No Internet access at work

[pricklypear]

At my hospital, we are not allowed internet access. The computers are on line, but everything except the American Heart Association is blocked. There never has been access, so it's not that it was taken away for misuse. A lot of us feel that access to the internet would be well used for researching diagnoses, treatments, pt education, etc... We ask and ask and get no answer. We can't even e-mail our manager from work. I'm wondering how many of you have access, how is it used, how often is it used, how is it monitored? Do you feel that having access enhances your ability to care for patients? The only other reference material we have are some old books donated (not provided by the hospital) by doctors and some of us.

Responses would be well appreciated!!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Having the internet available is VERY handy at work.

What if there's a drug that's brand new and you want information on it for yourself, and the nursing implications?

Or how about diseases and disorders that are so rare, you've never heard of it?

We use it all the time.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

We have it at work and it is horribly abused. I myself have used it for personal reasons on breaks, etc. (mainly coming here to chat).

However, I find it invaluable in finding quick answers to questions. I used it the other day to print out information on Steven's Johnson Syndrome. Over time, I've googled countless diseases and syndromes.

On every discharge I use it to print out medication teaching sheets.

During hurricanes it was nice to look up to date information on where the hurricane was.

I think they have to accept that people are going to abuse it, as long as it doesn't take away from patient care, I see no harm.

I have noticed some of the computers where employees have downloaded games, and spyware has made it through.

[Katnip, RN]

We had it and it was taken away because of employee abuse. Downloads with viruses and links to Media sites. Soooo, because of a few, the majority cannot have it.

[pricklypear]

We have it at work and it is horribly abused. I myself have used it for personal reasons on breaks, etc. (mainly coming here to chat).

I just don't see the difference between using the internet during downtime, or reading magazines or books, or gossiping. The benefit of the information being available when needed outweighs whatever abuse may occur. What do the IS people get paid for if not clean up the computers every now and then?

[Katnip, RN]

Our ED does all it's orders and charting on our computers. When so many people were downloading unnecessary stuff, it corrupts the files and the computers crash making it impossible to chart. That's where the abuse starts. That and downloading Media pics and such is very innapropriate in any work setting.

If you work in a place where you have down time, then I'm all for being allowed to use the internet responsibally. Unfortunately, at our place anyway, it doesn't seem to happen.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Gotta loves those people that ruin it for everyone.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

NO access. We dont even have interoffice email. Which isnt right, we have to get paper notes crammed into our time slot for meetings etc. Only supervisors, NM and admin have access to interoffice email system.

Frankly i dont think they utilize their computer system the way it needs to be. Im not saying we need internet access, i think that would be a major mistake. But for interoffice communications it really should be accessable.

[Mystery5]

We have it. It's definately used mostly for personal frivolities, esp by the unit secretaries. It can be handy, such as for printing some info for a pt. I've used it myself, mostly at night, for websurfing. I communicate with my manager mostly by email, although from my home.

I'm glad we have it, even though it's annoying at times to see people surfing the web.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

We mostly use it for questions. For instance, we had a question on a rare disease the other night and a patient who had it. We look up all kinds of things on the Internet and we can usually find answers that make sense and help us care for our patients.

If I find inappropriate stuff on computer terminals, I just call the computer folks and report it. It bugs me that some people would risk having our network exposed to some virus. After all, it's not like your home computer where if you get a virus, you're the only one affected.

[pricklypear]

We only have a total of 3 computers in our unit - obviously we don't do computer charting!! And they are all in very visible locations. It irritates me that if you look at almost any other "office" job, computer access is a given. We are, after all, adults. Then there always have to be the people who get an inch and take a mile, and behave like teenage boys with free internet access. At my old job, we had access. We logged in under our user name and password which we used for order entry. That way, they tracked our usage. Residents would come by in the middle of the night, see a patient, then sit and play online poker for 2 hours on 1 of our 2 computers. But the rest of us used it all the time for work related stuff. I liked being able to give patients print-outs of info on their condition, medication, treatments. I even found medication info for patients in different languages.

If there's nothing else that needs to be done, what's wrong with websurfing?

[Mystery5]

I agree, I don't see anything different to reading an online catalogue or article, or reading People Magazine,or other printed material. Some nurses read romance novels, some enjoy reading online news. What's the difference? Also, more and more I'm finding it useful for looking things up for patients.