HELP!! What's in the day of a UNIT SECRETARY????

[ysara]

:redlight:any unit secretaries out there?!?!?!?

what's the daily routine? i want an idea of what do and tolerate. people have told me its a laid back positon and less stressful but always theres work to be done in evening shift.

i have learned that its a great way to stary in the medical field especially in icu deperatments. is that really so????

thanks a million

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

I'm not a unit secretary, but I work with some. I think whether or not it's laid-back would depend on the unit. On my unit, it is often laid-back, but there are times where it gets pretty busy. Our unit secretaries register new admits, answer the phones, put most of our orders in the computer, print out our med sheets, things like that. It can be a great way to see what a hospital is like.

[isabing, ASN]

Being a unit clerk is pretty easy. I answer the phone, answer the patients call bells and notify the nurses or aids of their needs, put orders in the computer, make sure the neccessary paperwork is stocked for the nurses and doctors, fix/maintain the printer, greet anyone that comes to the nurses station, and place phone calls to many different areas of the hospital (IV team, lab, radiology, admissions, consults, housekeeping, maintenance, etc.). I work evenings weekends, so my job is not as busy as the day shift unit clerk's. The hardest part of the job is deciphering doctor's handwriting and hearing what the patients are saying over the intercom. I enjoy being there and it's a wonderful experience. The nurses on our floor have told me that I am lucky to be learning order entry now because it can be very time consuming if you don't know the system. They don't get much training on that and it's a big part of their job. Plus just being able to watch them in action and learn from them without an instructor breathing down my neck is priceless!

Lisa

[huskersfan]

The unit secretary on our floor is very busy and a great help to the nurses. She faxes lab, make sures rooms are ready for admits, puts charts together, goes for supplies that nurses need, answers the phone and is such a valuable asset to our floor. Her day goes by very quickly. We hate to see her take any days off!!

[CHATSDALE]

a unit sec is a blessing from heaven,

a nurse in training will learn much about lab/values, radiology, meds everything about patient care comes across that desk

[GeminiTwinRN, BSN]

Unit secretaries on our ICU first thing in the AM download/upload all 6 of our accucheck machines, also place all consult calls and note them in the chart, are responsible for getting H/P's from other hosp's, dr's offices, etc, constantly printing dr. order sheets and making sure they are in all charts, keeping up with facesheets, developing a good relationship with central supply, book new pt's rooms, admit and discharge pt's from the computer, and do all the above duties that the previous posters have cited.

If you have down time, you're also responsible for stocking gloves, closets, and OSHA boxes in rooms, also keep the med carts well stocked at the beginning of your shift.

:)

Laid back isn't a word that comes to mind when I'm decribing my days I work as US on our ICU.

[JenNJFLCA]

We'd be lost w/o our US's. They put all the orders in, fax things, write up the MARs (soon we'll be computerized though), answer the phones. It can get pretty crazy when we get 5 new admits at the same time. Best to stay away from them during that time if you can....

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

If you have down time, you're also responsible for stocking gloves, closets, and OSHA boxes in rooms, also keep the med carts well stocked at the beginning of your shift.

I wish you guys worked on our unit. :)

[ysara]

From ysara that asked the questions.

I want to thank you all for the great advice and more than enough answer to my question. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

:redbeathe

[mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP]

I was a US when I first started NS and it was anything but laid back. I worked hard for 12 hours straight and sometimes my head was spinning from all the chaos. I worked in a 22 bed NICU and I was always working on something because there was always work to be done.

[ysara]

hi mom2michael

Wrong choice of word from my first impression. It was a naive description. I think it was a previous sec that used the word to give me a picture of the job. Bad Idea.

Now as a sec in SICU, i am learning a great deal as a pre-nursing student. I first expected to go onto continue Medical Assisting after this. Now it doesn't seem as bright compared to the load of work and interaction that goes on in ICU. At the end of the night there only so much I could do. Its hectic and most of the nurses seem so OCD, not bad but in a good way because they are always ahead of the game.