Secretaries who believe they rule the unit or hospital

[DesiDani]

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????

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

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?

Well, it never happened. No one ever complained. It's not like she was putting in orders on her own without sitting right there listening to the code. In an ICU, codes happen on a regular basis. This UC was very very sharp, had listened to these codes for years. Your disaster scenario above, while certainly possible, never happened with our UC.

Sorry you don't like your UC. But ours was fantastic; everyone knew it from the top to the bottom. No lawsuits, no catastrophes, no angry doctors or nurses. Just a very smoothly run unit, thanks in great part to her.

[t&g0913]

What does UC stand for....

[guest769224]

What does UC stand for....

Unit coordinator

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Please give specific examples... as to how the Hucs are telling the RN's what to do.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

It's the person not the position that takes the attitude. A competent HUC can be one of the biggest assets for a well functioning unit. Take issue with person not the position.

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

Like others have said, most secretaries and techs I've worked with are the backbone of my shift! They make everything run smoother, and I make sure they know that.

I have had a couple who feel they can do this better and make sure I know it. I had one tech blatantly tell me I had overmedicated a patient (a terminally agitated hospice patient trying to crack his head open getting out of bed). I live explaining myself in those moments...

[DesiDani]

Well she did too often and it caught up to her.

[MunoRN, RN]

I'm not sure why you're equating a UC who "rule's the unit" with one who enters orders that nobody has written, those are two different things. Personally I expect a UC to be a type A control freak, that's what makes for a good UC.

[Guest219794]

Wait-

Are you saying they aren't in charge?

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

UC's are highly underpaid for the **** that comes flying at them every second of every day.

In all my years of nursing, I've only known one who was a real growly, highly unpleasant thing. I liked her anyway. :)

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I worked with a UC who was a marvel, when she cared to be. Unfortunately, she decided that she really didn't need to start working until about an hour into her shift. Therefore, charts with morning orders piled high on her desk, nurses attempted to process stat orders, and phones rang off the hook, until Mary (not her real name) finished socializing. The same thing happened at the end of her shift: discharges were not processed, phones were not answered, visitors at the desk were ignored. All this was able to occur because the manager was seldom present, and the charge nurse got tired of fighting an futile war.

I sure don't miss that place.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

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

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you're too new to realize that rudeness is not the same thing as bullying. Or that bullying is not as common as your classmates in nursing school may have led you to believe.