Most memorable non-nurse/CNA/MD co-worker

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

One of the med-surg jobs I had was in a community hospital in a small town...it was really surprisingly up to date and a nice place to work....Only thing that bugged me initially was the 'hierarchy'....I was the only RN for 24 beds on that floor, and from what I gathered, most RNs weren't about to get dirty....not how I work.

This reached to the ward clerk. I'd answer the phone when it rang (her chair and mine sort of backed into each other, so it's not like it was going out of my way- and I didn't want to appear 'above' anything; plus it was usually for me ). She asked me to please let her do her job. I said I was just trying to help :) This went on for a couple of weeks. She was really good at what she did- had consents and paperwork ready before I had a chance to even look at orders- and practically knew what supplies needed to be ordered just from the initial information about admissions.

Finally, she started diving over me to get the phone on "my" side of the station :loll: I thought she might hurt something being half airborne. This had me wondering if she needed a psych eval LOL. Finally, I was worn down :) She HAD to answer the phone, so we had an understanding that if she wanted me to pitch in, to let me know. I had enough to do- but if I was at the desk going through orders, I didn't mind answering it :) She was a major asset, and I loved working with her :)

[Poi Dog]

I am picturing her tackling you in order to answer the phone

[RN58186]

I worked with a unit clerk who hated it when the charge nurse got in her way. She said she liked it when I was in charge because if the desk wasn't busy I'd go help the nurses on the floor and be out of her hair....

Should note though that when I first started working on the unit she scared the pants off me. My first night shift I was sitting in her chair, in her corner when she came in for the day shift. She looked at me and said "Move!" Me, being a smart alec, looked at her and said "What's the magic word?" She looked me right in the eye and said "Move and I'll let you live..." I moved. We got to be really good friends and I sure miss working with her. She could run that unit with her eyes closed better than most of the RN's could. I had lunch with her not too long ago, she is now about 74 and still working. She told me that there has never been a day that she didn't look forward to going in to work, and that even after all these years she still loves her job and can't wait to get there every day. We should all so be lucky.......

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I worked with a unit clerk who hated it when the charge nurse got in her way. She said she liked it when I was in charge because if the desk wasn't busy I'd go help the nurses on the floor and be out of her hair....

Should note though that when I first started working on the unit she scared the pants off me. My first night shift I was sitting in her chair, in her corner when she came in for the day shift. She looked at me and said "Move!" Me, being a smart alec, looked at her and said "What's the magic word?" She looked me right in the eye and said "Move and I'll let you live..." I moved. We got to be really good friends and I sure miss working with her. She could run that unit with her eyes closed better than most of the RN's could. I had lunch with her not too long ago, she is now about 74 and still working. She told me that there has never been a day that she didn't look forward to going in to work, and that even after all these years she still loves her job and can't wait to get there every day. We should all so be lucky.......

There is NOTHING like a good unit/ward clerk- they are the nerve center of the floor :)

Thank all of the ward/unit clerks that make your life easier :)

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I am picturing her tackling you in order to answer the phone

She literally dove over my body to get the phone

We got to be good friends. I'm still sleeping on her sons' old mattress (without her son). She knew I didn't have a good bed, and because of health issues couldn't afford one. :) She was really nice. But at work- it was HER turf !! LOL :loll:

And woe be to the MD who ****** her off:eek:

[Poi Dog]

When I worked at another facility, there was an older CNA there by the name of Hill. Hill was kind of grumpy and set in his ways. I would smile at him in the morning and ask how he was...he never failed to complain that life sucked and he hated working there. I dreaded working with him because he was so negative or so I thought.

One morning I had had enough of him and when he started ranting and raving I looked at him and told him to "shut up". He started laughing so hard that he had tears running down his face. After that we became best buds. Knowing that he would be there made going into work easier because we had one each others back when we worked together. He still brings up how I told him to shut up and we get a good chuckle. I tease him that he just an OLD bear with a heart of gold, which he is.

I miss that.

We still hang out once a week and he has been a rock to me during these past few weeks.

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

I work with a unit assistant who reminds me of the above post. 7yrs ago, I was a new grad in the ICU when I met her and she scared the s**t out of me. She stands about 5'10" and has a short buzz haircut. She hated it when I sat in her area or used her phone, pencil, etc. She is the only one in the unit who has everyone in there place, including the docs. One day, one of our most difficult nephrologists sat in her chair by the main phone; she walked up and he immediately started picking up his things and said "Do you need me to get out of my way?" I almost choked on my coffee, lol! One of our pulmonologists would tease her by sitting in her seat and telling her, "I'm in your seat and I'm touching everything" to which she would promptly tell him that he'd better make himself useful and answer the phone, lol.

Everybody loves her and she can get a smile out of the grouchiest surgeons even a couple who will walk through the whole unit without speaking to anyone but they make a point to stop and speak with her. She was out on workman's comp for 6 months and they were all so happy when she came back. I quickly found that she is the sweetest thing and she's like a second mom to me now. She is the heart of our unit and looks out for everybody. She organizes fund raisers and has provided care for our ill coworkers on her own time. She was the first person on the unit to give me a vote of confidence and I just lover her to pieces!!!

[elthia]

One of our HUC's they have been trying to transfer to days forever, but she wont' go....thank all that's holy. Admissions has been trying to steal her, so has staffing. She takes over the staffing part for the charge nurse duties, orders supplies for admits by the orders, marks what orders need clarified by the doctor and if the doctor is still on the unit has him write it so you don't have to call for an order, organizes the monthly potluck, sets up fundraisers for sick staff, sets going away parties for departing staff, sets up our yearly christmas adopt a family, you name it. The new interns love her because she can find any order set, and if she doesn't know how to order a lab, then she'll find the person who can.

[RHIA, RN]

Wow, reading these post have made me antsy . . . soon I will start cross training in a new facility as a float pool LPN/ Unit Clerk. Some days I'll be nursing and some days I'll be the clerk. I'm doing this so that I can have days off for clinical during the LPN-RN program. Reading about these terrific unit clerks makes me feel like I have big shoes to fill!

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Wow, reading these post have made me antsy . . . soon I will start cross training in a new facility as a float pool LPN/ Unit Clerk. Some days I'll be nursing and some days I'll be the clerk. I'm doing this so that I can have days off for clinical during the LPN-RN program. Reading about these terrific unit clerks makes me feel like I have big shoes to fill!

The thing I would tell HUC/WC/UCs is that they area the main link in keeping things running- they know EVERYTHING that is going on, or supposed to go on, on the floor/unit. It takes time to get really good (so don't beat yourself up if you don't get everything all at once :) ) . But once you're good- you're gold !! :)

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

there is nothing like a good unit/ward clerk- they are the nerve center of the floor :)

thank all of the ward/unit clerks that make your life easier :)

i agree, but unfortunately ours is functionally illiterate. she can't read the nurse's names (or patient names for that matter) on the board, so she if she can't remember which nurse has which patient, she'll call some random nurse to the phone and let them deal with it. when she answers the phone, she has no idea which line the caller is on -- so even if she does by happenstance call the correct nurse to the phone, it's usually the wrong line. she'll page overhead to tell you that there's a phone call, and if you don't immediately pick up (because you're in an isolation room or doing a sterile dressing change or even, and i swear this is true, doing cpr) she'll just keep calling overhead in increasingly strident tones. the only time i've seen her move from her chair is when she goes on her hourly fifteen minute break.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

you did say "most memorable", right? not best?

i think the most memorable was the cna who refused to go into an isolation room, clean up poop or do anything "yukky." this was long, long ago and far, far away from my present job. she took vital signs by esp, and if you didn't have mental telepathy (or take them yourself) you'd never know what they were. she "worked" night shift and would spend most of her shift in the linen room smoking pot with the housekeepers. then there was the night she went into a patient's room with a blanket and pillow and went to sleep in the corner. when i made med rounds, i found the patient pulseless and the cna snoring.