Debate about cell phones in hospitals.

[Edwina's Secretary]

What about patients gabbing on landline phones? Should those be taken out as well? Might disturb the patient in the next bed?

Last year I was in the emergency room...as a patient. There are many, many area codes in SoCal. They had a phone I could use to call my husband and tell him I was there...but the phone would not call his area code. Had I not had my cell phone to use there would not have been a way for me to talk to him. Same once I was admitted. Only way I could call him was on my cell.

You are assuming cell phone usage is only by visitors. What about patients?

[ramanth]

You bring up a good point Sara. I remember now that when Andy was recovering, he'd call friends from his cell phone to thank them for the well wishes and/or gifts.

He'd even gab when the nurses made him take daily walks. When you're cooped up and don't have visitors, you need to have an outlet of some sort. I'm sure many paitents can agree with that.

[JenBKR]

I've actually wondered about this too. My brother-in-law was in the hospital not long ago, and when we visited him I saw a hospital worker on his cell phone in the hall. I have always thought that you shouldn't have your cell on in hospital, and I'm careful to turn mine off (although I also try not to use my cell in public as much as possible). But I have heard lately that some people are saying it really is safe. When my BIL was in the hospital, he had a phone in his room, but he had to pay at the nurses station to have the phone be able to dial out. He could receive calls, but not call anyone. They told him he was not allowed to use his cell phone. Yet, it was at this hospital that I saw the worker on his cell phone. Strikes me as odd....

[Cinder & Smoke]

You are assuming cell phone usage is only by visitors.
What about patients?

And what about the REAL "abusers" of the No Cell Phone rules ...

The DOCTORS!

I've only had a couple Nurses or Nurse's AIDs complain about me using the
cell dinger inside the Hospital.
I always tried to spot a Doctor while I was being told off ...
it was almost a Sure Thing the Doc would either get or make a cell call while
*I* was being squalked at!

[Edwina's Secretary]

I wonder...what makes a cell phone conversation (assuming the caller isn't shouting etc.) more annoying that any other conversation?

Two people having a conservation on a bus...normal.... someone on a cell phone on a bus...annoying... same volume...same subject....why do we find one more offensive than the other?

(I know I find it to be true!)

[ramanth]

I wonder...what makes a cell phone conversation (assuming the caller isn't shouting etc.) more annoying that any other conversation?

Two people having a conservation on a bus...normal.... someone on a cell phone on a bus...annoying... same volume...same subject....why do we find one more offensive than the other?

(I know I find it to be true!)

Because people love to eavesdrop and only hearing one part of the conversation is annoying!

So please, everyone put your phones on speaker.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Because people love to eavesdrop and only hearing one part of the conversation is annoying!

I suspect you are right. I remember years ago a manager complaining to me that employees at the next table in the lunchroom spoke to each other in such a dialect she could not understand them.... I suggested she stop eavesdropping then and it wouldn't be a problem.....

[Pembroke_Corgi]

When I worked at the University of Hospitals, there were cell phones all over- in fact, many doctors and nurses used them for their job. The nurses in labor & delivery and NICU especially needed them. In fact, I was but a lowly janitor, and I had to carry pager, in case a bed needed to be done "stat" or someone needed to get a hold of me- in a large hospital, you need some communication like that.

I didn't find people's cell phone conversations to be distracting or annoying at all, the hospital was so busy it scarcely mattered. And for the people who were waiting with or for loved ones, I can hardly blame them for wanting to contact someone.

[Edwina's Secretary]

And really... a hospital is not the place to go if you are expecting restful peace and quiet! Try getting a good night's sleep in one of those places...

(BTW...it was the admitting physican who told me I could use my cell phone in the emergency room....)

[Cataholic]

I wonder...what makes a cell phone conversation (assuming the caller isn't shouting etc.) more annoying that any other conversation?

Two people having a conservation on a bus...normal.... someone on a cell phone on a bus...annoying... same volume...same subject....why do we find one more offensive than the other?

(I know I find it to be true!)

You are essentially stating my continued argument FOR cell phone usuage. Less noise traffic!

I really don't understand people's hangup over cell phones. I would be so lost without my cell phone. I am on it nearly all the time, unless I am with Jonah. My time is precious, and, if I am sitting around waiting on something, someone, stuck in court, etc., I *need* my phone.

The local talk jock was going on this morning about someone using a cell phone in the waiting area of a MDs office, and how this guy was just yakking away on his cell phone, and everyone could hear! So blipping what! I hear conversations all the time that I have no 'use' for. Get over it. AND, the ironical part of this story is, the talk jock was going on and on about how long he had to wait in the MDs office (that was the theme of the show). I wanted to call in and say, "too bad you didn't have your cell phone with you, you could have gotten rid of a few tasks, or chatted to your mother, and not noticed the wait". I didn't call in to voice my comment. Why? I was already on the phone!!!

[shais_mom]

What about patients gabbing on landline phones? Should those be taken out as well? Might disturb the patient in the next bed?

Last year I was in the emergency room...as a patient. There are many, many area codes in SoCal. They had a phone I could use to call my husband and tell him I was there...but the phone would not call his area code. Had I not had my cell phone to use there would not have been a way for me to talk to him. Same once I was admitted. Only way I could call him was on my cell.

You are assuming cell phone usage is only by visitors. What about patients?

I haven't read any of the rest of the replies but this is an EXCELLANT point. I WORK in a hospital and a couple weeks ago we had a patient on the (room)phone with a drunk friend of his yelling so loudly the lady down the hall asked if they could shut him up. Oh did I mention that this was in the middle of a blizzard so no one was going anywhere AND after 11pm??? Mind you patients are filling out PRESS GAINEY http://www.pressganey.com/ customer satisfaction surveys after every hospital visit and I'm sure that the employees will be the ones that get blistered over this when it was a patient b/c you can't tell them what to do. (we just had an old man (his name was listed in his survey) that said there were too many fat people employed at our facility) gggrr
A couple years ago when we didn't allow cell phones in our facility, I saw a lady walking down the hall talking about her new grandbaby just as loud as can be. I politely said "ma'am you can't use a cell phone in here" and she looked at me STRAIGHT in the eye and said "yea I know and I don't care" her daughters (adults) were MORTIFIED they said MOM GET OFF THE PHONE! she said "pfft what's she going to do shoot me?" I then found out that she was a previous employee of the hospital and KNEW better. I then decided I wasn't saying anything to anyone in hospitals about cell phones. Then we approved that it was ok to use them...
Along the same lines of disrupting sick people how about people that bring SCREAMING CHILDREN TO VISIT THEIR SICK RELATIVES? Last week there was a child that was squealing and screaming so loud in a patients room I heard her thru closed doors and down the hallway. The parents kept the child there for at least an hour or longer.... I would rather hear a little cell phone ring and someone talking on the phone than a child screaming bloody murder that resembles nails on a chalkboard.

But my feeling is that hospital staff aren't paid to follow cell phone users around to make sure they aren't being obnoxious with them (as we can all agree that many cell users are)

out of this ENTIRE thread this is the only thing you have said that I have even REMOTELY agreed with.
Debating is one thing. But the most important thing to remember (MYSELF INCLUDED very much so) is that not everyone THINKS the same way you do and this does not make them right or wrong. More times than not in the times I have seen you 'debate' with others you make it seem like yours is the only RIGHT opinion. Keep in mind that I was NOT on the debate team, nor am I blaming your pregnancy one iota!!! I HATE politics for this reason and I stay out of the doghouse most of the time B/C of the 'debatable' topics..........