Phasing out Unit Clerks???

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I'm just curious how things are in other parts of the country. I have lived in the Shreveport, Louisiana area since late 2002 and I have been nursing since 1995. I have never worked anywhere that did NOT have unit clerks... especially in a VERY acute care hospital setting... until I moved here. There are 4 major hospitals in our area that I float to and 2 of them have no unit clerk... However, many times, the charge nurse "helps" because sometimes they don't have a patient load. Is this a new trend? No unit clerks? They can't be THAT expensive. Seems like it would sure help with answering phones, putting in stat/regular orders and answering call lights. I just feel like we do more "secretary" work and it's distracting from our NURSING and therefore you get burned out. I know I'm majorly burned out. :0( I used to love my job.

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Specializes in High-risk OB.

You're lucky there is a charge nurse that doesn't have a load. We have units in our hospital (I'm in Louisiana as well) that don't have unit clerks and the nurses just fend for themselves. The charge usually has a patient load as well. Those units carry around the Spectra-link phones, but patients still tend to use the call bell. Not to mention it doesn't help if you're in a room, and a doctor calls back, and no one is at the desk because they're busy with their own patients.

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We do not always have a unit clerk.

This is what sucks out my soul and makes me hate nursing.

If wanted to be a secretary, I would not have gone to nursing school.

I HATE being behind a desk!!!!!

(But I love our unit clerk! She is awesome!! I cannot do her job worth squat!)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

With the move towards physician order entry......my assumption has been that administration will phase them out. :bluecry1:

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Oh yeah. For about 8-9 years now, we have had 5-6 patients apiece per nurse and no unit clerks at 2 of the 4 hospitals. The other day at work was a classic example of why it is frustrating to be so... "on your own" as a nurse. You page doctors for consults and your co-workers are busy doing THEIR own thing and can't be responsible for YOUR stuff, so when the doctor finally does call back with orders or needing info... You HOPE that they will hold long enough for u to get to the phone OR that you happen to be back at the desk to give/get information. My co-worker was ticked off the other day because a doc yelled at HER for him having to be on hold for SEVEN minutes because she didn't know where I was. Where was I? In a room taking CARE of my patient where I was SUPPOSED to be! Ugh!

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I have seen the phasing out of unit clerks at some hospitals... Physician order entry also helps some places do it. Not all places do it, however. (Aware of at least one place in my market area that has unit clerks and physician order entry.)

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We are not that high-tech yet with having physician order entry but I think they were trying to go there but for some reason the advance has been delayed. Maybe it will help. But it's not gonna help with answering call lights or phones. Don't they realize that FALLS might even be prevented if someone knows that a person has to get to the bathroom ASAP??? I know I'm probably beating a dead horse. :0[ I just need to resign myself to get used to docs being ticked off that we don't stay at the desk to just answer phones. Sighhhhhh

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Specializes in Emergency.

We don't have a secretary & our charge takes a full patient load. I can handle being without a secretary, because I've never worked with one, except for this one little annoyance: our main line also rings over to the charge's companion phone if it isn't answered after 4 rings.

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You would think I'd be used to it after almost a decade but I'm not. Too many people complain-- and that gets to me after awhile. I should have gone to vet school. LOL

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

When I worked on a inpatient units, we never had a unit clerk at night....and we got admissions, had to call doctors, had new orders, etc, etc. I know it was not as many orders, calls, etc. as during the day, but some nights it seemed like I did 20% nursing work and 80% 'secretary' work.

Thankfully in the ER, we have a secretary 24/7 (multiple ones during the day/evening).

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Hospitals are getting rid of as many staff people as they can. Getting rid of units clerks is one of their first moves. Nursing is getting harder and harder for the ones that are left. Not sure where this all will end, but I don't think it will be pretty. The next time a doc yells at you just tell him you were cleaning poop and had to wash your hands first, came to the phone as fast as you could.

Maybe if the doc's have to keep waiting they will yell for more staff

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Oooooo!!! That's a good one! I was SO mad one time-- a doc was calling and I was in a room, could hear the phone ringing but what am I gonna do??? When I answered, he goes, "AH!!! FINALLY!! You're AWAKE!!!" it took everything I had not to be rude back!! Grrrrr!!! I usually tell people that my secretary had the day off.

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