Is this appropriate?

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We were directed to call our patients from home if the weather caused a closing or delay. We all felt uncomfortable in doing so, however, we were told it was fine. Also we could just *67to block our number. What do you all think?

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We did not have to do this as the weather was not as bad as predicted. I do think this will come up again though!

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

What setting are you referring to? Home health? Doctors' office nursing?

I guess what it ultimately comes down to for me, are you expected to do work from home? Are you being compensated for your time?

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

Depends on where you work. I work at the hospital and I do home infusions, injections etc. I call my home infusion patients from my cell and make sure they have my number saved in case they need me.

Hypothetically, if you work at a dialysis facility and are a hourly employee, i would not find it appropriate to call and let patients know the facility will be closed, you would be working off the clock.

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Depends on where you work. I work at the hospital and I do home infusions, injections etc. I call my home infusion patients from my cell and make sure they have my number saved in case they need me.

Hypothetically, if you work at a dialysis facility and are a hourly employee, i would not find it appropriate to call and let patients know the facility will be closed, you would be working off the clock.

I would not want my patients to have my personal phone number for several reasons. I'm surprised the hospital doesn't give you a work phone

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It is an outpatient cardiac rehab. I would have to use my phone but I could use *67 to block my number. They also expect this to not take any more than 15-20 min. So I would be paid for about that time. For me it would be about 20 people...I am sure it will take longer. I think the potential for danger is there. What if I don't block the call right? I am just curious, really about many things.

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For a variety of reasons, communication with a business' clients for business purposes should be accomplished using property of the business, and should be compensated when performed by an employee.

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It is an outpatient cardiac rehab. I would have to use my phone but I could use *67 to block my number. They also expect this to not take any more than 15-20 min. So I would be paid for about that time. For me it would be about 20 people...I am sure it will take longer. I think the potential for danger is there. What if I don't block the call right? I am just curious, really about many things.

Why don't they just have an automated system call? I'm guessing this is so the employees don't have to come in when the weather is bad?

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

I would be more concerned about liability issues than people getting my phone number. What is your role in the clinic? Do you have a written policy for this. Either way you should be able to block your number, do you have a smartphone, just block with that or use the *67.

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I am an RN, I act as a "case manager" for my patients. Mainly, I am just responsible for their treatment plans. No written policy, we used to follow the school closings. Higher ups have decided we don't get to do that anymore. I really am not trying to be difficult it just does not seem safe for us to do this. We deal with these folks for awhile, most of the time it is just fine. One of our other team members would have to use their data and I don't think they would be compensated for that. It all seems like a mess to me.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
It is an outpatient cardiac rehab. I would have to use my phone but I could use *67 to block my number. They also expect this to not take any more than 15-20 min. So I would be paid for about that time. For me it would be about 20 people...I am sure it will take longer. I think the potential for danger is there. What if I don't block the call right? I am just curious, really about many things.

So if I'm understanding you, you are not paid for snow days? Are you salaried? In the very least, they need to pay you for actual time, not for what they estimate. That would be my issue.

I am salaried, and paid for snow days. So I would have no issue calling pts to cancel from home.

I call my pts from my cell phone (blocked) because the work phone is an ancient flip phone that is hell to use. There's no real issue with it. I have forgotten to block a couple of times and that was not a real issue either.

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As a case manager familiar with your patients you are being asked to contact the patients on your caseload to check in with them and let them know services are closed today and perhaps assess for needs that require attention.

The weather makes travel a risk but they still need you to work to assist with patient contact. It sounds like your clinic hasn't provided a disaster preparedness plan but it seems a safer alternative to requiring staff to drive to the office to make these calls.

I've been calling patients from home as a normal course of business for decades, without incident. Asking if you should block your number is a reasonable question for someone not accustomed to alternate communication practice but calling from home as disaster protocol (formal or not) would never be something I'd push back against due to discomfort.

With the environmental crises in Northern California everyone is doing whatever it takes to communicate with patients.

And of course you will be paid for hours worked as requested by your employer, that's the law though I would bet it's a non issue.

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