texting at work

Eaglelady · Dec 4, 2009

I carry my cell at work but I don't sit around the desk talking or texting. I carry it for one reason and that is because I have a wife whose condition can go south at the drop of a hat. I keep the phone on vibrate and if it goes off I know to check for messages the first chance I get. I DO NOT try to answer it when I am doing or on my way to do patient care.
A lot of people make the point that in an emergency family members can always call the desk and leave a message. That's fine if you actually have a desk to call. We don't have unit clerks or a switchboard at night. The phone gets answered by whoever happens to be available at the time. When it comes to personal messages a couple of the people I work with just don't pass them on. Last month a deputy sheriff had to come upstairs to tell one of the nurses her daughter was in a severe MVA and her husband had been trying to contact her for over an hour. This nurse is one of those who didn't believe in carrying her cell at work and the person who answered the phone when her husband called "forgot" to tell her she needed to call home NOW. She started carrying her cell when she got back to work.
I stated earlier that I can't stand working with people who can't put their phone down long enough to be bothered with taking care of patients and I can't. I do however see the point of people who carry them and use them in a responsible manner. In spite of what some here think, you can't cover all situations with one-size-fits-all. Every facility is different and you have to adapt to it.

Carrying them and using them are 2 different things I carry my at all times but I do not ever text when I am working when I am on my lunch break which is off the clock I will text my friends but never on the clock--But I always carry my phone and leave it on vibrate u never know when an emergency will rise up---I was at the Oklahoma city bombing incident and since then I will not be without my phone ever but I do not use it when I am on the clock

DeLana_RN, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2009

I just survived 3 weeks of preceptorship by a Gen Y (the generation gap was bad enough, but there was a shortage of preceptors in the unit) nurse with

Fortunately, management saw the light and relieved her of her duties (just the precepting. She still works and... of course, TEXTs all day long. Needless to say, her pts are an afterthought.)

DeLana

P.S. I'm not a dinosaur, but I'm proud to say that I have never texted. Just not interested, waste of time and money.

P.S. Fortunately, I have a new preceptor much closer to my own age who, like me, keeps her cell phone OFF during work.

jtmonique · Dec 5, 2009

I believe that texting at any job is unprofessional and you are being paid to do a job and that is what you need to be doing, as a nurse it seems that there is never enough time to get everything done and it seems that if you just had one more hour you would be all caught up...I understand carrying a phone for emergencies but to actually use it while on the clock is not right. There are also privacy issues...what are you talking about while working other than work? If you break HIPPA then you could loose your license...It's just not worth it.

Indy, LPN, LVN · Dec 5, 2009

I still have yet to send a text message. The cell is for road emergencies, or to carry when my child's at special events in case they need to get ahold of me. I don't care if that makes me a dinosaur, I will have live patients at the end of the shift, and if I lose my job it will be for something more important than a cellphone.

Emergency RN · Dec 5, 2009

Frankly, IMHO this whole debate has become moot. If one seriously examines the issue of texting as a behavioral imperative, there are people already proven to willingly risk life or limb in their pursuit of text messaging (texting while driving). Hence threats, admonishments, employment risks, and or charges of professional misconduct or malfeasance, et cetera; pale when confronted by a willingness to risk death.

I'm sure that one day, social or behavioral scientists will find an explanation as to why this phenomenon is so easily addictive. But, IMHO this... thing, is with us to stay. I also believe that as institutional realization of the potential risk management impact of texting become more apparent, stricter rules will evolve and become routine, with punishments becoming increasingly severe. While individual employees may willingly take chances with texting in inappropriate situations or settings, it is incumbent upon hospital employers to ensure that texting (like any other addictive behavior, ie drug, alcohol, sex addiction), does not impact on delivery of patient care.

Eaglelady · Dec 5, 2009

Frankly, IMHO this whole debate has become moot. If one seriously examines the issue of texting as a behavioral imperative, there are people already proven to willingly risk life or limb in their pursuit of text messaging (texting while driving). Hence threats, admonishments, employment risks, and or charges of professional misconduct or malfeasance, et cetera; pale when confronted by a willingness to risk death.
I'm sure that one day, social or behavioral scientists will find an explanation as to why this phenomenon is so easily addictive. But, IMHO this... thing, is with us to stay. I also believe that as institutional realization of the potential risk management impact of texting become more apparent, stricter rules will evolve and become routine, with punishments becoming increasingly severe. While individual employees may willingly take chances with texting in inappropriate situations or settings, it is incumbent upon hospital employers to ensure that texting (like any other addictive behavior, ie drug, alcohol, sex addiction), does not impact on delivery of patient care.

I agree with you ER nurse I think :eek:

Boognish · Dec 5, 2009

Frankly, IMHO this whole debate has become moot. If one seriously examines the issue of texting as a behavioral imperative, there are people already proven to willingly risk life or limb in their pursuit of text messaging (texting while driving). Hence threats, admonishments, employment risks, and or charges of professional misconduct or malfeasance, et cetera; pale when confronted by a willingness to risk death.

When people text while driving, I don't think they're consciously risking death. Even if they're aware that the risk of getting into a wreck while texting is just as high as if they were drunk, I think most people tell themselves that they're careful enough to avoid becoming a statistic up until the moment they slam into oncoming traffic or run over a pedestrian. The problem is mindlessness and poor judgement- which is also true of people who use mobile devices inappropriately at work. Mindlessness and poor judgement are not qualities that I'd want to have in a nurse if I was in a clinic or hospital, nor is it a quality I want to see in my coworkers when I get through school and start working as an RN myself- because a person who is mindless with their phone is likely to exhibit mindlessness in other aspects of their behavior.

But I think you're right, "threats, admonsishments, employment risks and or charges of professional misconduct or malfeasance" aren't likely to deter a person from innapropriate behavior of any kind if that person has difficulty exercising good judgement. Which is why said threats need to be acted upon, and people who repreatedly demonstrate an inability to put their work ahead of their social life need to be culled from the workplace. I don't believe that a zero-tolerance policy against carrying cell-phones is necessary, but I don't think that asking people simply to use common sense works. Workplaces (and not just in the healthcare field) who want to curb innapropriate cell phone use need to have a clearly defined policy, and consistently applied consequences for violating the policy- and specifically within the healthcare field, the consequences need to be severe if a person's behavior is potentially jeopardizing the well-being of patients.

Scrubby · Dec 6, 2009

If I couldn't text at work I could not survive the shift

I took this as sarcasm and hopefully that is how it was intended..

As for cell phones well I used to be against them at work. But years of being ordered by surgeons to answer their mobiles during cases and take messages has pretty much made me think...well if they can bring their phones into theatre I'm damned well going to as well. I'm completely over one rule for the docs and one for us. I have never been challenged on the issue, and now most of us nurses have pretty much given us trying to stop the surgeons from doing it and joined in.

Saying this though, my phone is always on silent, I don't text at work unless it's a long case and I'm the circulating with nothing else to do at the time but I'm ALWAYS listening to what is going on.

I think it comes down to this. If you're going to have your cell phone on you at work then IMHO that's cool but as long as patient care is not compromised, you do your texting discreetly, personally I don't care. But if you think you can answer your phone in the middle of a surgical count (yes this has happened) then we have problems.

meeshelz · Dec 6, 2009

I completely agree. Texting at work is completely unprofessional, rude, & disrespectful. You are PAID to work, not to text. You are PAID to care for patients as your #1 concern, NOT TO TEXT for amusement. I do think its important to bring a cell phone in your pocket, in case, as others posted, have a family emergency or what not and as long as it doesn't intercept with the equipment. However, don't you DARE update Facebook, Twitter, etc. Leave the amusement at the door.

In addition, I think it is the "younger" generation that is moreso, abusing texting. You are fortunate to have a job and if you'll be texting for fun, I have lots of people that is willing to take your spot in a heartbeat! If you're bored because you're working grave, that is a cop-out. There is ALWAYS stuff to do or research for the betterment of the patient, whether you realize it or not. Why not bring a book on disease prevention, understanding diseases, promotion of health. Take a few minutes to exercise if you find yourself in a down-time but don't you dare pick up a cell phone to text, play games, etc.

JP2011 · Dec 7, 2009

No offense, but both of your quotes here clearly illustrate your misunderstanding of one thing; that is, time. Whether you consider it to be free time, or down time, you're forgetting that it is paid time. The one that pays for that time therefore has the right to dictate what can or cannot be done with that time, so long as such dictates are legal and doesn't violate the law. The bottom line is, when a boss pays for work time, employees generally have to keep their personal business off their work time, or else they're let go.
Your employer has every right to tell you that you cannot use a cell phone while at work. The superb level of your care is irrelevant. Further, it doesn't matter what anyone here thinks, or frankly, even what you think. It's your employer that's going to have the final say, because he owns the time that you're functioning in. Thus, if he fires you for using your phone, you really have no legal recourse. If you feel that you're right, and this is something worth your job or career to stand up for; then go ahead and keep texting.
For me, my phone isn't so important that I get slavishly absorbed by it.

Your reply clearly illustrates your misunderstanding that I have no problem doing what I feel like doing in my free time as long as patient care is not lowered. I didn't take offense to this, it just seems that all these people are attacking the younger generation for admitting to texting. My job doesn't have downtime protocols in place. Our rules are no phones in use in patient rooms or hallways. Nursing station is allowed. I refuse to be a drone and stare at another employee for hours if all of my tasks are done. Just as well as people take issue with the phones I could take issue with the nurses who do their RN/MSN work at the desk, or tell story after story about their grandkids that I don't want to here or participate in. Working in an ER I wouldn't expect you to have time to text, but if a nurse has one patient, should they go into the room and offer to rub their patients legs (at 3 am) just because they finally get to sit down and take a break? If I started playing farmland on the computer, or shopping on HSN.com or qvc.com like the older employees, would you approve then? How about clipping coupons? Or should I start smoking so I can go outside and smoke and text at the same time while a baby experiences a variable decel after variable decel (sorry I work in L&D). I don't mean to be rude, but in the winter when we have 9 nurses splitting 17 assignments where some nurse might not have patients for half of a shift what would you do? We have surgical techs to stock, nurse extenders and PCAs to assist in triage and stock and those aren't even 3 hour jobs, let alone 8 hour jobs, what would you have the rest of your staff do? Clean? We have environmental services for that.

I have seen people text in an OR. That bothers me. I have seen people transport patients into a room while talking on the phone. That bothers me.

DARLA766, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2009

I really find over texting to be my number one pet peeve in any situation. I took my two neices to the movies and they text the whole time. If they cant see their phone every second they freak out!

Supernrse01, BSN · Dec 7, 2009

If I couldn't text at work I could not survive the shift

Really, OhBoy123, you wouldn't survive? I text at work but I don't work in a hospital setting. I work in a school clinic, where I don't have patients unless they come to me. That being said, I don't make a habit of texting and would certainly think you could find something else to help with your free time. How about catching up on CEU's or learning a new nursing skill. There is always something else to learn in nursing.