younger generation of nurses and blackberries?

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2010

I have never seen anyone text. Actually never seen anyone do facebook either. But where I am people use itouch etc. for drug reference, pathophys, labs, calcs, tx assistance. Most docs pop 'em out of their pockets as well.

Penguin67 · Mar 9, 2010

Are you sure they are texting? I am an instructor, and use mine to look up info that my students need, so we won't take up a computer that staff uses. Also, I email my coursrre coordinator to let her know things that are happening on the unit to get her input. (ie someone is late, can I send them home? etc...). I have a link to the Harriet Lane Handbook on my Blackberry that I use frequently, to get pediatric specific information. So, not everyone that has a Blackberry in their hand is texting!

Fiona59 · Mar 9, 2010

You are my twin, OP.

I work with 20 somethings that are on their phones constantly. No one is that important that they can't turn off their cell.

Before you all flame me, the unit has a phone number and it can be used. I'm tired of hearing "my child may need to reach me, etc". My kids lived having only the work phone number to reach me. The schools had the number, my friends had the number if they were watching the kids. I was only ever called twice at work in ten years for childhood emergencies.

Blackheartednurse · Mar 9, 2010

Honestly what is a blackberry?? As far as your main theme I think you quiet stereotyping...I actually see more of the mid age nurses (30s somethings) constantly texting while charting,showing pictures to the other nurses on their camera cellphones and talk about facebook...the younger nurses tend not to follow this pattern at the facility that I currently work.

elkpark · Mar 9, 2010

I work in an inpatient psych facility that also has a policy of no phones/devices/etc. while working, and when I work, many of the techs and some of the RNs spend half the shift texting or playing games on their phones. And it's not just the "youngsters." I worked recently with a nurse (granted, on 3rd shift) who spent so much of the shift playing games on her phone/gizmo that I was worried she's going to develop carpal tunnel syndrome!

And yes, I'm sure that what they are doing is purely recreational/personal (they will frequently comment to the rest of us on something amusing a co-worker just texted to them). They are not looking up professional information.

It drives me crazy.

Meredith09 · Mar 9, 2010

Are you sure they are texting? I am an instructor, and use mine to look up info that my students need, so we won't take up a computer that staff uses. Also, I email my coursrre coordinator to let her know things that are happening on the unit to get her input. (ie someone is late, can I send them home? etc...). I have a link to the Harriet Lane Handbook on my Blackberry that I use frequently, to get pediatric specific information. So, not everyone that has a Blackberry in their hand is texting!

True story; I second that. A lot of nursing schools are requiring students to purchase a PDA, Blackberry, iPhone or the like that can support software like Nursing Constellation, etc. I have no doubt that some do text when they shouldn't, and they should be reprimanded for that. However, be careful not assume that's what they're up to-- it's no fun to come onto a unit and be paranoid that the older nurses just consider folks my age to be a bunch of unprofessional rowdy kids. Seriously, there are plenty of us, like myself, who are very concerned about being the best students and budding professionals we can be.

stephva1008 · Mar 9, 2010

To the above poster who thinks I'm stereotyping. Yes, I should have said "the majority" of these offenders are under 30. I'm sure there are some "older" nurses who do it too. I stand corrected.

And nurses have every resource available to them on every desktop computer to "look things up." The main thing is that the policy states "no blackberries (except for doctors with pagers, etc)" and folks are just ignoring it. The "I have kids" excuse doesn't hold water either....

I understand that technology is here, I have no problem with that. I just can't stand the lack of professionalism I guess.

Facebook had to be removed from all our computers because of patient/family complaints.

Just a vent...

stephva1008 · Mar 9, 2010

I have no doubt students are using it for legitamite reasons (and they are exempt from our policy). I'd love to have that kind of access when I was a student. But it's not students at all. It's folks on there giggling and responding to every "vibrate" that comes their way.

True story; I second that. A lot of nursing schools are requiring students to purchase a PDA, Blackberry, iPhone or the like that can support software like Nursing Constellation, etc. I have no doubt that some do text when they shouldn't, and they should be reprimanded for that. However, be careful not assume that's what they're up to-- it's no fun to come onto a unit and be paranoid that the older nurses just consider folks my age to be a bunch of unprofessional rowdy kids. Seriously, there are plenty of us, like myself, who are very concerned about being the best students and budding professionals we can be.

Meredith09 · Mar 9, 2010

Ah, now I see. Yep, they need to grow up.

Trauma Columnist · Mar 9, 2010

I have an iPhone and I do use it a lot during the day. I don't as a rule answer personal texts. However, my docs text me all day too about work stuff so I do have to look at it often.

Do agree though that work is for work.

NavyVet · Mar 9, 2010

I guess I fall into the Young'ins with phones category, though I don't see any problem with it under certain circumstances. Nurses station at 3 a.m., charting and patient care work done? I'll take a look at yahoo and catch up on the news. If I wasn't doing that, then I'd just be sitting around bs'ing with the rest of the staff at the nursing station as we struggle to stay awake. Either way, nothing of any importance is being done during the down time, so I may as well entertain myself. No different from looking at the internet on the computer, reading a magazine/book, or conversing with your co-workers about your weekend plans or talking about how great your kid is doing in school.

I always follow proper cell phone etiquette, phone on vibrate, never out in patient care areas, etc. I have used it to look up a drug on the fly, or a medical condition I wasn't familiar with as well. PDA phones are tools just like guns are, nothing inherently wrong with either, just with people using them improperly. ymmv.