Cell-phones, smart-phones, etc. People are creating complications in their lives, and the lives of others, with the out-of-control, ubiquitous usage of these gadgets. Sure, I own one, but I don't take calls when I'm driving, and I leave it in my locker at work. We all know how mentally distracting they can be if used while driving, but what about "constantly" checking your personal phone at work (plus all of the network distractions too).........could that have a potential downside, say, like the car accidents attributed to cell-phone use? Of course!

3G Nurse

The 3G network
Keeps him connected,
He feels so special
As if he was selected,
From a multitude of many
One of the chosen few,
Without his ever present iPhone
He wouldn't know what to do.

Like Adam of the Bible
Tempted by the fruit,
This electronic gadget
Is his tether, his root,
He can't seem to be without it
It's always close at hand,
What's the problem with that?
He can't seem to understand.

At work in the midst
Of the dying and infirm,
His iPhone is his master
It dictates the term,
Of his short attention span
For critical thinking,
He's woefully unaware
When the ship is sinking.

Like the cigarette smoker
And the alcohol sipper,
The airplane-glue huffer
And the heroin dipper,
These always-on gadgets
Of our modern age,
Are just another addiction
And the latest rage.

Do they belong in the workplace?
Not really, because,
Just like drinking Jack Daniels
It would violate the clause,
Of, no intoxicants at work
It just isn't allowed,
To have one's mental acuity
In an alcohol cloud.

What is the solution?
Disconnect from the grid,
Have a policy in place
Enforce and forbid,
No use of these devices
Unless medically related;
That you can use it in the break-room
Is understood and clearly stated.

There are issues of privacy
So we must set the tone,
Big Brother is watching
Some will argue and moan,
HIPPA laws are clearly posted
For us and our clients,
So, enforce and forbid
To create workplace compliance.

The 3G network
Keeps him disconnected,
From bothersome vital-signs
After the drug he injected,
Into Billy-Bob’s PICC-line
In room eight-twenty-eight,
Yes, his attention to Facebook
Will seal Billy-Bob's fate.

At first bradycardia
And then hypotension,
An allergy to Toradol
That the wife didn't mention,
And while his buddy on Facebook
Had the greatest surprise,
Billy Bob Brady
Took a trip to Paradise


Fibril_late;
9/21/10
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Further thoughts on the matter, after "sharing" the above poem..............

The Lottery of Babylon

Raising junior
Raising shackles,
A barn-raising community
With hens that cackle.

Rules broken by few
While shared by the many,
I could get rich I suspect
If evil thoughts paid a penny.

Statistical analysis
The power in data sets,
In time, will identify dangers
Are you willing to place your bets?,
I’ll take wagers on inattention
While we hold our collective breath,
Who will win the lottery of Babylon?
Where the reward is a negligent death

Fibril_late;
9/24/10

Why haven't I written for almost two months?

Injured

I injured my arm
But I wasn't bitten,
So that doesn't explain
Why I haven't written,
In over a month
In this Nursing journal,
I can blame my trauma
On that hundred-liter urinal.

I busted my bicep
A strain in my arm,
The patient was OK
'Twas the nurse who had harm,
Now I'm in recovery
It's a twelve-step regime,
With my own Physical Trainer
She's so hot, I could scream.

No, unfortunately, I'm joking
This isn't 24 Hour Fitness,
These Trainers are pit-bulls
As god is my witness,
And returning to work
Will be a welcome event,
They're prepared to release me
When I apologize and repent.

I was damaged
(Some would say, long ago),
But the future is hopeful
I'm letting you all know,
My advice, for those considering
Having an injury, too?
Make sure it happens on the job
So Workmans' Comp works for you.

Fibril_late;
9/15/10