I’ve been working with and around Certified Legal Nurse Consultants for a long time and one of the things I’ve learned is that nurses are generally germ-o-phobics. Vickie tells me nurses don’t sit on toilets – they squat. I’ve seen nurses walk out of restrooms with their hands mummy-wrapped in paper towels so that they don’t have to touch the door handle. All CLNC® consultants know that there are a lot of scary germs out there and they do their best to avoid the obvious ones.
But, here’s something I’ll bet you didn’t know. According to a study by Dr. Charles Gerba from the University of Arizona, there are more germs on your cell phone than on a toilet seat. Healthcare workers’ cell phones carry more germs than those that belong to us mere tech-types. (We have our own issues with dirty keyboards and mice.) Now, not too many of you will walk or drive around town talking to your attorney-clients with a toilet seat pressed to your ear but you’re doing much worse when you talk to them using your cell phone. I suppose a wireless headset might keep the germs at a distance but you’re still transmitting them back and forth every time you handle your phone. The good news is that as long as you only use your own phone, whether it’s for your legal nurse consulting business or anything else, you’re probably not at too much risk (unless you’re in healthcare).
For the real germ-o-phobes, instead of wiping down your phone every time you unholster it, consider purchasing a “skin” for your phone from iSkin. They make a variety of products for iPhones®, BlackBerries® and more that contain Microban® antimicrobial protection. This won’t be a fail-safe, but at least it will make your cell phone a little safer (unless you drop it into the toilet). Check them out for yourself!
Tom