Texting While Working

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I recently flew to the midwest to visit my mother (in a nursing home with end-stage Alzheimer's, but that's a different topic) and the last leg of the journey was in a very small aircraft over familiar territory. I was absently enjoying the neat farms with their strips of corn and hay laid out neatly . . . and then we flew over a farm where the corn seemed to follow no particular order. The rows wandered aimlessly, in one case running right through the middle of a field of hay. The farm house kinda looked familiar . . . .

The next day, I happened upon my cousin when I dropped by to visit my favorite aunt. I asked about his corn fields, and he instantly flushed bright red. "Uh, yeah," he stammered. "Texting while driving the tractor." When I laughed and said I hoped the child in question had learned his lesson, my cousin turned even redder. "That was me," he admitted sheepishly. "Fighting with Chris via text."

The guy who runs the street sweeper through our parking garage at work rammed a support beam while texting, looked up, backed off and then sideswiped it again while continuing to text. I guess now I'll believe DH's explanation about how the dent in his car magically appeared while it was parked at work!

A guy who picks up the trash with those enormous bins . . . walking down the hall with one hand on the bin and the other -- you guessed it -- texting. I've noticed that most of the other folks who use those back elevators know to stay out of his way.

A nurse, thumbs working continuously as she instructed her orientee how to titrate the vasoactive drips. I'm not sure she was following the thread of either conversation accurately, and I cannot help but wonder how it looked to the patient's family.

What's you're favorite texting while working story?

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

New employee, texting throughout orientation, stating to me she'd ben fired from two jobs (and she was a new nurse, too). She was bemoaning how she was treated by a doc at her previous job, going on and on about how cruel he was. Thing is, I worked with that doc for several years, and he is one of the kindest doctors I've worked with. I wondered if she spent her orientation on her last job texting. It was very distracting to hear "click, click, click" when I was trying to concentrate. I wonder if she is still working there. If I were the betting sort, my money would be on her not being there.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I have no texting while working story to share, but I have an opinion. Don't we all... ;)

Everyone in my family has a phone, but we have a rule about no phones while we are doing things together. If it rings, ok...take pics, ok... but no surfing/texting shenanigans. All of my good friends also refrain from texting/surfing while socializing. Maybe that's why we are good friends, but I digress.

One day, I was out to lunch with a good friend who doesn't mess with his phone when we socialize. However, that day, he was in the midst of selling his apartment--and it was stressing him out--so I made a mental exception to his texting his realtor. As he was taking care of business across from me, I gazed around at the other diners. Nearly every single one of them was on their phones, mouths not moving except to chew, ignoring their lunch partners.

It's an epidemic. We socialize almost exclusively through our technology, ignoring the human being right in front of us. Don't get me wrong...I love my technology and its social use, and one very good friend that I've traveled the world with became a friend through a message board. But, damn, it's frightening how frequently we choose to dis-connect in real life.

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Not a texting while working story.. but similar to PP. I work at a restaurant part-time, and it's really sad to see so many families who come out to eat and spend the entire time staring at their phones. The worst is when I see couples that come in regularly and just spend the whole time glued to the screen of their phones. Usually, one person orders for the other because the other person is too busy staring at his or her phone. What is happening to society... Smh. I have a deal with my friends that when we go out and eat, we put all our phones in the middle. Whoever reaches for theirs before we're done has to pay for everyone's meal. Great way to promote some social interaction and, who knows, maybe a free meal.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

I've texted, facebooked, snapchatted, and posted on AN while working and haven't misaligned a single crop on my farm.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I have no texting while working story to share, but I have an opinion. Don't we all... ;)

Everyone in my family has a phone, but we have a rule about no phones while we are doing things together. If it rings, ok...take pics, ok... but no surfing/texting shenanigans. All of my good friends also refrain from texting/surfing while socializing. Maybe that's why we are good friends, but I digress.

One day, I was out to lunch with a good friend who doesn't mess with his phone when we socialize. However, that day, he was in the midst of selling his apartment--and it was stressing him out--so I made a mental exception to his texting his realtor. As he was taking care of business across from me, I gazed around at the other diners. Nearly every single one of them was on their phones, mouths not moving except to chew, ignoring their lunch partners.

It's an epidemic. We socialize almost exclusively through our technology, ignoring the human being right in front of us. Don't get me wrong...I love my technology and its social use, and one very good friend that I've traveled the world with became a friend through a message board. But, damn, it's frightening how frequently we choose to dis-connect in real life.

However, it has virtually eliminated social awkwardness, and for THAT, I am thankful for this technology. ;)

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However, it has virtually eliminated social awkwardness, and for THAT, I am thankful for this technology. ;)
Sorry, could you clarify: what do you mean by eliminating social awkwardness?

I do think that social media is great for networking. You can keep in contact with people easily everywhere in the world. However, it's being used as a primary source of interaction, particularly in the younger generations, and it is becoming a normal practice. I fear for the younger generation that are having more and more troubles with face-to-face interactions and their futures. Please, put your phones away and spend some quality time with friends and family, guys.:yes:

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Sorry, could you clarify: what do you mean by eliminating social awkwardness?

I do think that social media is great for networking. You can keep in contact with people easily everywhere in the world. However, it's being used as a primary source of interaction, particularly in the younger generations, and it is becoming a normal practice. I fear for the younger generation that are having more and more troubles with face-to-face interactions and their futures. Please, put your phones away and spend some quality time with friends and family, guys.:yes:

For me, when you are waiting or have a lull in conversation, I remember having to look around or that dead air that occurs during social conversations...now, I can whip out my phone and look on AN. ;)

That doesn't mean I'm on the phone constantly; and I'm not on it while working; it comes out when I have nothing to discuss anymore in particular social settings.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
https://allnurses.com/nurse-colleague-patient/texting-while-doing-713070.html
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For me, when you are waiting or have a lull in conversation, I remember having to look around or that dead air that occurs during social conversations...now, I can whip out my phone and look on AN. ;)

That doesn't mean I don't put the phone down or on it constantly; it comes out when I have nothing to discuss anymore. :)

Oh, haha I thought you were talking about something totally different. This is true. I like using my phones for games honestly. I hate posting on AN with my phone because, for some reason, I always accidentally press the submit before I finish my comment and have to go back and edit. :banghead:

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

LOL - we're becoming the world Isaac Asimov envisioned in his "Robot" scifi series when he began it in the 1940's -- humans living in physical solitude, interacting with robots and communicating only via technology. Whodathunkit? But of course, there were no corn crop issues because the robots handled all the actual 'work' .... are we heading there?

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I have a no phones at the dinner table rule, we have a no texting while working rule.

I can remember the time when we were SOOOOO lucky to get an extra long cord on our house wall phone, so that if you stretched it JUST enough you could sit in the hall and have PRIVACY on those oh so important calls. ("Jade, you are gonna BREAK that CORD and there WON'T be a REPLACEMENT!!" and the ever popular " your father is expecting a phone call, get off the phone!!")

Now everyone needs to be plugged in all the time. Some to the tune of thousands of texts a day. No one needs to be in each other's lives that much, unless it is some sort of emergency.

However, beats everyone in a 10 mile radius hearing a blow by blow of one's activities, meal plans and other conversations that are just annoying. Plus you can just post that stuff on social media.....

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