I could not believe this student I had the other night. I picked up a shift on my old unit (telemetry) and the charge asked me if I minded having a student with me as his preceptor had called off sick. Ofcourse not! I love having students. So, I grab my MAR's, Kardexes and tell him we are going to check them over for mistakes. This usually takes about 30 minutes. In that time, NO LIE, he got 2 text messages and an actual phone call. All of which he took.
When I was done I said are you ready? (I will admit, this was said through clenched teeth) and he said, Yeah. CHECKED HIS PHONE ONE MORE TIME:angryfire Then I said, Good. Because the FIRST thing your going to do is take that phone out of your pocket, put it in your coat and leave it there for the rest of the shift.
OMG! I mean, I will call my husband during my break, but I can't think of anyone I need to talk to while I am at work. It was SOOOO inappropriate. Has anyone else encountered anything like this?
If the student is expecting a very important call he/she should inform the staff. Put the cellphone on silent-vibrate mode. There's a time to use it, i.e. during breaks or say "excuse me I need to answer the call" and then go to a staff room or inside the toilet for privacy. If the student is showing this inappropriate act what more if he/she already an RN.:icon_roll
Using a cell phone in clinical or having it ring during class was a big no no where I went to nursing school. One student had hers on vibrate in her purse and you could hear it during a test. She really got into trouble. There were signs everywhere to turn it off in school. We were supposed to direct all calls to the secretary, she could take a message in case of an emergency. So many couldn't wait for breaks, they would run outside and start talking or texting.
I think it is incredibly unprofessional to talk on your cell phone while working. There was a CNA who answered her phone while getting a patient up to the bathroom! They are constantly texting each other on the same floor. My phone is in my locker where it stays the entire shift. My family knows what number to call in case of an emergency. I work an hour away from home, so I wouldn't be much good anyhow. We carry pickle phones at work, they only work in the hospital, but they look like cell phones. I don't like them either.
I'm sorry that student was inappropriate with answering his cell phone! I am a student too and for me I think right off the bat it is important to demonstrate to your assigned nurse that day that you are worth their time. I appreciate that you said you do love having students..otherwise this thread would sting a little bit. In all fairness, it is really hard as a student when the nurse is rude or very cold to you as if they blame you for being an imposition on them that is totally not your intention (or really your choice!). I would encourage all of you to continue to look for the best in students and new nurses...I promise that most of us will make it worth your while!
This is why I am scared to get sick in my old age. Nursing students are not being checked up on by their instructors. The staff nurses are too busy to bother to speak to the instructors about these students. We are raising a generation of immature brats who have never heard the word "no". (I apologize to the few young nurses who were actually raised with some work ethic--I love you guys).
The new nurses coming on are not being held to standards, they are just warm bodies. It is just scary. If I get sick--PLEASE--shoot me and put me out of my misery. I do not want to be at the mercy of these brats!!!
I completely agree with the OP. I am about to graduate and I would never disrespect anyone in that way who was giving their own time to help me learn.
That having been said- I do carry my phone at all times on silent- in class and at the hospital. I only check it on breaks and would never think of taking a call in front of a pt, instructor, or staff member.
Honestly, I think I am responsible for screening and paying for my personal calls, and I wouldn't burden the secretary by giving out the unit number. I think nurses getting personal calls on the unit phone that others have to answer- and then track that nurse down!- is a disrespectful action that takes everyone's time. I've worked in places where no one wanted to answer the phone because a few people got so many personal calls. Seriously, its more professional and respectful of your coworkers to NOT give out the unit number and just carry a cell phone. Of course, those same people abusing the unit phone would probably be the same ones to abuse a cell phone, so what are you going to do? At least the cellphone only compromises the work of one unprofessional nurse, and not the rest of us trying to get work done!
I also would not tell an instructor, preceptor, manager etc about all my personal problems (my grandma is sic etc) because frankly- I have a lot of older relatives that are frequently sick and I still very rarely even need to take a call until break. I'm perfectly fine peeking in my pocket (if im not in a pts room or with someone who is teaching me) to see the caller id and then 99% of times ignoring it until my break. If the same person calls back multiple times in a short period, I know its serious and I excuse myself! No need to spread my family's personal business around the unit- hell, if I always disclosed when someone was seriously ill or in surgery in my family, you'd think I was making it up and label me as "one of those" anyway. I don't think I need to trade that information for the privilege of knowing that everyone I care about is ok- especially since most people never even know I have it and I would never compromise my pts or the time of my coworkers by being irresponsible with it.
Trust me, you don't want to talk to my family on the unit phone- they're crazy. Let me keep my cellphone.
Anyway, in our unit we always have students. We love :heartbeatstudents b/c it's additional help also in our part. They're learning and at the same time we get help .
My daughter is currently studying abroad in France and because of that, I have my cell phone on and on my person 24/7. My husband and I both work 3rd shift and neither of us are near a phone consistantly and I feel that I need to insure that I can be reached in case of an emergency. But, I do not answer it in a resident's room, although I have looked at the face to check a number when I feel it vibtate (it's always on silent mode when I 'm at work) but do not answer it at that moment. I will go back to leaving it in my purse when she gets back in May, but until then, I feel like I ned to be connected.
My nursing instructor told us once, about how a girl went to give an enema, and gave it to the man in his MOUTH!!! How can you be so stupid?!?!?! Most even have a picture of a butt on them! :uhoh21: Luckily, it did not hurt them man, but can you imagine!??!
I promise not all of my generation lack intelligence. I cannot stand when people are rude with their cell phones. I am in the library as we speak, and there are people on their phones. How rude is that? It is supposed to be QUIET in here.
This is why I am scared to get sick in my old age. Nursing students are not being checked up on by their instructors. The staff nurses are too busy to bother to speak to the instructors about these students. We are raising a generation of immature brats who have never heard the word "no". (I apologize to the few young nurses who were actually raised with some work ethic--I love you guys).
The new nurses coming on are not being held to standards, they are just warm bodies. It is just scary. If I get sick--PLEASE--shoot me and put me out of my misery. I do not want to be at the mercy of these brats!!!
Don't be worried, the majority of the students I see are doing the right thing, just like the majority of the nurses we work with aren't mean and nasty to students. We always hear the worst stories. Sometimes it only takes one person to taint the entire group. I'm older and work with a lot of younger students and they are very much on their game and take this very seriously. The bad ones will weed themselves out for the most part-then again, maybe they could end up being the bad nurses that are mean to students.
On a personal level, I gave up my cell phone. I got so tired of everyone getting mad at me if I didn't answer it. How in the world did we all get along before we had cell phones? I'm tired of people assuming that I'm ignoring them if I didn't answer the cell (well of course I'm ignoring you-- but back in the day, you'd never know that). I'd love to go back to the days pre-answering machine. If someone wasn't home, you'd just call them later, no hurt feelings you just assumed they were out or eating dinner. I don't find it necessary to be available 24 hours a day to anyone. So, no more cell phone for me! I get the strangest looks from people when they ask for my cell number and I tell them I don't have one.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
I could not believe this student I had the other night. I picked up a shift on my old unit (telemetry) and the charge asked me if I minded having a student with me as his preceptor had called off sick. Ofcourse not! I love having students. So, I grab my MAR's, Kardexes and tell him we are going to check them over for mistakes. This usually takes about 30 minutes. In that time, NO LIE, he got 2 text messages and an actual phone call. All of which he took.
When I was done I said are you ready? (I will admit, this was said through clenched teeth) and he said, Yeah. CHECKED HIS PHONE ONE MORE TIME:angryfire Then I said, Good. Because the FIRST thing your going to do is take that phone out of your pocket, put it in your coat and leave it there for the rest of the shift.
OMG! I mean, I will call my husband during my break, but I can't think of anyone I need to talk to while I am at work. It was SOOOO inappropriate. Has anyone else encountered anything like this?
You have no idea how often this practice goes on here. Our next to newest employee is the worst offender. This is a 49 yo woman from Africa. She was yakking on her cell phone last night, and when she came into my room to empty my commode this morning, she was still yakking.:madface:I have no idea how these people afford their little toys to begin with. I know I can't afford a cell phone.
I experienced a ED doctor and several nurses answering personal cell phone calls and talking on the phone while in the room with my grandmother coding. Needless to say their response was delayed due to the lack of focus. I do not believe cell phones should be used while you are on any hospital floor. This is very distracting and unprofessional. If you have an emergency, personal calls should go through the unit secretary.
Don't forget, you are working to save lives and all focus should be on doing so. This can not be done if you are talking on the phone. Just think, would you want a nurse or a doctor working on you while she is answering/talking on her cell phone!
There is a book titled "Beyond Generation X" and it talks about the difference in ethics between the generations. Baby Boomers gave birth to these X-ers, now they are breeding generation Y, a group of techno-focus youngsters that can't spell their own name because of text messaging. We are going to have to deal with this until we retire I am afraid. They were raised this way, they feel invincible because they are without limits.
I find myself having to play mom all they time to the youngerters that have no clue of appropriate work ethics.
LPN_of_BC
42 Posts
If the student is expecting a very important call he/she should inform the staff. Put the cellphone on silent-vibrate mode. There's a time to use it, i.e. during breaks or say "excuse me I need to answer the call" and then go to a staff room or inside the toilet for privacy. If the student is showing this inappropriate act what more if he/she already an RN.:icon_roll