Patients who stay on the phone when you come...

Nurses General Nursing

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in their room to provide some form of care. Who else has an issue with this? It's as if they are in the hospital for us to take care of them, but we are on their personal time. :down:

In the ER there's no single answer. I consider why they are there and why I'm there. If they're in the fast track clinic and I'm discharging them I'll interrupt them if they aren't quickly trying to get off the phone for me. For a cardiac patient I'm preparing to helicopter out to a cath lab on the phone with out of state family, I'll work around the pone call as much as possible.

I think this is reasonable. But for someone who hasn't been dispo'ed yet, I'll interrupt the first time if I need them to reply to questions or if the phone call is in the way of getting vitals or giving other care. If I can do what I need to, like hanging meds, while they are on the phone then I'll do that too. But I don't have time to come back three times just so they can talk on the phone.

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If its during an admission or discharge, I will outright ask them to keep it short - politely. I've only had a couple patients balk at me, most people know it is rude, even if they want to try to get by with it. For everything else, I either tell them I'll be back in 15 minutes, or I work around it. Granted, I'm not ER, anymore, so :) My favorite back in my emt days were the ones attempting to take a call in the ambulance.

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If its during an admission or discharge, I will outright ask them to keep it short - politely. I've only had a couple patients balk at me, most people know it is rude, even if they want to try to get by with it. For everything else, I either tell them I'll be back in 15 minutes, or I work around it. Granted, I'm not ER, anymore, so :) My favorite back in my emt days were the ones attempting to take a call in the ambulance.

That made me laugh! Makes me think about the ones who call the ED to find out how busy it is before coming in. If they have to be worried about how long the wait will be, or if they have time to socialize on the phone instead of getting their meds, then they should be asking themselves if they REALLY need to be in the ED. One of my co-workers likes to point out that he's never had someone having an MI call ahead to find out if we are busy.

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Just tell them, "sorry, but I have to interrupt you, I have to give your meds now"

or whatever, "can you have them hold on or call back".

It's rude, inconsiderate and inappropriate on their part. They are not in the Hilton.

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Specializes in L&D/Postpartum/Newborn, Home Health.

If a patient is on the phone when I walk in the room-I am very understanding-they didn't know I was about to walk in. I will stand at the bedside for a few seconds and if it doesn't seem like they are ending the conversation, I politely whisper "I'll come back." I then go do something else that I need to do and come back in and repeat as necessary. Most people are very reasonable and I want to give them the respect and privacy of allowing them to have conversations and not have me standing there listening-yet they also know that I'll be back shortly. Very seldom have I ever had to return to the room more than once.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Given them there meds, if its something that can wait a few minutes say " please put your call light on when you off the phone"

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Specializes in ER.

I leave and come back when I have addressed everything else for every other patient, since that person on the phone obviously was not having an emergency. If it takes a while to get back there, then I say, "oh, are you done with your phone conversation?"

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If they don't show they recognize my presence and get off the phone, I never wait. I go do other stuff.

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Specializes in Home Care.

These are the same rude people who are on the phone when the server comes to take their order, when they're standing in line at a grocery store and when they're backing the car out in a parking lot.

They need to be interrupted politely and told they can return the call after nursing duties have been completed.

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Specializes in Give me a new assignment each time:).

When you smile in this situation, you are encouraging bad behaviour. Remember to set limits. I keep a serious face, or I give "the look" hahaha. Better yet I bring in another nurse because when that phone call is done, "NURSE, I want my meds now!" But then I wouldn't give because you can't give a double dose. Even when you are ready the second time, the dude wants you to come back later because he want's to go smoke. This is a particular patients. I hate remembering him. Why have many nurses taught society to do this. In some countries, you don't treat nurses like that. Cos you don't want the anger of a nurse. But, compassion keeps me going on and on and on. I hope my compassion never runs dry :)

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Specializes in maternal child, public/community health.

I work in public health, visiting teen moms in their homes. Home visits require a LOT of flexiblity and sometimes doing visits in very chaotic environments (lots of people in an out of the home, several young children, etc) over which the mom has little control. That is fpart of home visits but sometimes they just are unaware that they are being rude. A couple weeks ago, one of the moms had some slasher movie on. I politely asked her to turn the TV off. She said, "Oh, I can listen and watch TV at the same time." I said, "That's great that you can. I can't. It is very distracting to me." She got the point and turned it off. If the TV is loud, I talk quietly for the first few minutes. If they don't turn it down, I say, "I'm sorry. I can't hear you. Can you please turn the TV down?"

Cell phones are another thing. Moms will answer their phones during visits. Once or twice I am okay with but if it continues, I say, "You seem busy and distracted today. Maybe we should reschedule our visit for another time." Usually they do not want to do that and they get the hint. I had one mom who was continually texting during a visit one day. She said, "I can talk and text." I again said, "Great! I can't. I find it distracting. I will just stop talkiing when you are texting."

If it continues to be a problem (since we have a long-term relationship), I will adress it directly with them.

Although I work with teens, the rudeness is not limited to them. It irks me to see someone talk on their cell while a cashier is checking them out or a waitress is trying to take their order. I want to say, "Hello!! That is a human who is trying to serve you. Give them a little respect!" As a society, we are just becoming ruder in general and people bring that into the hospital with them.

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Specializes in Med/surg, O.R.
in their room to provide some form of care. Who else has an issue with this? It's as if they are in the hospital for us to take care of them, but we are on their personal time. :down:

OMG this is something that gets under my skin big time. Another thing is when you need to get pts vitals for the DR and pt ask can you come back because they are on the phone. Excuse me, I am here to take care of you and get you better so you can go and be with whoever you are talking on the phone to. If you are in a hospital you are sick and need care, what are you doing on the phone all the time for anyway.

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