To think mobile phones in hospital have got a bit out of hand

[Icouldstillbejoseph]

I work in a maternity hospital. I did a shift today which typifies the type of phone use I'm talking about.
I had to perform a planned blood test on a baby. Less than 5 hours old. I walked in, mum was on the phone. So I smiled and waited, and waited. Then started to get a few bits together for the test - it became obvious she wasn't going to stop talking on her phone. So I said "sorry to interrupt, are you happy for me to go ahead with baby's blood test?"
I get a distracted "yeh" and then back to phone call.
First baby. Not interested in comforting baby. This is not unusual....

Now, I know, I really know it's a time of great joy and you want to tell people etc. and I know people get bored in hospital etc but this happens so much now. The obsession with mobile phones is just everywhere.

I think I am perhaps getting old and miserable

Angelos - that is the lowest of the low .

I work in the health sector too and it's awful.

I put up a sign in my consulting room, asking people to turn off phones.

Still get peoe answering them.

I did some routine Obs on a patient the other day. She didn't even take a breath from her conversation on the phone to engage with me, just stuck her arm out for her blood pressure and lifted it up for her temperature! And another one I wheeled to the front of the hospital for discharge- put her phone down for a second to say when are we going? Was very abruptly answered by me with a "if you get off your phone now, we are going now because I am very busy". Did not get very far down the corridor until she was back on the phone. Grrr.

Why are some people so needy that they have to be contactable 24/7?

I very rarely use my mobile at home, and when we are all in the house my mobile gets switched off.

We get this occasionally with our patients. Some will quite happily expect you to just sit & wait for them to finish their conversation . As an inpatient it does my head in when phones keep ringing/beeping, or people insist on having loud conversations for the duration.

As pp's have said though, the problem isn't the phones but the occasional inconsiderate idiots using them.

Not hospital, but the man who works at the local PO hustled me out in between parcels the other day, because he was on the phone to his bank (he was actually having the conversation when I went in and started serving me while on hold). I was left outside for more than 15 mins holding four parcels and a squirmy toddler - had to wait as the other parcel was still behind the counter.

He fobbed me off with a breezy 'sorry you had to wait'. How fucking rude. He'd only been open for less than an hour after his lunch break.

our hospitals have a switch off policy a lady did not comply and insisted it was fine they said no switch it off! she got irate and went outside to finish her call missed her appointment totally went mental they said we are busy your appointment will be in 6/9 MONTHS time and he added plenty of time to reschedule your "important" phone calls

i will admit to being caught at the till with my phone i always ask is this important im in the shop i have to answer because it could be my daughters school they use a blocked number!

I think people think it makes them look popular if they are always on the phone. I think the complete opposite. It makes you look desperate and needy.

I do think the minute some people go to hospital they feel the need to tell everyone they know 'I am at the hospital' IYKWIM.
Then give regular bulletins.

It's the same as when people get admitted everyone and their wife suddenly needs to visit.

Of course if someone is waiting to speak to you, then it's rude to be talking on your phone, and obviously at a funeral!!
Otherwise I am not so sure.Whu is it worse than holding a conversation with someone there in person?

Ugh I had to delete someone as she constantly posted updates on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She was in a car crash and escaped luckily with bruises and cracked rib, cue photos on Instagram of her injuries taken in Hospital. The straw that broke the camels back was when she "checked in" at the hospital on Facebook with the caption "Dad has had heart attack" then a few hours later "just waiting for dad to wake up" and posted a selfie!

Mobiles are getting stupid.

Most of the mew mums I go to do have the courtesy to end the call as I 'knock' on their curtains, but every now and then, I get a, 'do your thing, just ignore me'! Part of my reviews of babies involve talking to the parents - if they don't want to hang up, I'll offer to come back later. Unfortunately the unit is often so busy I don't always manage until much later.

Our unit has a 'no phones' policy - nurseries, schools etc. all have the direct line so we're always contactable. The parents have several rooms to make calls in.

Goodness, the video very graciously posted on page 1 has made me really think about my mobile phone usage.

You are not being unreasonable. I love my phone and am all for some subtle use when it's polite but I was recently on a ward for a few nights and this mad, loud woman in the bed opposite me spent about 8 hours a day yacking on the phone and another 8 playing tinny house music out of it. I was ready to punch her in the throat.

'I love my phone and am all for some subtle use when it's polite but I was recently on a ward for a few nights and this mad, loud woman in the bed opposite me spent about 8 hours a day yacking on the phone and another 8 playing tinny house music out of it.'

That is just completely unacceptable somedizzywhore1804. I work for the NHS and would have no hesitation in telling her to pack it in. Mobile phone use does not involve playing music of any sort without headphones and driving everybody else crackers. The staff should have nipped that in the bud. And yes it is sad that people need telling but they do.

Love your username by the way, I'm a fellow Smiths fan

YANBU - but I remember I spent a lot of time on my phone, texting and taking photos, when DD was brand new and in SCBU. Looking back now I can see that I was just so utterly thrown by the whole EMCS, ill baby thing that I wasn't responding in a particularly normal way. I was actually very detached from DD and I didn't know what to do with her when I was with her. To be fair I was texting people about DD, but I was probably the sort of mum that would have prompted a comment like this.

Just to offer a different perspective.

Lotta- several members of staff asked her to pack it in but every time be would stop for a bit and then start again when they were safely out of shot. It was like slow and incredible torture, especially as I had a raging headache!

Thanks- always appreciate it when someone understands my name

I have a friend who when she comes over to visit will stop mid conversation with me to answer her mobile, then will start a conversation with the person on the phone whilst I'm left sitting like a lemon!

I have a friend like this. She also gets bored while driving or something & will spend the whole of her 45 minute commute to or from work (depending on what shift she's on) chatting on the phone to someone/anyone.

We have a mutual friend who, though not as bad, will always answer her mobile when she is out & I remember a car journey with the 2 of them yakking away having their own conversations while I sat in the back. One conversation was the critically urgent subject of who would father her bitch's next but one litter of puppies (so at least 2 years down the line), while the other was talking to her DH who was at their home - where we were driving to at the time & only 15 minutes away from.

I still turn my mobile right off if I go for a doctor or hospital appointment. If it's something absolutely critical then whoever it is can leave a voicemail.

I'm in hospital right now with DS, i have a whole office set up in here! It is by prior arrangement though and we are regulars!

id never not stop to engage with a member of staff though, that is rude!