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

[Cola89]

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?

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Our EMR system does just that. I don't use it though. If I need to tell you something, I'll slap a sticky note on your desk!

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.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

When I used to be charge nurse on a cardiac tele floor, I think I used to average 10 calls/hr. I used to get complaints all the time about why wasn't I answering my phone, because I was already on it. Calls from nursing sup, all other departments wondering when I would have a bed for them, ED with report because the assigned nurse was on another call, staff with requests for assist, angry MDs or family members, previously dc'd patients who didn't understand when their next med was due or had forgot their narcotic script and they were 50 miles away and what was I going to do about it. Oh, and staffing calling every 4 hours to ask me to ask all staff if they would work over.

And people asking me to turn their water back on. The direct dial number was only one digit off from the city water department.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It does not matter how many calls you receive. It's how you manage them. If you are with a patient,in the bathroom, etc...don't answer. Let it go to voice mail or they will call back. This is all about prioritization.[h=2][/h]

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Ah, these posts are making me happy I am not working in the hospital anymore.

Back in the day, about 8 years ago, we had a Ward Clerk who answered all calls and took messages for busy nurses. We didn't carry phones. We charted assessments, I&O, BM, urine, etc., in a PAPER CHART. We only charted meds on the computer.

I don't think I could work the floor nowadays. Kudos to you who do!

[SarahJ08]

Good day: 10 calls

Bad day: 50+ calls

Make me insane, why can't a/o patients update their own family members?

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Oh this scares me & makes me wish I could work nights all at the same time. :/

[Trauma_drama14, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I wish I knew, I think it just depends on the day. I feel as if some days I barely get called (yay) and then some days everyone and their damn mother want to call me! Its like come on guys, I'd like to assess my team of 4-6 before 10!

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

It does not matter how many calls you receive. It's how you manage them. If you are with a patient,in the bathroom, etc...don't answer. Let it go to voice mail or they will call back. This is all about prioritization.

Not so easy when you patient is on telemetry and the tech needs to let you know about a serious arrhythmia, or lab needs to call a critical lab, or you are waiting for a call back from the MD. Also, management has this thing about patient flow and report being taken on the first call.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Make me insane, why can't a/o patients update their own family members?

They can. At least that's my thought, and I transfer those calls to the pt's room.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Not so easy when you patient is on telemetry and the tech needs to let you know about a serious arrhythmia, or lab needs to call a critical lab, or you are waiting for a call back from the MD. Also, management has this thing about patient flow and report being taken on the first call.

I get that, but really if you're toileting a pt or doing wound care, what else can you do? You can't answer the phone right that second.

[SubSippi]

CVICU day shift - at least a million calls in a 12 hour shift. Pharmacy and lab are the big ones...family members are a close second. We also get tons of calls from people all over the hospital looking for the surgeons and the cardiologists...like they're on the unit for longer than three minutes a day.

Nothing wears on my patience as much as the damn phone.

[NOADLS]

Most of the time, it's one or two calls per shift. There's the odd time where I've had up to a dozen. Normally I can predict whether or not the staff nurses will need me.