Much Ado about Pagers: Part 2
I sent an email to my colleagues with the information I posted previously about pagers and misuse/abuse. Wow–what a maelstrom of emails I got back! I found that I am not alone in my frustration at the over use of pagers for inconsequential items that can wait.
Here are some anecdotes and suggestions that came out of the email avalanche:
- One of our night docs counted the pages she got between 10:00 pm and 1:00 am. She got over SIXTY in three hours, many that could have waited, and were inconsequential.
- One doc suggested that all non essential items go into an in box on our EMR, that would pop up every 30 minutes and demand to be opened. (I personally like this idea.)
- Another suggestion was that we carry Blackberrys that are linked to the EMR, and we get pages/texts that way. (Not bad in my book, but expensive.)
- A strong contingency advocated going to the Chief Nursing Officer and creating culture shift about paging early and often. (Not likely to create a long acting,significant change.)
- One of the more radical docs thought that all pages should go through the charge nurse for each floor. (Wow, this would create friction!)
- More “prns” need to be added to the admission order set. (This is a must do.)
And now, the best story of ‘em all:the case of the missing phone!
One of my fellow hospitalists was trying to reach a nurse on the phone that the nurse is required to carry. The physician could here the phone ringing, but no answer. He wandered over to the nursing station, and there was the nurse, sitting beside the ringing phone. The hospitalist asked the nurse why the nurse wasn’t picking up the phone.
The reply: “I don’t answer the phone because it interferes with patient care.”
Tags: Efficiency, misuse, pagers
I have telephone voice mail say leave a message only if a) clinical emergency b) you are a doctor c) it is time sensitive Or ad) doctor all other matters , fax to me OR leave a note on chart. The voice message is promptly transcribed by phonetag..and delivered to me as a text paeg
I like this solution, it is elegant, takes in to account emergencies, and covers all the contingencies!