Secretaries who believe they rule the unit or hospital

Nurses Relations

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Or unit secretaries who believe they literally run a unit. These people have no medical training at times and are not certified or licensed, yet they feel they have the authority to tell the RNs what to do.

I don't get it, why????

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

Like what? We would be dead in the water without our secretaries!

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Oh my God, I've worked with 3 amazing secretaries in my career (1 most recently as a SN!) and a handful of GOOD ones. I would be DEAD with out them.

So sorry to hear they are being phased out in some places.

They can boss me around anytime, and I'll even buy them coffee.

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Specializes in Hospice.

You aren't going to get much support from any of us in here who worked with unit secretaries who really DID keep the place running smoothly.

Also, I never had a secretary tell me what to do. Alert me to STAT orders, yes. Boss me around, never.

Back in the day, I always tried to stay on the good side of the secretary. Could I do her job myself? Yep. Could I do it as quickly and efficiently as she could. Nope.

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You aren't going to get much support from any of us in here who worked with unit secretaries who really DID keep the place running smoothly.

Also, I never had a secretary tell me what to do. Alert me to STAT orders, yes. Boss me around, never.

Back in the day, I always tried to stay on the good side of the secretary. Could I do her job myself? Yep. Could I do it as quickly and efficiently as she could. Nope.

Okay, I retract. They didn't tell me my NURSING job, but they told me about family members and often took heat from them on behalf of the nurses, and stat orders, and Dr. so and so is here, and don't forget you have to bla bla bla. They brought in the BEST food on the holidays.

When I needed to escalate, they had my back.

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I understand the importance of a good UC, but that does not give them an excuse to be rude and basically a workplace bully.

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Perception? I've always depended on our clerical staff, probably expected too much from them in fact. Can't imagine seeing it as bossy.

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I have worked with a HORRIBLE one. When they're bad, they're REALLY bad. Most have been wonderful, though.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Most of the UC's I've had have been very good, but I did have one at my last job that was HORRIBLE, so I think I see where you are coming from. She was lazy, entitled, and did tell us what to do a lot of the time. Our manager ended talked to her a few times and it eventually got a little better.

We encounter difficult people through the entirety of our career in a variety of positions no matter where we work. I'm sorry you're having a frustrating experience.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Tele, educator, FNP.

If you are new to the unit, I believe some unit secretaries like to eat the young just like the RNs. They are really tough and know a lot more the some new grad RNs at least at the unit level and day to day activities.

Don't piss them off, they can make your day a living hell

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Unit secretaries DON'T run the unit?!?

Count me as one who worked with an amazing unit secretary; I was glad to let her be the boss. That gal could basically run a code like no one's business. Whenever the doc would call out an order that involved her, she'd say "already done." She anticipated the needs of the unit, handled visitors when we were too tired or exasperated to do it, guarded patient charts like a mama bear, etc. I never witnessed her make a mistake of any kind. She was amazing.

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Horseshoe,

Yeah we had a UC who also anticipated orders, she ended up being terminated after multiple complaints from doctors and RNs.

Sure some are organized and a saving grace for a unit, but there is slippery slope when you have an unlicensed and/or uncertified UC making decisions in a medical facility. How will that go in court?

"Well the secretary put in the order without the prior authorization of a MD"

"Why is your unit allowing a secretary to put in orders before the doctor even asked for it?"

Do you think the court or even your state nursing board is going to care if you feel that the UC is the GREATEST?

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