how well that unit ran and realized that the manager was our walking around having clinical interactions with his nurses for hours every day - encouraging, suggesting, giving feedback. It makes a world of difference.
The way to make units work better is not with draconian policies that punish everyone for the misdeeds of a few, the way to make things work better is by having the person most responsible for the unit actually managing, not just doing paperwork.
The hospital that I work recently implemented a new policy. No cell phones allowed in patient care areas, which means no calls, pictures, texting or internet usage. Our work computers also have blocked all websites that do not pertain to "our job". If caught using cell phone (except in locker/break room) it's terms for immediate dismissal. Cell phones are a huge distraction and I agree with the policy.
Have all hospitals sign a contract with Apple to provide Iphones/Ipads to all nurses on the floor pre-filled with all the apps they need and with everything else blocked off. Calls can be taken on these devices but only from pre-entered numbers; everything else is blocked. Apple will provide a $250 discount for all hospitals that buy their devices.
Cell phones, mp3 players, and all other doodads will stay in nurses' cars. Violation of protocol results in immediate dismissal. Problem solved.
Yeah, that.
If you see my iPhone out at work - I'm using MedCalc, or on Taber's, or ePocrates, or Davis', or looking up a lab value, or one of a thousand things I used to use my Palm tungsten for until it died and I discovered the iCrackpipe.
Unfortunately, if they ban the use of phones for texting at work ... I'm kind of hosed. And I'll blame some annoying 20-something punk kids who think that their downtime at work is their own to play games with.
Same old sad story - it's a tool, not a toy - but those who misuse it will ruin it for everyone.
Specializes in SICU, NICU, Telephone Triage, Management.
Administration needs to get with the program. Access to these sites should not even be allowed. It is totally unprofessional and immature behavior. Shameful that professional people in charge of patients' lives behave in that manner.
Even personal phone calls should be kept to a minimum. I used to tell my kids don't call me unless you're bleeding! When I had a few minutes I would call to check on them and at that point they could ask whatever it is they wanted but they knew not to call me for incidental stuff. The other side of this coin is that when I did get a call from home my heart stopped in its tracks. But, thankfully, that was rare.
Some of our older patients are very set in not having integrated with other cultures. So when a nurse from a different culture is speaking in their own language it annoys me. But i have witnessed a nurse while washing an elderly lady, talking in a foreign language to the womans on her mobile. The patient was visibly frightened. Dignity? Respect? Care? Nowhere to be found
Facebook and blogspot are blocked at work. They've just recently started blocking all nonmedical sites as well.
As far as texting etc. I carry my cellphone with me only because there's no place to lock it up. But it's on silent/vibrate and it stays in my pocket unless I'm on break; you'd never know I have it otherwise.
Our L&D unit staff has a problem with Iphone and Blackberry addiction! Folks who would never, ever answer their cell phone at the nurses' station or in a patient care area think nothing of sitting at the desk with their heads down and texting from the desk for long periods of time. Argh!
I agree, that there are "down times" where we are so quiet that folks "in the olden days" would have gotten out a book to read. Patients are either sleeping and stable or the whole unit is empty. (L&D is often a "feast or famine" place to work.) The rooms are stocked, extra charts are already to go.
But there are times when I am running my legs off and my peer is playing Scrabble at the desk!
It is hard for me to not have unkind feelings when that happens!
I think a 100% ban on phones and texting is extreeme.
I think that "fired for one occurance" is extreeme.
I just wish folks would be a bit more professional and team-oriented on their own.
Am I holding people to too high of a professional standard??
We have the same problem - warnings have been e-mailed to staff but no reinforcement of these rules - texting is non-stop; staff has facebook access in the bottom of their computer screen so that they can check it between every patient contact, personal phone calls on the hospital's dime and these are long-distance for those who live outside the local calling area (one staff member called home 14 times in a 12 hour shift - that I saw - could be more). You tube has to be with the sound to get the full effect so there is music in the background, talking on youtube, etc at the nurses station - huge distraction when you are exhausted, trying to chart accurately and there is sound overload in your environment. No one seems to have the work ethic anymore that made our country great. Where will this eventually take us?
HAve you noticed an increase in your coworkers on facebook, or texting CONSTANTLY on their cell phones?
So much that when you have a pt. going bad, and in front of your coworkers ( who are on the computer, giggling and texting too) and you are asking the unit sec. to place orders for a STAT stuff while you are on the phone with the doctor....that these coworkers ignore you, only to ask you later " You had a pt going bad, why didn't you ask for help??" The same coworkers who have no obligation for teamwork, and are too busy to help you when they seem to have PLENTY of freetime to help out? What is the appropriate way to handle this? I have already mentioned several times that they are too loud at the nurses station, and suggested they are on facebook way too much. Now I am the bad guy because I reported above incident to my supervisor, and now one of the nurses is playing the "i'm-not-talking-to -you" game. I feel bad she got singled out, and yes it should have been handled better, but spending 4 hours a nite on facebook is ridiculous. And it sets an example for our new staff! Plus I am so embarrassed when pts family members come to the desk and my coworkers are watching you tube and laughing loudly. And my favorite, texting while in a pts. room. Sigh......
should have no cell phones on in the workplace - have family call work if it's an emergency. Facebook should be blocked from work computers - that's what they did where I work. Thank god, too, I was so sick of it. Completely inappropriate.
Here's a fun fact: the hospital group I work for took away Facebook, then months later gave it back to us because somehow it's a good thing for us to have access to it at work. I enjoy Facebook, but this logic escapes me.
I agree that texting and Facebook usage is getting out of control in the workplace, but...why didn't you ask for help, instead of expecting them to overhear your conversation and infer that you needed it?
uh uh - Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!! A good TEAMPLAYER knows when another teamplayer needs help. We are looking beyond our noses here. We all should. How is that any different then keeping an eye on your patients - as well as browsing others, if they're in the hall (I'm talking ER here). You watch monitors, you are AWARE of others' activities (are you going to ignore a bradycardic rhythm, or v-tach noted on the monitor? Are you going to assume the nurse that has that patient knows this? Are you going to go to the room and check for yourself that the rhythm is accurate??) I HOPE SO!!!!! for the sake of all patients, we need to look out for each other. There are lives on the line - not just some paperpushing job, but LIVES are depending on our action or inaction. I am always aware if I see another nurse moving much quicker than I am - I always ask "what's going on, do you need any help?" BUT, I do know many nurses who are oblivious to the needs of others, even when they look up, see a trauma coming in, and will NOT stop charting at the computer no matter what others needs are... which is unacceptable. It's even more reprehensible when those nurses have their MSN's, have been in the field for some time - so now new nurses are now having this as their example behavior modeled from "seasoned" and "educated" nurses. We need to BE the nurses we want others to be to us as well. Do what is right - all the time, not just when you feel like it. Do the right thing, even when you don't feel like it. It's called a moral code. What is wrong with so many people?????
Our L&D unit staff has a problem with Iphone and Blackberry addiction! Folks who would never, ever answer their cell phone at the nurses' station or in a patient care area think nothing of sitting at the desk with their heads down and texting from the desk for long periods of time. Argh! 
Chico David, BSN, RN
624 Posts
This is one of a host of issues that get me up on my personal hobby horse, which is that stuff like this would not be a problem if there were managers actually out on floors providing clinical leadership to their staff and seeing what is going on, instead of sitting in their office or off in meetings. A manager sets a tone for a unit and if the manager is not visible and present, the tone sinks to the lowest level. At my hospital, we never see managers out and about and I didn't really realize the difference until my mother was hospitalized in another facility and I was at her bedside many hours a day. I was struck by how well that unit ran and realized that the manager was our walking around having clinical interactions with his nurses for hours every day - encouraging, suggesting, giving feedback. It makes a world of difference.
The way to make units work better is not with draconian policies that punish everyone for the misdeeds of a few, the way to make things work better is by having the person most responsible for the unit actually managing, not just doing paperwork.