I'm a nursing student currently working in LTC as a CNA this summer. The policy is that we should not carry or use or cellphones at work.
I personnally feel uncomfortable if I don't have those 3 things on me while I am not at home: my keys, my wallet and my cellphone, because if anything happens I'll probably need one of these things, so I always carry them in my pockets. I put my phone on do not disturb so it won't ring or vibrate. I'd NEVER use it or look at it while im on the unit, only during my break ofc. But today (third day of orientation), it fell off my pocket while I was picking something on the ground and there was like 4-5 CNA around me and an ergotherapist.
The ergotherapist was " ooooh you should keep that in your locker!! " and all the CNA's were really cool about it and told her that the hospital could call me ANYTIME (and they can), etc. I just hope I won't be reported for a thing like this.
Is it REALLY such a big deal to carry your cellphone even if it's turned off? I totally agree that nobody should use them, but I don't see what's wrong with carrying them..
My facility has a wonderful house physician that we can contact via text to obtain orders for labs, basic comfort meds (never any narcotics of course), or orders for referrals to specialist (at the direction of our unit manager, naturally), and to notify of incidents or change in condition (again, at the unit managers direction). We do carry our phones to send him texts and to receive return texts. Of course, it does leave openings for the phone to be used for things other than work purposes and for other floor staff to point out that "They can so why can't we?" So the Administration tends to look the other way when staff uses their phones for other than work issues. Even when one staff person answered hers while she, myself and our Administrator were picking up a patient off the floor. When the Admin. Suggested she get rid of the phone, she left us, literally, holding the bag. He then looked at me and suggested she be talked to, to which I agreed and added that would be her bosses job.
If the texting is being done on personal devices that sounds questionable. One of our MDs was counseled about that. We then implemented a hospital sanctioned messaging system. Which of course doesn't link to one's personal device so I wonder how much it gets used. I'm sure I've not seen the new system used but I think we've stopped the texting about patient issues.
If it is the policy, store it in your locker or whatever and check on your meal breaks (if this is permitted). You HAVE to go by the policy. Some areas of our hospital (OR and ED) ban them completely and for good reason. It REALLY annoys me when I am pulling meds or charting an assessment and call bells are going off or I KNOW things need to be done and the tech is scrolling through her phone in her seat. Also, what if something happens and your phone records show that you were shopping, texting, etc while you were supposed to be providing patient care? The facility policy prevents this from being an issue for you. And consider what it looks like to family members if they are coming by the nurse's station and see you checking your phone.
Also, when I was in school (just a year ago, gulp) we were not permitted to have them with us while on clinical or in class. We could check them on our lunch breaks, and we did. Everyone made it through 2 years just fine. It's the same feeling as before cell phones, running home after school to see who called.
If the texting is being done on personal devices that sounds questionable. One of our MDs was counseled about that. We then implemented a hospital sanctioned messaging system. Which of course doesn't link to one's personal device so I wonder how much it gets used. I'm sure I've not seen the new system used but I think we've stopped the texting about patient issues.
I should have specified that names are not used. Room #s. Privacy is protected and texts are d/c'd as soon as they are answered.
I'm a nursing student currently working in LTC as a CNA this summer. The policy is that we should not carry or use or cellphones at work.
I personnally feel uncomfortable if I don't have those 3 things on me while I am not at home: my keys, my wallet and my cellphone, because if anything happens I'll probably need one of these things, so I always carry them in my pockets. I put my phone on do not disturb so it won't ring or vibrate. I'd NEVER use it or look at it while im on the unit, only during my break ofc. But today (third day of orientation), it fell off my pocket while I was picking something on the ground and there was like 4-5 CNA around me and an ergotherapist.
The ergotherapist was " ooooh you should keep that in your locker!! " and all the CNA's were really cool about it and told her that the hospital could call me ANYTIME (and they can), etc. I just hope I won't be reported for a thing like this.
Is it REALLY such a big deal to carry your cellphone even if it's turned off? I totally agree that nobody should use them, but I don't see what's wrong with carrying them..
What do you all think?!
I managed large grocery stores for over a decade before quitting to go to nursing school. I always had teenage/early twenty-something employees who had the hardest time going 7 minutes without Facebook/texting/whatever else.
You're at work.
You have to follow work's rules.
Suck it up and deal with it.
People were around for thousands and thousands of years without knowing what their best friend ate for lunch, SURELY you can make it through a few hours.
And I always got "well I have kids, what if the school needs to call me?" I don't know... Maybe they can do what every school in history did before the proliferation of cell phones and CALL YOU AT WORK IN AN EMERGENCY?!
And yes, it is a big deal. Because despite the fact that you are a new employee on your third day and still in orientation, you feel the need to declare to the world how awful it is that you are being asked to go without your phone for a few hours until your break.
And if it is SUCH a big deal to you, I don't even believe for a single solitary minute that you have the capacity to not pull it out when things get slow at work. Because in the history of people sneaking cell phones in to work against policy, there has never. EVER. been one person who actually didn't pull it out and waste company time.
Minus taking a second to get a drink or pee. Yes. I work 100% of the time. I am an emergency department nurse. When I'm not eyeballs deep in my own patients, I am restocking my rooms, helping the other nurses complete their labs, ivs, or medications. I am helping transport patients to the floor, I am triaging, I am helping restrain psych patients. I don't partake in standing around gossiping-- I'm not paid for that. My husband calls the landline if he needs me.
And texting your man isn't improving your quality of care. That has no benefit to your patients. Again, I said I was supporting your use until you started saying how your partaking in social media and your personal life on company time :shrug:
Well I can't speak to the work flow at any place besides my own. We are very busy and I manage about 30 patients in an average clinic day (not all directly seen by me; some only need my nurse). Certainly there are days when I don't have time to pee, let alone check my phone. But I am lucky to work in an environment that is not at that level of craziness on a regular basis. We have time to laugh, socialize and bond with each other, and enjoy our work. We are dedicated to our organization and it shows in the level of care we give our patients, AND in the level of employee satisfaction and retention.
I am lucky, I admit that. And you guys are right that not all work environments allow for this kind of thing. I am grateful that I work in such a supportive environment, one that values both patient care and employee contentment. And of course, being outpatient means I do not have the level of acuity that many of you are describing.
Specializes in oncology, geriatrics, psychogeriatrics.
My facility is very strict on the use of cell phones. We're not allowed to have them on us, even if they're set on silent mode. When I signed my contract, I remember to also have signed a statement that said we could not have our cell phones (or any electronic devises that are not for medical purposes) in our pockets during working hours. So basically, anyone who works at my facility has agreed to that rule in a way. I asked an older collegue why and apparently there have been cases of theft in the past (also money etc). To avoid that, we all have to keep our purses and anything of value in our locker during working hours. Also, for some reason, a lot of students (and co-workers alike) we get seem to be glued to their cell phones, even during report. It's not respectful to the person giving report that nobody is listening or even bothering to show interest in what they're telling you.
If somebody really needs to contact you in a case of emergency, they have to call the facility and the person who takes the external calls that day will pass you the phone. Sometimes you can ask the director for permission to keep your phone on you for the day, but that's only in case of extreme emergency. I once was allowed to keep mine on me because my mother was in the ER and the doctor was going to keep me updated after the surgery.
I personally carry mine in a FlipBelt and I keep my epipen in there too. My work has only one time given me issues with it and it wasn't even out but I was pulling out my epipen and my manager then felt it was her business with what else was in there. I flat out told her that it was turned off and secured next to my emergency epipen. Thankfully she decided to be a complete moron and focus on that she didn't think it was appropriate or safe for me to carry an epipen on my personal body even though due to my SLE I have some severe allergies and to all nuts especially. I was prepared to argue about allergy emergencies being able to get assistance or emergencies related to my special needs daughter but hey if you are going to be stupid then have at it. It had to go all the way up to the floor director who scoffed at her issue with my epipen especially since I use anywhere from 4-12 a week.
You use your Epi pen 4-12 x weekly? I hope I read that wrong
Awesome post!
TiffyRN, BSN, PhD
2,315 Posts
If the texting is being done on personal devices that sounds questionable. One of our MDs was counseled about that. We then implemented a hospital sanctioned messaging system. Which of course doesn't link to one's personal device so I wonder how much it gets used. I'm sure I've not seen the new system used but I think we've stopped the texting about patient issues.