Published
As usual, awful readers comments.
I wouldn't dream of doing this either. How unprofessional. However...........
We have a unit cell phone. We are meant to carry it on our person at all times. I'm now refusing to take it into patients rooms with me because it's a pain in the neck. I was halfway through a dressing change when it rang, doctor on the line. I had been warned she had called twice before. When I told the doctor I was in the middle of a dressing change and couldn't really go back to the desk to find out information from the chart but would call her right back she said "No you won't! I've called twice before and the charge nurse said you were in a patients room"
So that left the patient mid dressing change for about ten minutes, also (I'm in the USA) it's a HIPAA violation or privacy violation on the part of the patient.
Also had an incident where I was doing a gravity tube feed on a patient. Both hands tied up. Helpful patient, bless him, said "Can I get that phone for you?"
Also big infection control issue. I took gloves off to answer it when I was doing the dressing change but this phone goes from nurse to nurse at shift change. I just wipe it with alcohol every time I get it.
I do think that when I'm on it most people probably assume I'm chatting to a friend or something.
My phone stays in my bag. It gets taken out at lunch to check for messages, and when I have finished my shift.
But Karen G - why are you buying the trashy newspaper The Mail. I am sick to death of the rubbish it prints about nurses, ie, we are all lazy, incompetent, whores (or words to that effect).
I call on a nurses ban of The Mail. Go and read a decent newspaper that employs journalists who can actually write decent articles.
My phone stays in my bag. It gets taken out at lunch to check for messages, and when I have finished my shift.But Karen G - why are you buying the trashy newspaper The Mail. I am sick to death of the rubbish it prints about nurses, ie, we are all lazy, incompetent, whores (or words to that effect).
I call on a nurses ban of The Mail. Go and read a decent newspaper that employs journalists who can actually write decent articles.
oh by 'eek lass....
I read the telegragh most of the time but..
my patients read the mail, in particular they read the health pages which they then bring in to me.. and I get articles shoved under my nose with 'hey nurse.. have you seen this miracle cure for ...'.. so I read it to stay one step ahead!!
also.. said nurse works at my local hospital so the patients are very upset about this!
I will let you off Karen G. But I am calling for a ban by nurses of The Mail. Like you, I much prefer The Telegraph which employs decent journalists.
I don't know, journalists in my day where much better trained. They got off their bums and worked. Did not try and pretend they are professionals.
I say bring back Editor!!!!
I also carry my cell phone with me at work, but it's set to vibrate and I would NEVER answer it in a patient's room. We also have those stupid phones that every nurse and tech on our unit gets assigned so that people can get a hold of us no matter where we are...I'm always sure to make some comment about the "required to carry" part when it rings when I'm in a patient's room so that they'll understand it's not a personal phone.
i carry my cell phone at all times, its always on vibrate and i ignore it in my pocket until i am free to call back. i work nights, dh has a bad heart, poor mobility and sometimes needs to get in touch with me, and he always calls to check in with me before he goes to bed, hes in the house on his own, and i need to know that he is ok.
karenG
1,049 Posts
spotted this yesterday in the mail..
a nurse has been suspended for talking on her mobile phone while taking a patients blood..
http://tiny.cc/jgaRc
what is happening to the NHS?? I have a mobile phone at work- its on silent and only there so my kids can phone in a emergency but I wouldnt dream of answering it and having a converstation while talking to a patient!!