Do you learn very much as a unit secretary?

lvnandmomx3 · Feb 22, 2008

I went to a private college a few yrs ago for meical office management. I got hired on at the hospital that I had to do my externship at as a unit secretarty/admitting rep. I leard alot more medical terminology, how to read all kinds of handwritting, and so on. You need basic pc knowlege but every hospital application and how to put in orders is different.

jb2u, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2008

Has anyone here been a unit secretary? Was it a valuable experience? Did your hospital require prior computer knowledge? Did you aquire valuable knowledge that you think you will use in your nursing career? Thanks.

I worked as a unit clerk before. Yes, it was very valuable. I was working as a cna and my supervisor had me train as a unit clerk and then paid for my certification test.

You learn a lot of medical terms, a lot about what is needed for procedures (you will order the equipment). You will learn about which test patients need to be npo for. If you choose to stay at the same facility, you will get to learn the nurses, cna's, RT's, PT's, OT's, case managers, docs, etc.... for that floor. You will learn to be organized. You will learn different labs and what tubes they need to be drawn in. I am sure there are many other benefits that I am forgetting now, but, again, yes, I believe it is worth doing.

LovingNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2008

I started as a nursing assistant, then unit secretary and although both have helped my nursing career, the unit secretary experience was the bigger advantage.

Best wishes to you. :redbeathe

Valasca · Mar 25, 2008

I was a CNA and then was trained by my floor as a unit secretary. Peronally I hated being a US! You do get to see what a MARS looks like and how it is used. You see what orders look like from MD's and get to practice trying to read their writing (lol), you p/u more medical terminology, and you become intimately familiar with pt charts and you do get to learn a little bit about some different tests.

Unfortunately you don't really ever learn the why behind any of it. It all looks cool but for me not knowing why things happened the way the did or why this test or lab or med was ordered was frustrating b/c I wanted to learn. Lastly I found the lack of patient contact made it miserable. I'm not saying that missed the dirty side (poop, vomit, blood, ect) of being a CNA but I did miss the interaction with my patients and on a bad day even the worst patient was far better than a grumpy/yelling MD, RN, RT, Charge Nurse, ect.

Just my humble :twocents:

LovingNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 27, 2008

I thought it *did* help me learn why things were done. Maybe things just piqued my interest so much that I obtained the answers to my questions... The job is much easier when you find out "why." Patient's are NPO with this test because.... This med is for "X" so patient is probably dealing with "X", Ordered am labs and then later ordered IV with potassium, tells you..... Called for stat EKG, after the EKG was done the Doc wrote for these Stat Meds because.... etc.... all parts of the puzzle you aren't exposed to as a CNA.

It also helped me feel very comfortable interacting with MD's since there's so much more with a unit sec'y than with a CNA. I loved learning from the other support staff as well - there's so much going on at the U.C. desk! (I was on a VERY busy med/surg floor) - Might make a big difference how valuable the experience is.

It's helpful knowing what test preps are, what blood tubes for what labs, what requisitions are needed for what and how things are handled, how things work in the scheduling areas from different departments in the hospital, working with more support staff, (repeat)>>> all the wonderful experience with meds, transfer orders, consults etc. I got very, very good at reading the physician's writing. Learning to take off orders is a very helpful thing to know.

I missed the patient care a lot, but I still loved the job. I had a pay increase when I changed to U.C. I'm not saying I didn't learn a ton as a CNA - I did. I absolutely loved taking care of patients, talking with patients and families, and giving good care. Either way you go, you'll learn a lot!!! Hope you find something you really like.

:dancgrp:

Irishowl · Mar 31, 2008

My current position as a PCT requires me to work as a CNA, cardiac monitor tech and also a unit secretary. I've learned alot such as meds and common dosing for many medications. I've also gotten the chance to have alot more contact with physicians than I would normally have as a CNA on the floor. It's made me feel more comfortable around Dr's and I think that will serve me well in nursing school. Also, once I work in that hospital as an RN someday, I know so many of the procedures and how to order things, and get things done.

Shannon