Unit Secretary....Answer the call light for pete's sake!!!

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2009

I notice that a lot of people who don't have the "team" attitude will do only what they need to do to get by. The attitude of "that's not my job" runs rampant where I work and it really gets on my last nerve. Another thing that gets on my nerves is a nurse that expects you to help HER but won't reciprocate the help when you need it. I just want to slap them! :trout::trout::trout::trout::trout::trout:

Slap them across the face with a dead fish hahaha...

swirlygirl · Feb 17, 2009

Wow, that really sucks! I've been lucky enough to work with some of the best unit secretaries!! They are so helpful! They not only answer all the call lights, but they will actually refill water pitchers for patients or get them stuff from our clean utility room so they don't have to bother the nurses or CNA's to do it.

On the last unit that I worked, our unit secretary was beyond wonderful. If we had a patient going bad, she would leave the intercom from that room on speaker phone at the nurses station and listen to what was going on and enter all the orders that the doctor gives. By the time we gave her a list of everything we needed, it was already ordered and the appropriate departments were already paged! Loved her!!:bowingpur

tj_Medic_RN · Feb 17, 2009

Gee.. sounds like my place of employment. I am not saying that in a demeaning manner, but just last night we were all really busy my patient had a spontaneous pneumothorax and we were setting up for a chest tube and the call light just kept going off, and the unit secretary used the call light system to call down to the room we were in to let us know a call light had been going off for several min and it was getting on the patients family's nerves so they just came up to the nurses station. .... Guess what the patient wanted??... ICE

so I know she knows how the system functions.... just my gripe for today. I work nights so it is off to bed.. :yawn:

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2009

I really don't see unit secretaries answer call lights, they are too busy doing their job. I don't expect them to either. I've never worked where the unit secretary can pick up an intercom and speak to the patient in the room, if that's what you're talking about

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2009

At my previous job (37 bed med-surg floor as PCT), our secretaries would actually get mad if the RN's and PCT's were running around too busy to answer the call light. Meanwhile, she's sitting right there next to it.

At the floor I work on now (27 bed medical( the secretaries are wonderful!!! All of them answer the call light. If the pt just needs ice or linens, sometimes they will get it for the pt, otherwise they will let that pt's RN or PCT know what the pt wants. This floor definitely has more of a helping attitude that the "it's not my job" attitude of my first job.

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2009

Is it just me, or do some unit secretaries feel that the call light is for the nursing staff to answer?

It's not just you. It's because it is the nursing staff's job.

You may have heard the bell for five minutes, but you have no idea what was going on at the desk. Sometimes the phone does not stop ringing, sometimes STAT orders must be put in, sometimes a difficult visitor or physician is at the desk.

As a former unit clerk, I know I've found myself swamped in charts, the phone won't stop ringing, the physicians keep on rounding and rounding, and where was the nursing staff to help me? A lot of times they were busy as well, but sometimes they weren't...and they didn't always help me during those times. But that's okay. It might have been frustrating, but it wasn't their fault or necessarily their job. It was frustrating to begin with, not because of them.

Now, if a bell was ringing for five entire minutes, I probably would have answered it as a unit clerk...unless I could not, and sometimes one cannot. But that's the exception, not the rule.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2009

It's not just you. It's because it is the nursing staff's job.
You may have heard the bell for five minutes, but you have no idea what was going on at the desk. Sometimes the phone does not stop ringing, sometimes STAT orders must be put in, sometimes a difficult visitor or physician is at the desk.
As a former unit clerk, I know I've found myself swamped in charts, the phone won't stop ringing, the physicians keep on rounding and rounding, and where was the nursing staff to help me? A lot of times they were busy as well, but sometimes they weren't...and they didn't always help me during those times. But that's okay. It might have been frustrating, but it wasn't their fault or necessarily their job. It was frustrating to begin with, not because of them.
Now, if a bell was ringing for five entire minutes, I probably would have answered it as a unit clerk...unless I could not, and sometimes one cannot. But that's the exception, not the rule.

I will add that for the floor I work now where all the unit secretaries answer the bells, the doctors are required to put their own orders into the computer. Also, if the lab calls with lab values, the RN has to take the message personally. So, the secretaries answer and direct calls, put together packets for admission, and answer call lights. :)

mamason · Feb 17, 2009

Is it just me, or do some unit secretaries feel that the call light is for the nursing staff to answer? I don't understand this mentality at all. If all the RN's and CNA's are running around and busy in the rooms, why can't the secretary help us out and answer the call light! Let imagine a patient is choking or is about to soil themselves, in this type of emergency TIME IS OF THE ESSENSE!
Just the other night, When i was changing a dressing, I heard the call bell going off for maybe 5 minutes. Where were the other RN's and CNA's you ask? Doing vital signs, baths, assisting with turning, med passing, suctioning, and other essential patient care routines on a 40-bed med/surg/tele unit.
Is it so hard to move an inch and pick up the call light, Mrs. Secretary? "Nurses Station, How Can I Help You"?

I can only speak about what I experience on my unit. We have this problem also with the ongoing call light. Our unit secretary is so overwhelmed with trying to put in orders with 20 charts in front of her. They are always overloaded with work. Our NA's and other nurses on the floor are always overloaded with pt care. THis is basically due to our manager trying to stay on budget and by doing so, has cut hours for the NA's, RN's and unit secretaries. The all mighty dollar has a lot to do with staffing and this is the result that is given because of putting the dollar before quality care. And they wonder why pt's are soooooo dissatified with their experience at our place. So, maybe staffing is the real issue at your place of work and not the secretary? Administration wants us to think that it's something we are doing that is not correct. When in all actuality, it is the higher ups who make these decisions so that they can get their quarterly bonus. Cracks me up everytime I think of it. :smokin:

jennyfyre · Feb 17, 2009

I am a HUC and I answer call lights maybe 60% of the time since it IS right near my desk and I can't stand listening to them go off. If there is no response when I answer, I consider that an emergency and either check myself in the room or find someone to go immediately to the room. If it's something that I can take care of, I do... water, warm blanket, unplug the iv so they can walk to the bathroom, etc. Most of the time it's something that requires a RN like meds or beeping IV. I often find that when I try to find someone to take care of that issue I am met with "go find so-and-so" or "not my patient". It's very frustrating to try to give messages to people who don't want to be bothered with it. I see nothing wrong with HUCs answering lights, but please don't kill the messenger when you're needed for a patient. I understand the nurses are crazy busy, but so are the HUCs.

P.S. It also seems like the nurses that get irritated with me for tracking them down with messages are the same nurses that expect their orders done lightening fast and wouldn't pick up the ringing phone next to them, since it is the HUC job. Thank goodness not everyone I work with is like that... but a larger number than it should be.

HonestRN · Feb 17, 2009

I notice that a lot of people who don't have the "team" attitude will do only what they need to do to get by. The attitude of "that's not my job" runs rampant where I work and it really gets on my last nerve. Another thing that gets on my nerves is a nurse that expects you to help HER but won't reciprocate the help when you need it. I just want to slap them! :trout::trout::trout::trout::trout::trout:
Slap them across the face with a dead fish hahaha...

This attitude just drives me nuts as well. I work with a CNA who often asks for assistance doing her work and I am more than happy if I have the time however when I ask her to do something she can't be bothered. As for unit clerks, some are excellent where I work, going above and beyond. Others do the bare minimum. The only way for a unit to run efficiently and smoothly is for everyone to pitch in and work as a team. Especially when understaffed.

HonestRN · Feb 17, 2009

I can only speak about what I experience on my unit. We have this problem also with the ongoing call light. Our unit secretary is so overwhelmed with trying to put in orders with 20 charts in front of her. They are always overloaded with work. Our NA's and other nurses on the floor are always overloaded with pt care. THis is basically due to our manager trying to stay on budget and by doing so, has cut hours for the NA's, RN's and unit secretaries. The all mighty dollar has a lot to do with staffing and this is the result that is given because of putting the dollar before quality care. And they wonder why pt's are soooooo dissatified with their experience at our place. So, maybe staffing is the real issue at your place of work and not the secretary? Administration wants us to think that it's something we are doing that is not correct. When in all actuality, it is the higher ups who make these decisions so that they can get their quarterly bonus. Cracks me up everytime I think of it.

I couldn't agree more