Should nurses be forced to wear tracking device at work?

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.

We have a tracking device that has a button we're supposed to press if we're under duress 

9/10 it goes off when someone leans over something and it gets pressed accidentally 

I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble because they were caught not rounding or being somewhere they weren't supposed to be because of it

What's next a chip implanted into our arm?  They need to get the point that they need you more then you need them.

I would consider looking for another job or starting your own business as a nurse.  This is what I am doing now.  I will be launching soon! I am so glad I left the drama of nursing in hospitals.  They underpay and overwork you.  I want to be in charge, and I don't want anyone to dictate what I can and can't put in my body.

On 8/13/2022 at 2:13 PM, hppygr8ful said:

Unless you are designated on call you don’t have to give a reason why you can’t come in. “No I can’t is sufficient.” Even if you are at home, so what, your time off is your time not theirs. I don’t answer any calls from work on my day off unless I want the money that is!

hppy

I worked for a medium-sized practice, 19 locations and 200+ employees. I called out sick and the clinical director called me back to ask why and if I could still make it in or not. I was literally on my way to the ER (hyperemesis gravidarum, and that ER visit turned into a 4-day hospital stay).  Another time I called out because my son was sick, and a coworker called out because she’d been at the ER with her fiancé all night. Same clinical director called both of us, then made that coworker come in because my child being sick trumped her fiancé being sick (he’d gone into a-fib and had to be cardioverted!). 

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
3 hours ago, T-Bird78 said:

I worked for a medium-sized practice, 19 locations and 200+ employees. I called out sick and the clinical director called me back to ask why and if I could still make it in or not. I was literally on my way to the ER (hyperemesis gravidarum, and that ER visit turned into a 4-day hospital stay).  Another time I called out because my son was sick, and a coworker called out because she’d been at the ER with her fiancé all night. Same clinical director called both of us, then made that coworker come in because my child being sick trumped her fiancé being sick (he’d gone into a-fib and had to be cardioverted!). 

Doesn't make what they are doing legal  - but in the cases described you are talking about call-off from a scheduled shift. My comment was describing being called in on a scheduled day off. I have a friend who has a service dog. It's illegal for business and employers to ask what your disability is and what service the dog provides. Still people insist on asking my friend will state that the dog brings her coffee in the morning and performs light house-keeping.

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

20 years ago a hospital where I worked as a student had just instituted  new system that tracked a nurses activity in real time. Sensors where in the ceilings of rooms, hallways and the nurses station/ They were not on the breakroom or bathrooms. A report could be generated to show how much time a nurse spent in the nurses station, hallways and patient rooms. It also tracked response time to call bells and could give a detailed reports sometimes to support a nurse when a patient complained of the nurse not being attentive enough to suit them or to improve a nurses time management and over-all performance. I left before the eystem was fully inplemented so don't know how it all turned out - but do know that many nurses C/O violations in privacy.

In california as in the US constitution there is no guarantee of privacy in situations where no reasonable expectation of privacy can be expected. 

Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
2 hours ago, hppygr8ful said:

In my specialy I would personally welcome a tracking device. I work psych and in the very rare instance that I might be attacked at least the staff would know how to locate me. 

Some Psych hospitals have panic pulls on their badge and the badge also alerts if the staff goes horizontal.

I think panic pulls would be essential in your speciality. I'm not sure how a locator would help if you were attacked. First they would have to know you were attacked and then locate you on a central monitor...so maybe the panic pull and the locator working together would help.

TAKOO01 said:

Are doctors wearing trackers?

I haven't seen them wear one. It's just us. They said it's for our safety blah blah blah

hppygr8ful said:

Some Psych hospitals have panic pulls on their badge and the badge also alerts if the staff goes horizontal.

I don't work at a psych hospital but a very large one, and yes there is a panic button in the front of the tracker 

On 7/18/2022 at 4:00 PM, Nurse Beth said:

I think panic pulls would be essential in your speciality. I'm not sure how a locator would help if you were attacked. First they would have to know you were attacked and then locate you on a central monitor...so maybe the panic pull and the locator working together would help.

Oh they know exactly where are you. East west north south which floor and in what room. It is exact.

18 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

Having a tracking device on nurses specifically to be sure they're doing their jobs seems totally different to me, and insulting!

Ngl. I feel the same 

17 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

It is insulting regarding good nurses/staff. But I've met some real doozies in my career! And I'm pretty sure that these folks (nurses, aides/techs, and ancillary staff) are the reason this is done, along with the patients/families who claim that no one checked in all day/night

And this right here is the reason. 

Specializes in Primary Care, Military.
On 7/26/2022 at 7:23 AM, Hoosier_RN said:

Many places in healthcare do use cameras- mainly outpatient facilities. It's to protect staff and patients alike (avoid he said/she said situations), as well as monitor staff activity. I don't care about that, as long as not in bathrooms, of course. But the badge type trackers are just odd to me, maybe because I've never been subjected to it. But in this new day and age, we have staff that hide to play on cell phones, goof off, and avoid work in general, I can see why an employer would do so. Not saying I like it, but saying I understand it. 

 To be fair, there are staff that behave that way, and there are also paranoid/weird management that will literally stalk staff into bathrooms to "catch" them supposedly hiding or whatever. I wish it was a joke. I was working outpatient at the time and had to try several bathrooms in the large office building to find one (was hoping for one of the single-person bathrooms for privacy, hate having to have a bowel movement in public bathrooms, yes, one of those people) as the two closest to the clinic were in use. Legit was not in there more than five minutes when I saw through the crack in the door my clinic manager come storming in looking around the stalls/bathroom and zone in on the one I was in, trying to quietly do my "business" and make an annoyed noise before leaving. Like dude. It happens. When you have to go you have to go. Not like it's something purposefully scheduled. ?‍♀️

Also, no, I did not stay there that long. This was one of many ridiculous things they pulled and one of many reasons I'm so glad I'm in the provider role now. The tone of the working relationship is so much better. 

6 hours ago, HarleyvQuinn said:

 To be fair, there are staff that behave that way, and there are also paranoid/weird management that will literally stalk staff into bathrooms to "catch" them supposedly hiding or whatever. I wish it was a joke. I was working outpatient at the time and had to try several bathrooms in the large office building to find one (was hoping for one of the single-person bathrooms for privacy, hate having to have a bowel movement in public bathrooms, yes, one of those people) as the two closest to the clinic were in use. Legit was not in there more than five minutes when I saw through the crack in the door my clinic manager come storming in looking around the stalls/bathroom and zone in on the one I was in, trying to quietly do my "business" and make an annoyed noise before leaving. Like dude. It happens. When you have to go you have to go. Not like it's something purposefully scheduled. ?‍♀️

Also, no, I did not stay there that long. This was one of many ridiculous things they pulled and one of many reasons I'm so glad I'm in the provider role now. The tone of the working relationship is so much better. 

I am dyyyiiiiinnnnnnnnggggg! Hilarious 

(story to tell )- BIG

??????????

you’re not alone I can’t poop out, I wish I could but I can’t…

On 7/25/2022 at 7:36 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:

Oh HELLLLL no!  What is this??  I have never worked in a hospital-- I went directly into outpatient.  I had no idea this level of spying was taking place!  Thank heavens I never had to deal with that.  I'm a grown-up, I don't need a nanny-cam on me making sure I really did round when I was supposed to!

Maybe your doctor uses a webcam.

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