facebook and texting at work

8 A question:
HAve you noticed an increase in your coworkers on facebook, or texting CONSTANTLY on their cell phones?
So much that when you have a pt. going bad, and in front of your coworkers ( who are on the computer, giggling and texting too) and you are asking the unit sec. to place orders for a STAT stuff while you are on the phone with the doctor....that these coworkers ignore you, only to ask you later " You had a pt going bad, why didn't you ask for help??" The same coworkers who have no obligation for teamwork, and are too busy to help you when they seem to have PLENTY of freetime to help out? What is the appropriate way to handle this? I have already mentioned several times that they are too loud at the nurses station, and suggested they are on facebook way too much. Now I am the bad guy because I reported above incident to my supervisor, and now one of the nurses is playing the "i'm-not-talking-to -you" game. I feel bad she got singled out, and yes it should have been handled better, but spending 4 hours a nite on facebook is ridiculous. And it sets an example for our new staff! Plus I am so embarrassed when pts family members come to the desk and my coworkers are watching you tube and laughing loudly. And my favorite, texting while in a pts. room. Sigh......
yes, we are cracking down on this. If caught it is cause for immediate dismissal.

OP, no reason to feel bad. You did good.

This matter has to be taken in to hand immediately across the country not just at the OPs hospital. Management has to step up to the plate and let people know there will be repercussions. This is very unprofessional behavior. When people are texting and taking pictures with cell phones there are big time possiblities of Hipaa violations. You never know when someone is going to put something on Facebook or such that causes problems. It is in the best interest of management to deal with this before they find their institution on the evening news. I am suprised it is still going on.

Here's a fun fact: the hospital group I work for took away Facebook, then months later gave it back to us because somehow it's a good thing for us to have access to it at work. I enjoy Facebook, but this logic escapes me.

My hospital's intranet blocks things like Facebook and MySpace, but not Twitter. I can't remember if it blocks YouTube. I only text during downtime at the nursing station, discreetly. I'm on a psych unit, so I think if I did it out on the unit or in a pt's bedroom, I'd get called on it pretty quickly.

Geeeeeeeesh.... I just for the life of me cannot get it into my head that this is allowed. What happened to the good ol' days of NO PERSONAL PHONE CALLS at work? And that certainly would include texting.I think they should all be required to check their phones at the door.. or in their locker once arriving on the floor, and not to be taken out unless on break... then returned to the locker. If there were a major family emergency, I'm sure family has other means of getting hold of the nurse on duty.I remain appalled at the lack of professionalism this portrays.. not just in nursing, but at ANY place of employment.And FB??? At work??? Hardly ! No WONDER nothing gets done !!! This is WORK, people.. work !!! What on earth makes us feel like we should be allowed to surf the net while on the clock... is this not also why that airliner went one and 1/2 hours OVER their destination last year? And what also played into the Buffalo plane crash that occurred a year ago as well..? texting while flying the aircraft... how EASY it is to get distracted. How easy to get nonchalant... how easy to put ME before my patient... my customers, my passengers.... It's a sad reflection on our work ethic these days. Very sad. Frightening, to be honest.OK.. had my say. Off my soapbox now. Just my #1 one peeve.

I agree that texting and Facebook usage is getting out of control in the workplace, but...why didn't you ask for help, instead of expecting them to overhear your conversation and infer that you needed it?

I think it is our own responsibility to ask for help when we need it. Yes, they should get off the computer. But why aren't they? I found that when I needed help and it wasn't offered that I would get really upset and fume, which made me more unapproachable. Nobody wants to help someone who is just going to snap at them for not helping sooner or barking at them about finally getting off the textathon. When I ask and offer in a more positive manner, I get much better response. I hope that approach is useful to others.

They are cracking down on texting/cell phone use at my hospital too. Grounds for immediate dismissal seems a bit harsh to me though.I will admit that I do facebook from my iPhone on breaks and occasionally at work but I am not ignoring my patients and only after I am caught up on all my work. We don't have lockers where I work and I will NOT risk having my $300 cell phone stolen out of my purse because there's no where to secure my belongings. I do not take pics on my phone while at work. Plus I have numerous reference materials on my iPhone as well(epocrates, Kathy White fast Facts, etc) I don't have listed on my facebook profile where I work either.Yes, I have had coworkers texting while I am giving them report!! I did report them to the DON and apparently she spoke to them about it and it has decreased.To the OP....your coworkers are not mind readers...yes they shouldn't be texting/facebooking while at work but if you didn't ASK for help, how did they know you needed any?

I am a nursing student and when I did my OB rotation I had a nurse on the mother/baby unit and every time I turned around she was either texting, emailing or on some website. It was very distracting and I didn't learn too much from her that day. I think it should be banned because it takes away from patient care and is definetly unprofessional, especially in the eyes of the families!!! I know I'm JUST a student but I used to work in the OR as a scrubtech and our nurses did the same thing and it always boggled my mind!!

I hate it when my coworker brings her laptop to the nurses station and stays on Second Life ALLLLL DAAAAY!!

A nurse was recently fired for comments she made on her Facebook about a patient's family while on duty in the hospital. It doesn't get much more stupid than to make horribly inconsiderate and derrogatory remarks about a patient and their family when you have co-workers who are friends of yours on Facebook.