Topic: Medical TV Shows and cell phones.

[Touti]

How come all the doctors and nurses keep using their cell phones in the hospital in all the medical tv shows.  Don't the writers know that cell phones are forbidden in hospitals ?

[RossRoy]

How come all the doctors and nurses keep using their cell phones in the hospital in all the medical tv shows.  Don't the writers know that cell phones are forbidden in hospitals ?

They are - but if my recent visits are any indication, it only applies to patients and visitors. Doctors and nurses use them all the time.

[Kathy]

I think the old cell phones had the potential to interfere with pacemakers. A lot of the hand held devices you see are transcription equipment that has replaced hand written notes. Others are adapted for a multitude of uses such as pharmacopoeia online. Its pretty cool stuff that helps to increase patient care and safety.

[addicted2dvd]

My cell phone won't even get a signal in the hospital. I have to literally leave the building to be able to make a call.

[snowcat]

My cell phone won't even get a signal in the hospital. I have to literally leave the building to be able to make a call.

Snap, me to :/ ... Although the hospital is also in the middle of nowhere. The only Medical show I really watch is Scrubs (im interested in watching House) thinking about I can remember three instances of cell phones on the show

An episode where Dr Kelso has to be a medical doctor for the day, the patient he visits googles him on her phone. (she is in bed)

Another episode is when Elliot and Turk are talking and Turk discovers Elliot no longer has his number on her mobile.

and finally in Season 6 Episode 1 I believe JD gets arrested and phones Turk but ever body is too busy listening to his ring tone and dancing to answer

(All of these happened in the hospital)

I guess cell phones have evolved like Kathy said though : )

[lyonsden5]

When I was recently in the hospital my nurse had a cell phone and wrote the number on a white-board in my room. They also had the number of the charge nurse on there as well. I'm a bit old fashioned and just pushed the call button when I needed something but it was nice to know if I wasn't getting what I needed I had the option to actually call someone.

The phones they used were the nextel types with the walkie talkie feature they used for internal communications.

I also had one of the lab techs write their number on my board when she was doing a timed blood test. I called her 10 minutes before she was supposed to be there and she got there just in time.

Great way to communicate IMO.

FWIW - my phone wouldn't work either. They must have been using the special TV phones that work eveywhere 

[Najemikon]

Probably VOIP phones on the hospital network. The handheld wireless versions can look like normal mobiles. In fact, some mobiles can communicate on VOIP.

[lyonsden5]

  Thanks Jon. I never thought of that.

[Touti]

I realize that hospitals use devices for communications between employees on the floor but that's now what I'm talking about.  In all the TV Shows like Grey's Anatomy, Mercy and so on, you nurses, interns, attendings and doctors making and receiving phone calls from friends, family, girlfriends or boyfriends.  That bothers me every time.

I know there is no proof that a cellular phone can interfere with medical equipment and/or pacemakers and things like that but afaik they are still forbidden in hospitals.  I wonder if it's really like that ?  Are the rules only for patients and visitors ?

[addicted2dvd]

I don't know Eric... but I can say I spent a lot of time in the hospital with my mother the last few years... and I can say that I never seen anyone using their cell in the hospital whether it is patient, visitor or staff. But our hospital could be stricter on the rule then most places, that I don't know.

[snowcat]

I know when my cousin was in hospital (he was in his own private room) you could use a cell phone in there, but the signal was very poor.

...I was thinking about it today and I can think of more instances where Characters in Scrubs use mobile phones...maybe its an error on there side?

[Kathy]

I don't think I've seen an accurate portrayal of hospitals and their goings on, especially nurses, on TV yet.

[Najemikon]

Have you ever seen Casualty, Kathy? It's a very long running British BBC drama that has its share of crash-bang-wallop moments, but generally has far less hyperbole than ER and is less soapy than Gray's Anatomy.

Here is a random clip. Purposefully tried to find one that wasn't the obligatory stunt scene, but more regular drama. And Charlie is in it! He's the head nurse and is one of Britain's TV icons... 



My only experience of hospitals is just passing through, but it has always felt genuine.

[snowcat]

I used to love Charlie when I watched Casualty (in the 90's) ... is it still on? :S or just Holby City?

[Najemikon]

Good grief! Call yourself British?  It's never been away, Emma, and still popular enough to command a Saturday night slot. My mum still watches it whenever it's on. Not sure if the current series has finished now.

She could never get into Holby City. For those wondering, it is a spin off about the main hospital to which Casualty is the A&E department. They cross-over occasionally.

Actually, I just realised, Kathy may be interested in The Royal. It's an ITV spin-off from their lazy 1960s drama, Heartbeat (about police in a Yorkshire village). The Royal was about the local hospital, so it would be interesting for historical medics.

The BBC did a period version of Casualty too, set in 1906. Then followed it with a couple more (1907, 1909). They were interesting because although fictional, they were based on real documented cases from the time.