Using phones as a sitter-thoughts?

JKL33 · Jun 14, 2017

I don't have the answer but I do think it is unreasonable to expect people to sit in a dark quiet area in the middle of the night, with a patient who isn't requiring active care or redirection. I realize it's VERY common, but that doesn't make it right or reasonable. You could sleep 10 hours prior to your shift and still have trouble in that situation.

This issue is also plagued by others' personal biases. For instance there plenty of places where no one would think twice about someone reading a book or doing a crossword, or making their personal shopping list or doing their bills or working on homework, etc., etc., but to do any of those things on an electronic device makes people go completely brainless over the fact that they see someone using an electronic. Yes, some have spoiled it by being irresponsible - but that is certainly nothing new. There have always been nurses and staff capable of becoming more interested in their own personal task during down-time than their job duties.

I'm guessing the main argument against phones will be the distraction. Counterpoint: Struggling to stay awake or to endure the mental torture of the situation is also quite a distraction.

allinone · Jun 14, 2017

@JKL33 - Thanks for your thoughts. I wondered that too... I did have a book with me but I wouldn't have been able to read it in the dark. I'm curious to see how he would react to a book vs. kindle/book in my phone.

Career Columnist / Author · Jun 14, 2017

I work as a care partner/cna at a hospital and often am assigned as a sitter.
I do use my phone often when I am sitting, but I always make sure my patient is calm/asleep, clean, repositioned, etc before I use my phone. It's usually when it's dead quiet in the room and I want to quietly keep myself awake (even after a cup of coffee, graveyard shifts are tough in a dark and quiet room). I keep one eye out for my patient. My hospital has a computer in each room but I don't prefer using that. The screen is big and bright which I can't adjust, and many patients find it a distraction when trying to sleep. The clicking and clacking of the mouse and keyboard can also be distracting. So I just turn the computer off.
It's never been on the other floors I float to, but this one supervisor/charge nurse took my name and told me he will report me for catching me on my phone twice.
Personally, I found it infuriating. It's better than falling asleep. If anyone took one look at my patient, they will see he is comfortable, asleep, and clean. I'd like to believe that I am on my phone responsibly. I didn't argue with him though in my head I did.
What are your thoughts on using a phone? Or reading a book, using a computer, watching a movie, etc?

I see your point of view, and I'll share an employer's point of view.

When visitors see caregivers on a personal phone, they do not differentiate between acceptable reasons and non-acceptable reasons for using a phone while on duty. It doesn't give a good impression.

Your are on the clock, and when on the clock, should be doing work related and work sanctioned activities. By contrast, being on your phone is seen as entertainment.

Most important is that it seems to be against policy and puts your job in jeopardy. Good for you that you didn't argue as it probably would not have gone in your favor!

Think of this as something you choose to accept as a condition of employment- not because you agree but because you value your job and want to be a good employee. You will encounter the same thing at any job. Best wishes.

Morainey, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2017

I agree with above reasoning - I think it's unprofessional to sit on one's phone. A phone for some reason seems more engaging than a book or a Kindle or homework. I've been a sitter and I know it can be agonizingly boring, but we have a CNA who will literally watch Dr. Phil episodes on her phone and ignore the patient. When you walk by in the hallway she's totally engrossed in her phone, not even looking at or paying attention to the patient. And this is during a busy shift! She's been spoken to multiple times but it keeps happening. It just leaves a bad impression IMO. However, in the middle of the night in the dark is a different story and your supervisor seems like they're being unnecessarily harsh, unless your facility has a zero tolerance for phones?

FWIW my work environment is fairly phone friendly but most nurses leave their phones at the nursing station while doing patient care.

Jolie, BSN · Jun 14, 2017

Having recently been at the bedside of a family member requiring 1:1 sitter care for safety, I agree with Beth's response above.

The appearance of a staff member assigned to the bedside being on his/her phone leaves a poor impression on the family members and others involved in the patient's care. Despite knowing that I am a nurse and my sister is a physician, and that one or the other of us was present 100% of the time, we were informed that a staff member had to be there as well. I certainly understand the legalities of that, but to say that it's necessary and then allow that person to be distracted by a phone seemed contradictory and unprofessional. We also noted that some sitters laid down on a bench in the room, making no effort to even appear alert or awake.

I understand how difficult and fatiguing it is to be in constant attendance at the bedside. Frequent breaks are needed for the sitter, and there should be allowances made for written work, reading, etc. While our loved one needed a darkened, restful environment, it was possible for us to use a small, focused light to read and work that didn't shine on our loved one's eyes. The same would have worked for the sitters. Ironically, in our experience, the sitters who were staff members were the "worst offenders." Those that came from an outside staffing agency conducted themselves in a professional manner.

JKL33 · Jun 14, 2017

Jolie,

What would you have liked them to do? I note your bias for allowing written work and reading, so long as it isn't on a phone.

Let's be specific here. In a dark room on the night shift, what is acceptable? So far I'm hearing that using a small light in order to read a book-not-on-phone is okay. Anything else?

What did the staffing agency sitters do that you approved of?

We're not talking about anyone lying down on a bench. We're talking about what a good employee should do in a dark, quiet room in the night, when s/he needs to stay awake/alert.

JKL33 · Jun 14, 2017

I agree with above reasoning - I think it's unprofessional to sit on one's phone. A phone for some reason seems more engaging than a book or a Kindle or homework. I've been a sitter and I know it can be agonizingly boring, but we have a CNA who will literally watch Dr. Phil episodes on her phone and ignore the patient. When you walk by in the hallway she's totally engrossed in her phone, not even looking at or paying attention to the patient. And this is during a busy shift! She's been spoken to multiple times but it keeps happening. It just leaves a bad impression IMO. However, in the middle of the night in the dark is a different story and your supervisor seems like they're being unnecessarily harsh, unless your facility has a zero tolerance for phones?
FWIW my work environment is fairly phone friendly but most nurses leave their phones at the nursing station while doing patient care.

Is it okay to sit on one's book, so long as it's not a book about Dr Phil?

Or is your post mostly about a person who has been spoken to many times for not attending the patient? The OP wasn't discussing that situation.

Anonymous865 · Jun 14, 2017

Obviously you must follow the rules of your employer. As Nurse Beth has pointed out, it looks bad to patients and family to see an employee staring at a personal phone screen.

I also sympathize with you. I have sat up all night with a hospitalized family member. As a PP said, it doesn't matter how much sleep you got during the day, if you have to sit quietly in a dark room, it is really hard to stay awake.

I also learned how fast a patient who appears to be sleeping can pull a line when you look down at a screen for just a minute.

My solution was to download audio books to my phone, and listen to them. I was able to keep my eyes on my family member the whole time, and the book kept me awake. Most public libraries have audiobooks available for download. You usually have to go to the library initially to get a library card. Once you have a card, you can "checkout" and download books via their web site. Books get automatically returned at the end of your loan period.

Libraries also have audio courses that you can take. Your hospital might also have audio training that you could listen to.

If you use bluetooth earbuds, patients/family wouldn't even notice that you were listening to your phone.

Check with your supervisor to see if this would be an acceptable solution.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Jun 14, 2017

Jolie,
What would you have liked them to do? I note your bias for allowing written work and reading, so long as it isn't on a phone.
Let's be specific here. In a dark room on the night shift, what is acceptable? So far I'm hearing that using a small light in order to read a book-not-on-phone is okay. Anything else?
What did the staffing agency sitters do that you approved of?
We're not talking about anyone lying down on a bench. We're talking about what a good employee should do in a dark, quiet room in the night, when s/he needs to stay awake/alert.

I know I'm not Jolie, but I'm definitely biased against cell phones. I really detest them. I think they are unprofessional to the nth degree, unless you're using it for professional reasons. I think browsing the internet in general is unprofessional though. The issue between the computer in the room vs the cell phone is that one is restricted and one isn't. Now, I'm sure the OP isn't browsing Media or taking Buzzfeed quizzes while she's sitting, but who is to say someone isn't? I wouldn't be happy with someone sitting with my dad/husband/kid doing something like that. Perhaps this is just semantics, but I feel as though reading/studying is helping to pass the time and surfing the web is wasting time.

Apparently I'm pretty judgemental about this. Who knew?

katyq82 · Jun 14, 2017

We can debate the merits of one form of passing the time over another, but I think the most proactive approach would be to talk to your supervisor and say something like: "It is difficult for me to stay alert during the long periods at night when a patient is clean, comfortable and sleeping. I find it helpful to have another activity to do at the same time that helps me stay alert. Are there any activities that you feel are acceptable?" You may not get the answer you want but you might get some alternatives that you could live with.

JKL33 · Jun 14, 2017

For the record, I'm never on my phone at work (unless I happen to take a break - then I will check for messages from family). I also have never browsed the internet at work, ever. I become engrossed in figuring out what's going on with my patients and keeping things moving forward with their course of care. I like to stay focused, and in MY particular bedside nursing role, I certainly do think using personal devices every time there's a brief lull is unprofessional. Nevertheless, we're talking about a completely different situation here and I think there's an interesting double-standard at play, that's all. I get it, for whatever reason, reading Kindle or using a crossword app makes people go self-righteously apoplectic...bringing along a Cosmo or "Men's Health", probably okay. And the funny thing is, if someone WERE talking about reading a couple of magazine articles while sitting, the people who come flying out to let us all know how unprofessional phones are, don't really come out to the same extent.