How do you communicate with work??

I work for 2 agencies. One agency issued us tablets, which are used for charting, scheduling, and messaging. In addition, when they send a message to the tablet, they automatically send a note to my regular email, stating that I have a message waiting. The tablet is secure, while email may not be, so this method is HIPAA compliant. If no one picks up a needed shift, the scheduler starts calling individual nurses.

My other agency simply uses email. If a nurse is needed to cover a shift, the scheduler starts calling individual nurses.

Both sent out group emails for general office news.

If management needs extra people, they send a group text requesting someone to come in (ex. 3p-7p or 7p7a). If someone wants to trade shifts, then the employee sends a group email to everyone.

Per our nurses' union, staff are not supposed to check email from home, because that's considered "on the clock".

If I'm looking for someone to pick up a shift, I will send out a group text. That's typically how I communicate with nurses individually as well.

Oh gee. I feel like.......a bit of a slacker now.

I see this question from a different angle than others I guess. It seems your mostly concerned with finding the best way to make sure messages to and from work are received. Me, my biggest concern is being able to "turn off the noise" of said messages when I want to lol

Skype for a very low fee can be set up so you can use this application to call in and out to phones. It's about $60 a year. When you purchase that option, you're assigned a phone number. That is the number work and coworkers have. It rings on my computer and my tablet via the Skype application. My tablet is mobile and *can* act as a phone because of this.

Then I have my personal phone. Work and coworkers don't even know it exists, much less have the phone number to it. They all assume they are calling my personal phone with the Skype number and..........I'm sure you get the picture now.

Advantage to this system is: I'm only reachable when I want to be. If I'm out and I think there might be a call from work I want to take, I use my tablet. If I am wanting to be a ghost, I just turn off the computer and tablet (or log off the application). I usually have it so Skype doesn't ring while I'm sleeping. At least not in a way that will wake me. All this and.......I don't do a thing with the personal phone so, family can always reach me.

So that's how I do it. Complete control over who can reach me at what times.

Phone, work email, or text. Mostly email. Only text and calls for urgent matters. Managers are pretry good about not calling on days off unless needed.

I have a landline that I give to work as a contact. They can email me as well.

Text blasts to the entire nursing team if they are short staffed and need extra nurses to come in.

The unit staff has a facebook group for requests to trade shifts, invites to get-togethers, and planning holiday potlucks.

Use an app called GroupMe. If they need an extra an or nurse, they post it on there. We can all post messages and stuff & have private convos with each other. I love it because now I don't have to give out my number to everyone on the unit & can disconnect from work when I get home.

I do have my boss' cell number if I need to get ahold of her directly.

Per our nurses' union, staff are not supposed to check email from home, because that's considered "on the clock".

QUOTE]

Yes! And I will add...as little as possible. I don't have my work email sent to my phone. My boss has my cel number and I have his. I don't believe work can or should expect you to respond to email after hours.

However they can get ahold of us. Phone, text, email, whatever might get our attention when we aren't at work.

Heck, I had a nurse call me to tell me something she forgot to tell me in report because she couldn't locate me on Facebook first....she'd be looking a long time, I'm not there...so I guess there's some kind of communication path there, although I'd worry about the confidentiality.