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 agree that it's unreasonable to expect someone to just sit in the dark, especially when a patient is asleep. I don't see a problem with sitters using their phone (as long as they were glancing up periodically to observe the patient). However, no matter how "cool" a patient's family member is with the use of a phone, it doesn't look good.
If it were me, as soon as a patient's family walked in I would put away the phone. You'd be amazed at how many sitters carry on with their texting or phone calls. Family members are likely to think, "Wow, this person sure isn't paying any attention to my beloved family member." The truth is, the patient's family might be documenting everything. No matter what the circumstances, a sitter or nurse being on their phone while in the room with a patient just doesn't look good and it might cause a family member to think that their loved one's care isn't in the best hands. They are not worried about how entertained the sitter is but the quality of the care their loved one is getting.
Another issue I have with the usage of phones is actually talking on them. Way back before I was a nurse, my mother was in the hospital and ended up staying for a week. She was having trouble sleeping so I left her with the sitter (who was already in there) and went to go get her something to drink. When I returned, the sitter was yapping away on my mom's room phone to her boyfriend about some sort of drama. My mom was trying to sleep and I didn't appreciate it. I was only in high school, but I still felt annoyed. This is not the only instance that I have witnessed this happen. Whether the patient is asleep or not, is it really necessary to talk loudly on a phone about personal issues while with a patient?
Sitting and browsing on your phone is one thing, but being disruptive? Really?!
I hope my post didn't come off as harsh? I think I'm just truly frustrated with cell phone use in general. When talking to someone in daily life or in customer service, I feel like people are constantly glancing down on their phones. I will be trying to have a discussion with a patient's family and they will be too preoccupied with whatever is going on on their phone to actually pay attention to me or anything else going on. It's freaking frustrating!
Don't get me wrong; my favorite part of the day is climbing into bed with my schnauzer, getting on my phone and reading fanfiction. I'm just as guilty as anyone else... I guess I just think there's a time and a place...
So what's the difference between this and being a telemetry monitor tech? Is it okay to use your phone/read/look elsewhere as long as the monitor isn't beeping? I am being serious, not sarcastic. Really asking.
I have seen terrible things happen with distracted sitters. Also not a fan of using a cell phone at work at all while engaged in bedside care, unless I'm using an app — in which case I make it known that I am using an app! I love technology, but wow, have I seen a change in productivity since cellphones (and especially smartphones) became common.
Unfortunately common sense doesn't always dictate policy. I would also think it would be a liability to give sitters permission to engage in other personal activities besides the job they are being paid to do; it's a slippery slope. I would NOT want to be a sitter, my ADD self would not do well!
This I should the exact reason I see if any of my coworkers want to sit, and I'll take their assignment for the shift. Mind you my floor is known as the "busy," "crazy," tele floor, and I've willingly switched with people and taken their assignment of 16 patients versus sitting in a room with a quiet, sleeping patient because I cannot stay awake sitting that long. I work day shift, but still. Staying awake in those rooms is so hard for me. And I always feel unprofessional when using a cell phone while sitting, but I'm trying to stay awake and pass time. Especially when sitting, I see how busy everyone else is, and I don't want to ask them for a "quick 5 minute break" to stretch my legs and wake myself up. And (maybe just on my unit) but the rooms with a patient requiring a sitter are usually located far away from the nurse's station, and it can be hard to flag someone down. So I totalllllly get it, but still, there are policies against cell phone use at most places of employment, so if I use my phone I have to know I'm taking that risk of I could get in trouble.
TBH, it sounds like said person was either looking for someone to exert their authority on, or maybe they had it out for you.
Maybe they just got in trouble because a higher up scolded them for their staff using cell phones and they are trying to now enforce it.
Another thing, you mentioned you get floated, and in my experience when you're floated, it's much easier for staff to be a little harsher. Not always, but sometimes. Because they may not work with you often you haven't developed a rapport with them yet.
NurseDisneyPrincess
66 Posts
I agree that it's unreasonable to expect someone to just sit in the dark, especially when a patient is asleep. I don't see a problem with sitters using their phone (as long as they were glancing up periodically to observe the patient). However, no matter how "cool" a patient's family member is with the use of a phone, it doesn't look good.
If it were me, as soon as a patient's family walked in I would put away the phone. You'd be amazed at how many sitters carry on with their texting or phone calls. Family members are likely to think, "Wow, this person sure isn't paying any attention to my beloved family member." The truth is, the patient's family might be documenting everything. No matter what the circumstances, a sitter or nurse being on their phone while in the room with a patient just doesn't look good and it might cause a family member to think that their loved one's care isn't in the best hands. They are not worried about how entertained the sitter is but the quality of the care their loved one is getting.
Another issue I have with the usage of phones is actually talking on them. Way back before I was a nurse, my mother was in the hospital and ended up staying for a week. She was having trouble sleeping so I left her with the sitter (who was already in there) and went to go get her something to drink. When I returned, the sitter was yapping away on my mom's room phone to her boyfriend about some sort of drama. My mom was trying to sleep and I didn't appreciate it. I was only in high school, but I still felt annoyed. This is not the only instance that I have witnessed this happen. Whether the patient is asleep or not, is it really necessary to talk loudly on a phone about personal issues while with a patient?
Sitting and browsing on your phone is one thing, but being disruptive? Really?!