Distracted Nursing: On Personal Cell Phone Use at Work

A new societal norm.

Kathleen Bartholomew

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 […]

2018-06-19T11:40:33-04:00June 19th, 2018|Nursing|7 Comments
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In Colorado EDs, ‘Alternative to Opioids’ Pilot Project Exceeds Goals

Ashley Copeland talks to her mother in the Swedish Medical Center ED. Copeland was treated for a severe headache with a nerve-blocking anesthetic, but no opioids. (John Daley/CPR News)

Last year, in an effort to address the state’s acute opioid abuse problem, several Colorado health care organizations—including the Colorado Emergency Nurses Association—worked together on an intervention to target patients admitted to the ED with pain. The plan? Implement a pain management program to promote alternative strategies, with a goal of decreasing opioid usage by 15% in the participating EDs.

As discussed in a June news article, the program, which was piloted in 10 hospitals and involved heavy involvement from nurses, surpassed its goal: opioid usage during the intervention period (as measured in morphine equivalent units) was 36% less than in the previous year.

The […]

2018-06-14T09:29:35-04:00June 14th, 2018|Nursing, patient experience|1 Comment
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Who’s Listening to Hospitalized Patients with Hearing Impairment?

In my early years in nursing, attention to patients’ hearing deficits was a big deal. It was assumed that we couldn’t properly care for someone if that person couldn’t hear us. Every admission assessment included an appraisal of the patient’s hearing: “Hears ticking watch eight inches from each ear,” or “hears quiet conversation at three feet without difficulty,” or “patient states deaf in right ear,” or some other specific description.

When hearing difficulties were evident, a sign was prominently posted over the head of the bed, a note in red ink was written in the Kardex (those quick-reference summaries of key points on all patients that were updated daily), and a special label was affixed to the front of the (paper) chart.

A communication impediment, often ignored.

Why don’t we do these things anymore? I see little indication that the needs of a hearing-impaired patient are a clinical priority. The deficit is not noted on the whiteboards that seem to be standard issue in patients’ rooms today. As a hospital visitor, I watch with dismay as staff fail to acknowledge acutely obvious hearing impairments.

A family member has tumor-induced hearing loss in one ear, and I explain on every admission that people need to speak up when addressing him. I ask them to make use of his intact […]

2018-06-12T12:53:06-04:00June 12th, 2018|Nursing, nursing research, patient experience|1 Comment
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Critical Mass at the Critical Care Nursing Conference

Boston + 9,000 nurses = NTI2018

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is well-known for its annual National Teaching Institute (NTI), but this year, in terms of sheer scope, it surpassed all other meetings I know of. With over 9,000 attendees, registration had to be closed for the first time ever. Imagine—there were almost too many people at the Boston Convention Center, one of the largest venues in the country.

The exhibits, as always, were never-ending, with sections for industry, education, organizations, recruiters, and publishers. And as always, the “newbies” could be identified by the bags of giveaways they carted off . . . as opposed to the NTI veterans, who merely scan badges and have info sent to them.

Obstacles as opportunities for change.

Monday’s opening address by AACN president Christine Schulman was heartfelt. Reflecting on her soon-to-end year as the president and its chosen theme, “Guided by Why,” she encouraged us to explore the possibilities of making real changes when we face obstacles. And she announced that AACN was planning to take on the fundamental issue of nurse staffing:

“Inappropriate staffing has gone on for far too long. It involves many factors . . . and needs a major shift in how we think about delivering patient care.”

Body language creates and projects confidence.

The next day’s keynote address by social psychologist Amy Cuddy (see her popular TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are“) gave attendees some insight […]

2018-06-06T12:38:27-04:00June 6th, 2018|career, Conference reports, Nursing|0 Comments
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As a Long-Predicted Nursing Shortage Gets Real, Staffing and Retention Issues Get Urgent

Is the nursing shortage finally here?

In her June issue editorial, AJN editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy notes that in her recent visit to the annual National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) conference, many of the senior students she spoke with already had jobs lined up.

She surveys some recent indicators pointing to the possible arrival at last of a long-predicted nursing shortage, and some of the possible implications this is having or may have in the coming years for patient care and the health of organizations. For example:

“A survey of 233 chief nursing officers conducted last July conducted last July by national staffing company AMN Healthcare found that 72% said their shortages were moderate to severe, and most expected shortages to worsen over the next five years. They also acknowledged that the shortage was having a negative effect on patient care, patient satisfaction, and staff morale.”

Bonuses for new hires.

She notes that, with hospitals in some regions paying signing bonuses to new nurses, the question of staff retention and development remains the elephant in the room.

The class of 2018, it seems, is entering a job seeker’s market. . . . Organizations that can invest in new nurses with programs that provide support and training will have a leg up in recruitment. But […]

2018-06-04T12:21:33-04:00June 4th, 2018|Nursing|2 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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