cell phone use at work

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/03/as_others_see_it_personal_cell.html#more
I liked this short opinion piece about cell phone use at work. I see it all the time and it is a huge pet peeve of mine. I work in a long term care facility with other nurses and with nurses aides, taking care of many patients. Frequently, I find myself sitting at the nurse's station desk with another nurse who is either talking on the cell phone or texting someone, while call lights are ringing or other alarms are going off all around them. I've seen nurses aides sharing things from myspace, through their cell phone, while wheeling a resident down the hall in a wheelchair. It irritates me. Personally, I think cell phones should be kept in purses and lockers. You can use them at break time all you want. If there's an emergency at home where someone has to get ahold of you, then I'm sure they have your work number. People can't be truly concentrating on their job if they are texting someone or talking to someone on their phone at the same time. I think cell phones are a wonderful thing to have, but there's a time and a place for appropriate use.

I agree completely. I think we are in an age now that is so technology centered and everyone is so connected all the time people do not really know what to do with themselves without that connection. I cannot leave the house without my cell phone or I literally have a panic attack, it's really sad actually. I am definitely guilty of texting while I am at work but I work at Bennigan's so no life's are on the line as a result of my full attention. However, people working in a hospital she have their full concentration on their patients, they hold lives in their hands. Also, Cell phones in the hospital can mess with the machines, its a scary thought.

This is a really good point to make. I know that if I were in an emergency situation I would want the people who are working and dealing with me to be focused on me and not who wrote what on Myspace. If I were a patient I would like to be treated as the priority. If you are on break I agree that then is the time to have your cell phone and check messages. I hate it when you are in an important conversation and a phone goes off. I also dislike it when you are in the middle of a meeting whether it is really important or not and a cell phone goes off. I would figure that this would look bad on the person cause they are with so many people and need this meeting for a reason.