Sims

We're on ward round, and I look across to my colleague.  She's playing with her phone.  I then realise she's not texting or reading a text, but is playing a game.  'Oh', she says, 'I'm just sending my Sims to work, I forgot to do it before'.  A senior is talking to a patient, a sober moment, when his phone rings, 'I just need to get this' he says and slips out of the curtained area.

Moments which seem to happen day in and day out.

Mobile phones and technology are intruding on our everyday life, but how far should this be allowed to happen during working hours?  Should we be able to answer phones and messages?  Should we be allowed to play simple games, Sims, farm style games?  Should we be allowed to check emails, surf the internet, 'Facebook', or any one of the things which technology now allows us to do?

I feel I need my phone.  Sure, Little Miss's nursery have my bleep number, they can contact me through that.  But what if they forget which hospital I'm at?  What my bleep number is?  They are also more likely to start by contacting my phone.  For them, what if I'm not at work that day?  They're not to know that any day I have off I take Little Miss out of nursery and we have fun.  So I feel it's an easy line to my daughter.  To allow nursery to contact me, and for me not to worry about her whilst I'm at work.  It's my security

Anyone else who phones gets a very few tearse words, stating that I'm at work, and it's inappropriate for me to talk!  If it's that urgent they'll call back, leave a message or send a text.

As I've mentioned, I've recently discovered that I can use the internet on my phone.  It's a revelation!  But anything I need during working hours can be found using the work computers and internet.  And, maybe that's the crux of my problem with my colleague playing Sims at work.  Maybe I just don't understand it.  Maybe it just doesn't hold the same influence over how I start my day, how I need to spend my time.  And for that, I'm proud.