ASIDES: Answering Phones

It would seen pretty simple- at work the phone rings as you’re walking by the nurse station. The unit secretary isn’t there. You answer it. You’re polite and take messages, right?

Let’s have a better look at this. When the phone rings we should make every effort to answer it as soon as possible. This doesn’t mean we get up and leave whatever it is we are doing at the moment. It does mean, if we’re close to the phone and NOT busy with resident duties we answer it.

A good greeting goes a long way when it comes to phone calls. It shows respect and dignity towards the caller.
When taking a call, take a deep breath AND SMILE before picking up the phone. The smile will come across to the caller.

“Hello –ABC Unit, this is Suzy speaking. How can I help you?”
Such a simple sentence. Yet a lot of information is shared with the caller.

The unit is identified.
The name of the staff answering the phone is known.
And an offer to help is made.

Many times the call is for a nurse who is often busy and not anywhere near the phone. Instead of running all over the unit to locate the nurse, and keeping the caller on hold, or waiting, take a message. Ask who is calling; a phone number where they can be reached, and ask for a simple description of what the caller needs/wants.

I don’t waste my time looking for people who get calls. No matter what I always run into them eventually and usually within the hour of a call. Depending upon the policy of your employer, you may simply leave a note near the phone with calls received and it is up to staff to check. At my work we have a notebook next to the phone where messages are recorded, and it is UP to EVERY staff to check this log for calls, INCLUDING the nurses. No one runs around looking for anyone.

There are times though, when a call is very important. Anytime a call is from a spouse, a child, a babysitter, a school, a hospital or parent of a staff, we should take a message and LOOK for and relay the message to the staff. Usually these calls are of an emergency nature. Every effort must be made to get the message to the staff who the call was for. It is up to management to vet out habitual family calls during work hours that are petty and non-emergency in nature. At the time these calls come in however, each of us cannot decipher this.