Distracted Nursing: On Personal Cell Phone Use at Work
A new societal norm.
Most of us have seen the cars on the highway that suddenly slow down in the passing lane, blocking other cars while weaving dangerously across the dividing lines between lanes. We know the signs of distracted driving well enough by now. It resembles drunk driving. Or we’ve had to dodge the people staring down at their cell phones as they blindly approach us on the sidewalk.
Divided attention in the nursing workplace.
The examples of distraction because of cell phone use are endless; in fact, especially in certain places and age groups, this form of preoccupation has become the norm. The behavior carries over into many workplaces, and nursing is not exempt. The following excerpt is from this month’s Viewpoint essay by nurse educator and consultant Kathleen Bartholomew, “Not So Smart: Cell Phone Use Hurts Our Patients and Profession.”
It is 6:45 in the morning, and as I pass a patient in the ED, I see a nursing assistant watching a movie on her phone. She is supposed to be monitoring the 1:1 suicide risk, yet she appears so intrigued with the movie that I wonder if the patient is safe—or perhaps wants to talk.
Earlier that same day, a nurse tells me a story of calling […]