Nurses: How many phone calls do you get per shift?!

noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 6, 2015

Probably around 200. I swear. It's insane.

Graduatenurse14 · Sep 6, 2015

During daylight 10-15 but it really depends on the day. My biggest issue is that we don't have our own phones so we are not free to do other things while waiting for people to call us back if we don't have a secretary who can let us know we have a call if no one else is around or if we are on hold, we still have to sit there tethered to the phone!!

blah_blah_blah · Sep 7, 2015

I don't know how realistic this is, since I don't work as a nurse YET (I start the 14th!) but I think it would be cool and pretty convenient if the computers integrated a chat function where you could message other staff and providers on it (like on facebook or AIM) and use the phone for urgent matters only. However, I can see it getting abused by staff using it to socialize.

~PedsRN~, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2015

All the nurses in my hospital carry phones. We are assigned one at the beginning of the shift. To encourage the "family centered care", all of our patients have our phone numbers written in their rooms. So we get calls all. night. long. It's no longer just the call bell. Now it's the ringing phone!

GCom24, ASN, RN · Sep 7, 2015

Usually, it seems like I can't even blink 3 times before my phone is ringing again. There are days few and far between where the call volume is low. Overall though, it seems like someone is constantly calling. Doc, lab, PT, secretary, patient, family, e-v-e-r-y-one seems to need to call me. It is absolutely nerve-racking. The feeling I get when that thing rings is just the most... I have to take a deep breath before I even answer to avoid the "WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?!" reaction. I work Med/Surg.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2015

I used to work where we often had no clerk and we had no portable phones. If I was down the hall passing meds or doing a dressing or otherwise engaged, I just let the phone ring.

At first, I'd run to answer it, but after a few times of running to get the phone, I realized I'd never be able to focus well on the task I was doing when the darned phone started to ring.

I figured that, if they really wanted the phone answered, they'd give us a clerk or, at least, a portable phone.

I did feel badly for the families who were just trying to get updates on their loved ones, but I had to make a choice. And I chose common sense over insanity.

Soon enough, people learned to call the Receptionist, who would page overhead. She had a special ring to let us know it was a doctor calling, so I did run to answer those.

Pharmacy & Lab faxed us a lot, and Central Supply and any other departments walked over to our ward if their issues were vital. Otherwise...

Sometimes, a tech would come out of hiding and sit at the desk for 15 or 20 minutes to take calls, but, of course, that left the floor short. Of course, they were out smoking or otherwise goofing off anyway, so the shortage was barely noticed.

loriangel14, RN · Sep 7, 2015

Pretty much none. The Charge Nurse handles most calls.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2015

Generally 1-2

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · Sep 7, 2015

I'm in the ED and the phone rings constantly. If I'm in triage it's usually the charge nurse telling me an ambulance is coming so I don't board a pt. in that room or the fast track nurses asking me why I haven't boarded anyone (because 5 people just signed in and I can't get them back at the same time?); if I'm in fast track it's usually the triage nurse asking if I'm okay with boarding someone who rides the line between ESI appropriate for that side or the charge nurse telling me to move patients. At any location, main ED, triage, or fast track, I can field calls from doctors, lab, radiology, outside clinics/facilities calling report on people en route.

That's just the work stuff. Then there are people calling to see which ER doc is in (can't give you that info sir/ma'am); getting an update on family (sorry, no privacy number, no data...heard of HIPAA?); or asking for medical advice (we don't have a phone triage, if you think you need to be seen, come in. We're here 24/7).

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Sep 8, 2015

I work on Med Surg and take around THIRTY calls (maybe 40) per 12 hour shift.
Doctors, lab, PT, OT, MRI, family members, social work... the list goes on and on.
It's too many calls. And always when I'm in the middle of doing something. It seems like I can't even complete one sentence of a small conversation with one of my patients without being called on my phone by someone who wants to know something about some other patient of mine.
Personally, all of this calling could drive me insane
So, how bout you? How many calls do you get in a shift and what type of unit or setting do you work on?

I work in the OR. I've never counted the number of phone calls I take. Sometimes the calls start before we get in the room with our first case of the day (and sometimes that call is to "bump" the first scheduled case with an emergency). Sometimes it's just to "bump" subsequent cases or to "home" or "re-home" add-on cases. I get calls from the blood bank, sometimes from core lab or the blood gas lab (especially when anesthesia's phone is busy), sometimes the pre-op area calls to see if we can come talk to our next patient (interpreter), sometimes PACU calls about the first patient of the day when we're on subsequent procedures. Sometimes I talk to the house sup about ICU placement needs (sometimes 2 or more calls per case). Sometimes my boss calls to ask a question about something, sometimes CPD calls to ask questions, any number of things.

If it's a really bad time - I need to count, excrement is hitting the fan (figuratively of course though projectile poo happens), we're experiencing cardiac changes (think MI under anesthesia or those associated with a MH reaction), a code, a suspected MH reaction, or other "nobody knows what is going on but things aren't right" situation. I don't answer the phone, unless it happens to be the front desk/charge nurse...then I do, so I can tell them I need help. I'm not above overhead paging for help.

My personal favorite is not when I have to return personal phone calls from the families/spouses of attendings (though those can be fun too), but when I have to deal with the communications/transfer center. They have zero concept about what goes on in the OR, and get so moody when I refuse to interrupt procedures to allow the attending to be distracted. I tell them that the attendings are busy and I'm unable to interrupt (unless it IS a time I can interrupt).

sjalv · Sep 8, 2015

We don't have phones we have to carry around, thankfully. I would say most of my calls are from lab or pharmacy. Lab only calls if it's a critical value to report, or if the sample is somehow screwed up. Pharmacy usually calls if there's a discrepancy amongst the ordered meds for a patient, so I'm glad when they do. PT/OT doesn't usually call, they just round. Doctors don't usually call either. I'll be going to nights soon and I expect the number of calls will decrease even more.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Sep 8, 2015

During my day job (clinic) not many, the receptionist's take messages and send them back. They will sometimes try to dial a back number, but if we don't pick up in three rings they hang up (clinic policy, drives the MD's crazy to hear unanswered "back" phones!). There is no option to "push 2 to speak with a nurse", EVERY call is answered by reception.

In my PRN job, it's a charge RN position, but it's on weekends, so not many MD's, etc calling =)