Debate about cell phones in hospitals.

[sparks19]

When you are the patient it is a little hard to step outside to call. Excuse me...please take out all these tubes and devises so I can go outside and make a call? Doesn't work too well. How is it any different if I call on my cell or call on a landline theyoffered me (which did not have long distance capabilities?)

And by the way...they did offer to tell whoever was waiting in the lobby...however, I had driven myself to the hospital.

Do you think the phones in the hospital rooms should be removed as well? How are those any different?

for patient use.... perhaps... but make your phone call quietly and then shut it off. there is no need for anyone to have their cell phones ON... and ringing off the hook in a hospital. If the hospital refuses to call your emergency contact (although i have never heard a hospital refuse to call your emergency contact if you are admitted) then you must get a hold of someone somehow (again never heard of a hospital refusing to notify anyone) Even when I had my asthma attack and was admitted THEY called to notify my emergency contact... even though I was probably only going to be there for a couple of hours. but you notify one person... they can notify everyone else and then you can shut your phone off. or is it LOL

As for landlines in a room.... again if someone wants to see how you are doing... they can come visit you. perhaps they charge for phone use to discourage people who want to just yak away on the phone all the time. Private room? sure you are only disturbing yourself.... but you dont need to disturb others. I can't stand when people have loud conversations whether they are on a phone or not. I think if someone can't keep their voice down they should be asked to leave, personally. But the hospital staff shouldn't have to babysit your guests. and I say this as a very loud person (but even I can control myself and use my indoor voice) My dad is also very loud and apparently doesn't have an indoor voice.... I am always telling him to quiet down, there is no need to yell, I am right beside him.

LOL people can't live without their cell phones? how did our species ever survive before cell phones were invented?

Do you know why most elderly people don't use cell phones.... because they know how to live without one. They managed to make it through life without a phone glued to their ear.... *GASP* how do they do it?

Again, If you MUST use your phone while in a hospital (if you aren't hooked up to machines lol) go outside and then shut it off when you come back in the hospital. LOL I really don't understand why that is so hard to do lol

Trust me when I go into labour the last thing I want to listen to is my husband calling everyone. i will survive for a few minutes if he steps outside to make his calls.

Logan, see you have the common sense to shut your phone off... most people don't. it's like if you shut off your phone... you will just drop dead. if everyone were able to do that or could comprehend that kind of courtesy there would be no need for debate.

I just don't get the "but it makes life so easy" thing.... SO WHAT... life is tough.... you can go without a cell phone or step outside to use it. Life went on just fine before cell phones. SHUT IT OFF! you will live yes it's convenient... but not nessecary at all times.... if it is not nessecary then you should use discretion on when and where you use it.

Now do you just have your cell phones cranked up while at work and just talk to your friends whenever you feel like it? probably not. WHY MUST you do it in a hospital.

[Lady's Human]

Sparks, I disagree with you vehemently on this one.

Hospitals charge an arm and a leg for phone usage. If the cell phones don't interfere with their instruments, then I see no reason not to allow them.

Is there some discretion called for? Absolutely, but discretion is called for any time one is having a conversation in a public area, be it on a cell phone or in person.

[sparks19]

Sparks, I disagree with you vehemently on this one.

Hospitals charge an arm and a leg for phone usage. If the cell phones don't interfere with their instruments, then I see no reason not to allow them.

Is there some discretion called for? Absolutely, but discretion is called for any time one is having a conversation in a public area, be it on a cell phone or in person.

I wonder why.... perhaps because they don't want every tom dick and harry yaking at the top of their lungs and having everyone and their brother calling so there is non stop ringing going on

[Lady's Human]

No, because they charge what the market will bear for phone usage.

With private and semi private rooms quiet phone conversations don't disturb others.

When you have 2 kids at home and Mom is taken to the hospital by ambulance you might understand.

[sparks19]

No, because they charge what the market will bear for phone usage.

With private and semi private rooms quiet phone conversations don't disturb others.

When you have 2 kids at home and Mom is taken to the hospital by ambulance you might understand.

Well I did say that I have no problem with patient use of a phone when nessecary... but no one needs to be on the phone constantly. When you are in the hospital no one needs to have casual conversation on the phone. Is it hard on people to go without? Sure it might be... but it won't kill them. People lived without cell phones for a LONG time.... they aren't nessecary now. Use it in an emergency and if you are able... step outside to do so. I just don't get why that is so hard to do. Basically the cell phone thing in a hospital is it is NOT nessecary.... no one NEEDS to have their cell phone on all the time. Make your calls in private... turn off your phone. Simple. If you must, check your messages every so often... but then turn it back off.

Sure... it makes things "easy" but sometimes life is not meant to be easy. Somtimes you must live life the hard way.

[Lady's Human]

Take one 5am ambulance run.

Take 2 kids, one 2, one 5, and send them to a friends house for the day while dad runs around checking on Mom and getting various things done.

Go to the hospital, sit by wife's bedside for a few hours.

The few phone calls I got from crying children worried about mom disturbed no one, and saved everyone a lot of grief.

It's allowed, use discretion, and deal with it.

[sparks19]

Take one 5am ambulance run.

Take 2 kids, one 2, one 5, and send them to a friends house for the day while dad runs around checking on Mom and getting various things done.

Go to the hospital, sit by wife's bedside for a few hours.

The few phone calls I got from crying children worried about mom disturbed no one, and saved everyone a lot of grief.

It's allowed, use discretion, and deal with it.

It's wonderful if you use discretion.... but you are one of few.... again it is not NESSECARY. I think in a hospital they have every right to restrict cell phone use. If they must say it is because of machine interference so be it... but people managed to have relatives in hospital and survive without cell phones before... we can survive now. We have just become a society of such convenience that no one really cares about others around them anymore. You can site all kinds of reasons for why it is convenient... but until I hear an absolutely NESSECARY reason... i will never think it is appropriate to use cell phones inside a hospital. All the reasons I have heard are only because it is easy but technically all calls could be made outside of the hospital. It's not the easy way but it can be done.

Like I said.... 20 years ago you wouldn't find people on their cell phones in hospital... somehow they managed. So can everyone else. it's not easy... but life isn't easy.

it isn't allowed in all hospitals... only some. and all those people seem to be able to get by just fine without having a cell phone glued to them. So turn off your cell phone when in the hospital.

[shais_mom]

Take one 5am ambulance run.

Take 2 kids, one 2, one 5, and send them to a friends house for the day while dad runs around checking on Mom and getting various things done.

Go to the hospital, sit by wife's bedside for a few hours.

The few phone calls I got from crying children worried about mom disturbed no one, and saved everyone a lot of grief.

It's allowed, use discretion, and deal with it.

hmmmm where I work the crying/screaming children would have been WITH you so I could KISS you for NOT bringing them!!!

The hospital I am going to is very small and personal. They dont allow cell phone use... as I said it is a very tiny hospital. it is a half hour away but they offer better personal care than the large hospitals. (at least the ones around here)

I have a feeling that your very tiny hospital is still bigger than where I work we have less than 25 beds and we allow cell phones b/c we understood that people are going to use them anyway and if it brings comfort to some than so be it...... (and no I am but a peon in the food chain there so I did NOT have anything to do with the decision)

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sure... it makes things "easy" but sometimes life is not meant to be easy. Somtimes you must live life the hard way.

LH...what makes you think comfort is the objective?

[Lady's Human]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Life is supposed to be hard, so let's make all the hospital rooms into modern renditions of Torquemada's dungeon.


I was in Tx during a record cold snap. We had vehicles to work on, and my squad leader told me to go outside and work on one because "You're from New England, you're used to it."

I replied "Yeah, we're smart enough to stay the hell out of it if we have the chance"

Just because life CAN be hard doesn't mean you have to assist in the degree of difficulty.