UNIT SECRETARIES-- the good, and the not so good...

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

In my experience the good outweigh the merely adequate by about 90:1

All I can say is "thank you," and that is NOT enough. I HAVE done my time as a secretary (doctor not hospital) and it is so true no one appreciates what it takes to have an entire staff wanting your attention at once. Thank you Janie, Bonnie, Betty, Kim, Mamie, Annie and all the rest I have been honored to work with.

I sincerely believe there aren't any intentionally bad job holders...but there are those who are mismatched to the position.

Smiling said it much simpler "they are like the general population. There are good, bad and ugly. Mostly GOOD."

There's no need to relate stories about the work someone else does. If they're not doing their job, document, document,document; and if they are tell them THANK YOU!

[dolphinRN]

Don't get me wrong; I treat all the ward clerks with the due respect they deserve. As was mentioned, I ask politely if they can do something or if they are truly busy I will do it myself. I have never treated any of them in a rude manner.

The problem that we have at our hospital is that the ward clerks do not fall under nursing. Several years ago, their boss decided that it wasn't necessary to keep the ward clerks assigned to a specific floor. That seems to be where a lot of ours lost ownership in their work. None of them have truly felt like part of the team on the floors and unfortunately some of the nurses haven't helped by treating them poorly.

Ward clerks are a very important player in a floor's team and DOES deserve respect just as much as anyone else. Sure, clothing doesn't make the person inside, but it is one of the things others first see and get an impression. It's not just in hospitals, but in society in general where "Casual Friday" has invaded all days of the week. A ward clerk should dress more professionally than jeans and t-shirts and yes, it is a dress code issue our hospital needs to address.

And I agree that ward clerks aren't paid what they truly are worth.

[bluesky, BSN, RN]

I've got a special place in my heart for the unit clerks because I was one myself for 5 years. Most I know are excellent and don't get paid enough. Personally, I like a little attitude. The SICU would be so boring if it weren't for a little personality here and there... :)

[LeahJet, ASN, RN]

I have always said that I would rather work short a nurse than a secretary. The (rare) nights that we don't have one...well, it's a disaster. I think I fall under the category of a lot of nurses. I can work a trauma code and all the state of the art medical equipment but I break a sweat trying to transfer a call or work a fax machine. More than once, I caved in under the pressure of transferring a call, cut them off, and then high-tailed it away from the desk when that inevitable follow up ring came... I know, I'm terrible... :)

I remember one US that probably laid the original bricks at the hospital where I worked a few years ago. She was the most tempermental person I have ever known. Not trying to be mean, but she looked like one of the "Far-Side" women.. kind of a bee-hive hairdo and those cateye glasses. She hated for anyone to stand anywhere behind her and had been known to strike at a couple of doctors for not putting the charts in their proper place. One thing I will say about her, she "brought me up right".... I am overly respectful of US's and still find myself cringing when I invade their space.... :)

[Mystery5]

These are very entertaining stories. I particularly enjoyed Mandarella's eye opening peek into the life of a Ward Clerk from her POV. I can relate to freezing up when I have to transfer a call!:rotfl: But, I finally mastered this high tech task!:chuckle . I am fairly good at putting in orders because I partially work nights, where we don't have a Unit Secretary. But, no one knows the ins and outs of labs like the Ward Clerk! Really, at our small hospital our main WC practically runs the place. She puts the docs in the their places with flippant remarks, etc. Unfortunately, she also is known to tell highly politically incorrect stories, make fun of religious and ethnic groups, etc, not with any ill will, but sometimes offensive. She really needs to be reined in, IMO.

[URO-RN]

I am so glad I work nights and don't really have two deal with the 2 jerks on day shift. Our HUC's on eves and nights are exceptional and polite.

[The Nursinator]

I was interested in hearing various experiences, positive or negative, with ward clerks/unit secretaries.

I'm working as a unit secretary while in nursing school and love it. Most of my co-workers are friendly and team players. The one who was not made everyone near her miserable and was fired after repeated warnings. I took the job because that was the closest I could get to the floor without being a CNA. Now that I can do both, I rarely work as a CNA because I can learn more and do more good for the nursing staff as a unit secretary. The unit secretary job has taught me so much about meds, labs, orders, procedures and protocols and has put me way ahead of the power curve in school. It has also given me a chance to work with every nurse and MD on the unit - a great way to see the good and not-so-good that I'll eventually be working with.

One high point of being a unit secretary is the contact with patients and their families as they pass the desk. I look like one of the doctors so I get lots of questions. I am commonly asked what my job title is if I am not an MD and I reply that I am the "lowest of the low - but very good at it." I keep a selection of gourmet coffees for those who need a cup of really good coffee. (Trained at Howard Johnson's.); offer directions and suggest hotels and restaurants for those new to the area. (Former cab driver.); fix broken wheelchairs, printers, copiers, televisions, etc. (All-around handy guy with Leatherman tool.) Yes, I do offer advice when asked based on my extensive studies with Robert Young. (Watched "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby".)

I respect the unt secretaries who do the job as a career. They all have their approaches that we can learn from. Be nice to them and they can save your day. I recommend working as a unit secretary for anyone who is going on to nursing or med school. It's a way to get paid to learn many of the things that you'll be paying tuition to learn later on.

[Judee Smudee, ADN, RN]

Look up my "do you have a weasel at work" thread.

[LPNVirgo]

Look up my "do you have a weasel at work" thread.

Yes we do, and she is actually toothless! :chuckle

[begalli]

I remember one US that probably laid the original bricks at the hospital where I worked a few years ago. She was the most tempermental person I have ever known. Not trying to be mean, but she looked like one of the "Far-Side" women.. kind of a bee-hive hairdo and those cateye glasses. She hated for anyone to stand anywhere behind her and had been known to strike at a couple of doctors for not putting the charts in their proper place. One thing I will say about her, she "brought me up right"....

Yep!! :rotfl:

We have a few nurses as well who were literally there when the original bricks were laid for our unit more than 30 years ago.

You just gotta love them!!

[GrnHonu99, RN]

The good ones are usually very good, the bad ones are terrible. I will respect their jobs, space, and time as long as they do the same for me. I have worked with a couple who needed boiled in oil, but only a couple. Most have been great. When I worked with a really good one, I treated her special, she made my job easier and I appreciated her effort. :balloons:

one of the first things we were told in nursing school was, "make friends with your unit secretary bc they can make or break your shift"

[live4today, RN]

I was interested in hearing various experiences, positive or negative, with ward clerks/unit secretaries. We've got some headstrong ones where I work who can really set the tone at the nurse's station, for better or for worst. One gal is very well established, has been at it for years, knows the hospital inside and out, but can be incredibly inappropriate at times. She dominates the atmosphere at the nurse's station with her loud irreverance, and politically incorrect comments.

Any thoughts?

I have had the blessed privilege of working with some really super health unit clerks in my nursing years! When they are THAT good, I'm sooooooo good to them. I've been known to give them gifts "just because" I appreciate all they do to keep our unit running smoothly. :)

There have also been times when I've worked with health unit clerks who need to be terminated due to their arrogant and rude mannerisms. Thankfully, those have been few in my experience. :)