Walkie Talkies on Your Unit?

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

...or some other staff-to-staff communication device?

My sis recently started working an ED that uses shoulder-mounted walkie-talkies (a la cops). I have to say, I'm so jealous! I spend so much time in my day trying to find an aide, trying to find a specific nurse, etc. I can imagine so many reasons why this would be incredibly useful on our unit, especially for a couple people I can think of right off who frequently *disappear* into their own little holes in the space-time continuum. (A couple of whom HAVE been overhead paged after a pattern of disappearances.) It also strikes me as being much safer for nursing staff and patients, when immediate help is just a call over the walkie away.

My thoughts on this are that a more closed system, like an earpiece w/ mic (a la Old Navy:lol2:) is more appropriate in a med-surg setting because of a potential HIPAA issue. Me, I prefer a hands-free means of communication. Right now we have cell phones (which weigh like 3lbs, I kid you not), which inevitably ring in our pocket while transferring an unstable pt or doing something similar. I do wonder if a constant chatter would drive me batty, but at the same time I really feel the positives would outweigh the negatives.

Wonder how I could talk my manager into this one ... it's gotta have a customer service angle somewhere...

[TooterIA]

We dont but I would LOVE it. But we are only a 25 bed hospital so they think we are easy enough to track down. I would even settle for the tags that workers wear that when you are in a room there is a light outside the pts room that shows there is a nurse or aide in the room. That way you can look down the hall and find your coworkers, no more searching. If only.

Jessica

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I dont want to look like I work at Mcdonalds

Besides I also want to be able to totally ignore some people

[Ariesbsn]

We have the walkies with the ear piece in the ED that I work at. I HATE IT!!!! They have 2 volumes regardless of where you have the volume dial set; loud and inaudible. The other problem is that sometimes they transmit, sometimes they don't. So, I frequently have to track someone down the old fashioned way.

[MisMatch, LPN]

We have them in our 65 bed assisted living facility, and they serve us well - IF they are working and everyone is carrying them. When we come upon an emergency (ie: resident fall), we can call for help without having to leave the resident. Also, if we are assisting a resident, and a call bell goes off, we can notify other staff that we are unavailable to answer it.

We do need to be mindful of what we say, so as to not violate HIPPA.

[TooterIA]

Besides I also want to be able to totally ignore some people

Hope I never have to work with you. What do you do if these people come up to you IRL? Walk away? Wow.

Jessica

[meandragonbrett]

There is no way on earth I would wear this or be compliant with wearing this communication contraption.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I personally hate the phones. They weigh a ton and ring at the worst possible moments.

I hate to be charge and have to have one of those phones. I am so busy answering the phone between MRI, CT, residents, other staff, ATMO, ER, etc that I get nothing done.

There are somedays I cannot even go to the bathroom in peace without the phone ringing.

There are some days that I just want to do pt care without having to stop to answer the phone all the time, so I can understand where Tom is coming from.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Oh and if I wanted to wear a headset I would work at Old Navy or at a drive through, or in a customer service call center. There is no way you could get me to use that or the paramedic/cop walkie talkie on the shoulder. Those cannot be HIPAA compliant.

[Ms Kylee]

UGH! NO!!!!!!!!!! I carried a cordless for 3 days before rebelling and saying NFW am I carrying this thing. I can't get anything done because I'm too busy answering that damn phone. And the loud volume gave me a really bad migraine...

[SakredStrega]

We use the Spec Phones at the hospital I work at. I work nights and they annoy the hell out of me. Here I am trying to peek in on a patient who's FINALLY fallen asleep and my phone starts chirping. It's horrible.

[cmo421]

We used to use the walkie talkie types in our ER and they did not last long. Some were hung around the neck and some handheld. Now we uses modified nextel- like phones to page and call for what we need in the trauma rooms only. Other then that the UA and assisstants have pagers that the secretaries can access. No overhead paging aloud except in dire emergencies. Codes are bell oriented.Trauma rooms also have intercom systems when needed they r used. All other rooms have call system and emergency bells also for needed use.