What is it with nurses and cell phones? Just a vent.

Nurses Professionalism

Published

Recently my hospital has upgraded or introduced multiple new computer programs that have required almost every level of nurse from bedside to administration to attend class in order to use the new technology. I have assisted in teaching numerous classes and before each we ask that cell phones be silenced and put away, that if anyone must make or take a call or text to please exit the room and return when done, and not to text while in class or you will be asked to leave. Despite this every class we have multiple violators and the majority when asked to leave are not embarrassed but become angry when asked to follow rules and be respectful of educators and classmates. I can't say it's any one age group since I've had 22 year olds to 70 year olds as the culprits. Sometimes I just have to shake my head at what passes for professionalism these days. This is just a vent, not looking for validation. Have a great day!

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

From what I see and hear in all kinds of places, including restrooms, I think cell phones are horrid fomites.

Would love to see the surveillance folks swab a few of them and see what grows out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I didn't mean to cause such a commotion with my, I'm still a good nurse comment. I find it odd that people have absolutely zero idea what a good nurse should include. I have an idea of what that entails at least for me, that involves making sure my patients are taken care of and all the millions of little things that go along with that. I don't feel I have to justify my need to 'constantly be in touch with the world', but since it was asked directly.. I am 300 miles from home, I moved for my job (I actually really really like my job) but when I am here, at this small town 300 miles away from home all I do is work, drive, sleep, get ready for work, drive and repeat. 12 hours between shifts isn't nearly enough; I go home every chance I get, so in the mean time yes, I do still want to be connected to my hometown or what I like to call my real life. As much as I love my co-workers and patients this is still a job and I wouldn't be here if my check didn't clear. I work night shift and there is lots of down time, which is partly why I chose this job. All that being said even if I was 3 miles from home, I would still text. Now time to hang my 0500's

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I didn't mean to cause such a commotion with my, I'm still a good nurse comment. I find it odd that people have absolutely zero idea what a good nurse should include. I have an idea of what that entails at least for me, that involves making sure my patients are taken care of and all the millions of little things that go along with that. I don't feel I have to justify my need to 'constantly be in touch with the world', but since it was asked directly.. I am 300 miles from home, I moved for my job (I actually really really like my job) but when I am here, at this small town 300 miles away from home all I do is work, drive, sleep, get ready for work, drive and repeat. 12 hours between shifts isn't nearly enough; I go home every chance I get, so in the mean time yes, I do still want to be connected to my hometown or what I like to call my real life. As much as I love my co-workers and patients this is still a job and I wouldn't be here if my check didn't clear. I work night shift and there is lots of down time, which is partly why I chose this job. All that being said even if I was 3 miles from home, I would still text. Now time to hang my 0500's

If you're at work, you should be working rather than keeping in touch with the home town. Whether you work 300 miles from home or 3 blocks, your employer is paying for your time. If you're spending all your "free time" at work texting, I beg to differ with your assertion that you're "still a good nurse." Competent, I might buy. But someone who is constantly texting at work does not excel at working, or at nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

I hate.hate.hate it when I see a patient's call light ringing and ringing, know that they are a sicker/"busier" patient, assume the nurse is busy, go to help the patient and then....see that the RN is sitting in the alcove next to the room engrossed in their phone. You HAVE to hear the light!

If you are going to be glued to your phone, at least put it away when one of YOUR PATIENTS who is within feet of you clearly needs something.

I find it amusing too that I'm saying this, because I'm actually pretty young and should fit into the demographic of the most phone-obsessed people, but oddly enough I've never been super enthralled with mine. It's with me at work, and I'll definitely check it on breaks, but I frequently enjoy going hours w/o checking it. Go figure.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

#Random Observation# I just realized I have give golden stars!!!! Finally! I was at four forever!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
For some of us, it was a miracle that we lived to tell about it.

Lets see: age 7 hurt myself on my big bro's BMX bike, my Nana was watching us as my mom was a single parent at work. I had a lot of bleeding from my cut ankle, with pressure on the wound the bleeding stopped till my Mom got off work and could take me to the ER for stitches.

Age 10: hurt my ankle (yes same ankle) playing who can kick higher on the kitchen door with my bro. My mom was working nights at her second job so I had to wait till she got off work at 10pm to go literally across the street to the ER to get a cast for pulled ligaments.

Stuff happens when you have kids and just cause you can get a hold of someone immediately doesn't mean you can do anything about it. This is why babysitters and 911 was invented.

And for all the women bashing their SO on being able to care for their kids is just sad. I know a lot of men who are wonderful fathers and more than capable of caring for their kids in an emergency. Actually they are usually a lot calmer than some mothers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

Lets see: age 7 hurt myself on my big bro's BMX bike, my Nana was watching us as my mom was a single parent at work. I had a lot of bleeding from my cut ankle, with pressure on the wound the bleeding stopped till my Mom got off work and could take me to the ER for stitches.

Age 10: hurt my ankle (yes same ankle) playing who can kick higher on the kitchen door with my bro. My mom was working nights at her second job so I had to wait till she got off work at 10pm to go literally across the street to the ER to get a cast for pulled ligaments.

Stuff happens when you have kids and just cause you can get a hold of someone immediately doesn't mean you can do anything about it. This is why babysitters and 911 was invented.

And for all the women bashing their SO on being able to care for their kids is just sad. I know a lot of men who are wonderful fathers and more than capable of caring for their kids in an emergency. Actually they are usually a lot calmer than some mothers.

Idk about you. But my mom has been a nurse since I was 7 years old. If I a babysitter or anyone else ever had to take me to get any kind if care that warranted a visit to an ER while she was at work, she always beat us there, even if she was at work. My mom was a single parent and would go ballistic if she wax notified about something happening to her child and sounding waited 2 hours, or whatever, to let her know. She always tell people to call and leave a message if she couldn't come to the phone. Well, now instead of having to call and get through on the hospital line, people can conveniently send a quick message directly to a person.

My mom is not a person to constantly pull out her cell, but she will get a message quicker on info she needs to know, if you send a text and quickly looks at it.

It is not always about parents knowing or being messaged so they can do something about a situation, but because as a parent they want to be informed. Plus if my mom was called, there were very few times they there was nothing she could do about a situation, after all to me she was superwoman!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.

If there were something serious going on with my kid, my boss and my colleagues would insist that I leave to attend to the matter. Sure, it would put them over ratio and things would slow down but they'd all agree that our families come before our job.

The "martyr mary" attitude of "I'll finish my shift no matter what" is foreign to me.

That said, my friend could sit with my kid while she got stitches just as easily as could I.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
If there were something serious going on with my kid, my boss and my colleagues would insist that I leave to attend to the matter. Sure, it would put them over ratio and things would slow down but they'd all agree that our families come before our job.

The "martyr mary" attitude of "I'll finish my shift no matter what" is foreign to me.

That said, my friend could sit with my kid while she got stitches just as easily as could I.

The martyr mary is right up there with the super mom of dear God if I'm not right at my baby's side (even with the father there or a trusted babysitter) they will not heal. Give me a break. As for my Mom, she worked two jobs and literally could not leave to come get me. But it wasn't an emergency, it was urgent which is why we went across the street to the ER once she got home. Just too many helicopter parents these days that think if they aren't talking to their kids every 5 mins the world will end.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

The martyr mary is right up there with the super mom of dear God if I'm not right at my baby's side (even with the father there or a trusted babysitter) they will not heal. Give me a break. As for my Mom, she worked two jobs and literally could not leave to come get me. But it wasn't an emergency, it was urgent which is why we went across the street to the ER once she got home. Just too many helicopter parents these days that think if they aren't talking to their kids every 5 mins the world will end.

I think that there is a limit to tend to every Little thing. But to be perfectly honest, I can't totally be upset with parents who "think the world is going to end when they don't talk to there kids" I mean look at what happened in CT. Of course those kids where at a supposedly safe place, school, but the world, in general is becoming a much tougher place to live safely in. No wonder some parents call or text their to check on their kids every X amount of time.

Like i said earlier, my mom always beat me wherever I was going. She knew that if it was bad enough for me to go the an ER then she needed to be there. I can't account for what other parents do (or don't) nor do I care too, my mom did great, and all by herself. She never had any problems with coming to meet me wherever I was, she was there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Cell phones give people a license to be rude. Period. I worked in an office that forbid cell phones being on you at all. They had to be locked in your locker except during your lunch. If someone needs you they call the office number, end of story. People need to remember that the person in front of them is their focus, not the phone.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Cell phones give people a license to be rude. Period. I worked in an office that forbid cell phones being on you at all. They had to be locked in your locker except during your lunch. If someone needs you they call the office number, end of story. People need to remember that the person in front of them is their focus, not the phone.

You are right. Honestly though, people give themselves a license to be rude, not a phone. The phone can't help that some people don't have a thing called professionalism and self-control.

Phones can be used in appropriate ways and settings, or they can be used inappropriately. It the user that makes that call.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment