03.21.07
How important are you?
Mobile (cell) phones, whatever did we do without them? How did we manage our lives without being contactable at all times of the day and night? There seem to be few places where we can’t be disturbed either by our own phones going off or other peoples. There have been occasions when I could understand that people have needed to keep their phones switched on during a meeting but even the most important person can turn the thing to silent, vibrate or whatever, we don’t all have to suffer the full extent of a happy clappy ring tone! Yesterday I was at a meeting to discuss the future of urgent services for children. The whole concept of what exactly is meant by this government produced word ‘urgent’ will be covered on this blog on another day in the not very distant future. But at the meeting were a number of people both from the PCT, from our acute trusts and also GPs. So who was so important they needed to let all of us know it? The on call Paediatrician? No, it was the director of planning (whatever job that involves) from the trust. And this happened not once but twice, and did he get up and actually take the call? No he didn’t he allowed it to go to voice mail and then listened to the message during the meeting. Quite amazing behaviour in my humble opinion! Maybe tomorrow, I’ll do a Thursday 13 on the things that annoy me!
Steve Pashley said,
March 21, 2007 at 8:27 am
Hi Julie,
Who was Chairing the meeting? Maybe they should have set some ‘rules’ and then enforced them? Otherwise this type of behaviour will just continue - worse - it may encourage others to do the same.
I know this might be difficult as people are present from several orgs but one option might be for the PCT to suggest some behavioural norms for all partnership or commissioning meetings it calls inorder to get business done effectively.
What might these norms be?
1. No-one present who doesn’t have authority to commit to decisions (when this action is required);
2. All mobiles off or on silent
3. Meetings start on time
4. Action notes circulated to all present within 3 days
????….any views?
Oriented X3 - All the Nurses who Blog... said,
March 21, 2007 at 1:13 pm
[...] How important are you? - Life in the NHS [...]
Julie said,
March 21, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Thanks Steve,
Yes I have to say if I am chairing a meeting, I tend to set some rules in that way. I just find it interesting that sometimes the people who have jobs that are more likely to necessitate them being called at short notice are not the people who behave in this way. As for the notes, well I took them and have typed them up while I could still remember what went on.
Thanks for the comment.
Avril said,
May 21, 2007 at 5:42 pm
I’m with you on the phone thing. As a (mature) student nurse I am sick to the back teeth of those who continue to send text messages during lectures … and what about the need for someone to place their phone on the desk beside them during class just in case someone is trying to contact them? It might be on silent without vibrate but it’s SO distracting when the light comes on to signal ‘new text message’. Of course the recipient needs to have a swatch immediately and respond accordingly. Brass neck I call it!
Today was the last straw … at the beginning of our two hour sociology exam we were told to switch off all mobile phones. Need I say more!?!
I think mobile phones should be banned or confiscated! Except mine of course because I’m a responsible user, no really I am. Hmm …