Safe Cell Phone Etiquette in Health Care Setting

Pictured left to right are nurses Marlene Mohan and Kerisha David.
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a landmark report stating that medical error was responsible for between 44,000 and 98,000 patient deaths annually. The report cited features within our complex health care system that set providers up to fail. Cell phones were not prevalent in the health care landscape back then as they are now. Most providers have their own personal cell phones, and increasingly, health care facilities are turning to cell phones as a primary means of professional communication with providers and between providers and patients. To our knowledge, there has been no research into the affect it has on the quality of health care provided. The Connecticut Nurses Foundation would like to take the lead with this issue to ensure the use of cell phones for promotion of patient safety while reducing their potential for distractions. We are asking you to do your part in this vital mission. We ask that you take a pledge to use discretion in the professional and personal use of your cell phone.

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