Hello, I'm your nurse today: get off the darned phone!

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I really hate going into someone's room with meds/treatment/assessment and they are on the phone. Ok, well, being on the phone is okay. how about when they continue to talk on the phone, and make no motion of trying to get off the phone.

Seriously. I am standing there, waiting. THey keep talking for a few minutes. Can't they say "Hey, I"ll call you back?"

aarrgh

I had a pt family member who every time I came in to give her father a med, she would call her mom ( who was an RN) at WORK and tell mom what I was giving and wouldn't allow me to give the med until mom said it was ok. Of course with mom being at work, daughter was often put on hold. I went to the nurse manager and social worker real fast. I don't have time to deal with that.

I usually say, "sorry to interrupt, but I need to do ________. " If they tell me to wait, then I either leave and come back later or say" sorry, we really need to do this now." If they don't get the hint "Well, if you want to refuse, that is your right." It rarely progresses further than that. Of course I have had someone say, "look, I have to go, the nurse is being a real b---."

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Timothy, I love your assessment strategy. Never thought of that, but so true.

This is why I love allnurses, so many things to learn from so many talented people.

Many thanks

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Specializes in Psych.

If patients are on the phone and don't acknowledge me quickly, then I am outta there and I come back on my own time. A patients ability to talk on the telephone is a great assessment tool. I always document that pts are talking on the telephone or that they are outside smoking (and how often). Things like this paint a very clear picture of a persons status. It is also a good way to convery to utilization review or insurance companies that maybe this patient is a bit well for the hospital. I also quote patients when they say things like "I have to go now, the nurse is being a real *****" or anything else that may objectively show that a patient is abusive or rude.

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When my mom was working as a nurse, she could always tell who was sick and who could be candidates for early discharge by the way they used their phone. If she walked in the room and the pt would not get off the phone, she'd write that in the chart (along with those who took frequent smoke breaks outside). If she walked in and the pt said, "The nurse is here I have to run. Bye" followed by, "I'm glad you walked in, I need to get some rest and that person is calling me all the time!", well, she could tell that they weren't feeling quite well enough to go home yet.

This is not to say this was the case 100% of the time, but the phone is a great assessment tool! :)

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:uhoh3: Just make sure you chart, chart, and chart that you went to pts room and pt refused to get off phone and have their care needs met at this time. Especially if it is for a timed medication or procedure. In my hospital

"CUSTOMER SERVICE" is the number 1 priority. I have had patients tell me flat out that I was there to serve their every need, and if THEY were busy, then the nurse would just have to wait!:banghead:

Then to top it off- if the nurse moves on to other work and is unable to "run" to the "too busy patient" complaints about the nurses attitude are filed and the "problem nurse gets counseled by management on customer service!":angryfire

I worked for a hospital like that for many years.:uhoh3: :uhoh3: My PATIENTS were always my #1 priority - but I refused to be treated like the family's little hand maiden.

I've always worked in specialty units like the ICU and Ambulatory surgery, but I can just imagine how bad it would be on the floors.:o

In ICU, cell phones were strictly prohibited, and we enforced it. In the amb. surgery dept., if they were well enough to spend time on the phone - then it was about time to send them home.

When I took meds in, if they were on the phone, I would tell them that they needed to take the med NOW. Occasionally they would indicate for me to leave the med on the bed table. Nope, can't do that!

And I agree, charting those behaviors is a must.

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Gosh, I was recently an inpatient and occasionally the phone rang with concerned family or co-workers. I wasn't on the phone ALL day or anything. I sure hope none of you were my nurses and judging me so harshly. People are in the hospital for a reason, they are ill or hurt. They are not in jail. Even in jail you get phone priveliges.

Maybe you guys are just venting because some people are obnoxious, but lets not generalize all patients on the phone. They don't have nurses on videotape to know exactly when to talk and when not to. One CAN talk on the phone or watch TV or eat and still not feel well.

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Gosh, I was recently an inpatient and occasionally the phone rang with concerned family or co-workers. I wasn't on the phone ALL day or anything. I sure hope none of you were my nurses and judging me so harshly. People are in the hospital for a reason, they are ill or hurt. They are not in jail. Even in jail you get phone priveliges.

Maybe you guys are just venting because some people are obnoxious, but lets not generalize all patients on the phone. They don't have nurses on videotape to know exactly when to talk and when not to. One CAN talk on the phone or watch TV or eat and still not feel well.

Hi Sharann,

I don't believe this was directed towards anyone who just talks on the phone occasionally as you said in your post. You do have to talk to family and friends to give them an update on how you are doing, receive support from those who can't be there. But there are some people who are on the phone most or all the time. The problem comes when one dismisses the nurse or other hospital staff who come in and need to do something. If you are on narcotic pain meds, of course the nurse needs to see that you took the medication.

Yes, you can be on the phone, watch TV or eat and not feel well. But when one refuses or dismisses medical treatment because a phone call is more important at the time, then maybe one doesn't need to be in the hospital and can be managed at home.

As I said in my post, the phone is not a 100% assessment tool and should never take the place of a full assessment, but when one is screaming for pain meds and the nurse comes in and sees the pt having a lively conversation on two different phones, then tells the nurse to come back later... that might be a problem.

This is a place for nurses/CNA's/nursing students to vent about what makes them tick. Having to disrupt a nurse's routine for a pts non-hospital schedule is a real pain.

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If I asked for meds for pain and dismissed my nurse I would be a horses behind. I do see what you mean you know BabyRN2b. I have plenty of issues that patients do that irk me though I am trying to be more tolerant!

I agree 100% that some people just don't get it. If I went to medicate a patient or assess them and they refused to get off the phone I would do the same thing as everyone here. I just wanted to point out that you never know. Sometimes patients get bombarded with these darn phone calls constantly.

I wasn't intending to be critical of venting, I am just more sensetive now as I was so recently put into the awful position of patient and RN (and had 3 infiltrated IV's in 2 days, grrr). I had very compassionate nurses fortunately, but my roomate, akkkk... she yakked on the phone loudly and frequenty!

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Specializes in LDRP.

To clarify, I am always perfectly pleasant wiht the patient. I never let on that I'm annoyed with them. I will even stand there and wait a minute, the whole time thinking "get off the darned phone!", while I'm just standing there and smiling.

yes, pt's are allowed to talk on the phone. thats fine. thats fine to getting lots of calls, too. Just please get off the phone when i need to see you.

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I did just that one time and the person actually stuck out her arm for me to take a BP draw lab and start an IV.(she came in with Chest pain SOB) I looked and her and said I am soory I get all of your attention or I leave. She hung up

Then you just politely and professionally tell them that if they want their urgent need tended to, then now is a good time....otherwise, it may be a while.

Assertiveness.......... more nurses need it.

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Specializes in Family.

I just put the stethoscope to them. My routine is this: I walk in the room, smile, say hello and write my name on the board. If they stay on the phone, I start assessing bowel sounds. That usually gets them to get off of it. :lol2:

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Specializes in CVICU.

I usually say "Name, I need you now", and most people hang up quickly, saying "I need to go, the nurse is here".

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