Unit Secretaries

Our UC's often go to school. There is some kind of program at the local community college. They make about the same as what the aides make, which is absurd, about $8.00/hr to start. They deserve more! They often work without breaks or even lunch. Under lots of stress too. If this interests you, you could take medical terminology at the local community college and that would help you understand the terminology and the abbreviations. Good luck!

My mom has been a Unit Sec for about 26 years and she is great at what she does. I would love to be able to have her on my shift on my team but we can't work together because of conflict of interest being related. She should go back to school...she knows more than most of the nurses do!!

You are right, unit secretaries are not paid what they are worth. At my hospital they make between $8 to $10 per hour. They work very hard and are often pulled in many directions at once.

When I started as a UC five years ago, I was paid $10/hr. When I finished nursing school in May, I was making just over $12/hr as a UC.

Andrea

I was a unit secretary while going through nursing school. It paid 65cents more an hour than the CNA's but it gave me great practice with the computer systems, the order entry, reading doc's writing, the phones etc. The knowledge I gained as a secretary made things a lot easier for me compared to my classmates who never worked with orders or computer entry etc.

I was offered 12 to start plus 2$ shift differential but I didn't end up getting the job, then I went to nursing school and now I don't have time for a job:(

My mother was a unit secretary at a small hospital in Indiana for about 2 years. After getting her LPN license and getting a nursing job at that hospital, she actually made 50 cents LESS an hour than she did as a secretary.

Although, the hospital did pay for her schooling and she was bound to a two year contract, so that probably had something to do with the sucky pay.

Our UC's often go to school. There is some kind of program at the local community college. They make about the same as what the aides make, which is absurd, about $8.00/hr to start. They deserve more! They often work without breaks or even lunch. Under lots of stress too. If this interests you, you could take medical terminology at the local community college and that would help you understand the terminology and the abbreviations. Good luck!

Amen to that! I don't know about them making more than aides, a good one in either job class is worth their weight in gold. I work an inpatient psych unit and we once hired a psych major who was at work on his master's degree to be our clerk. After 2 shifts, the guy had to give up on the job because he said he "couldn't handle the responsibility" This makes me chuckle, our 2 best clerks have little more than a high school education. But, man, are they sharp! Don't forget to remember them on secretary's day (Whenever that is)

It is really a regional thing. It is a great background for success in nursing school though.

I worked as a U/S the 1st 6 months of nursing school, made about $10 an hour and I loved it. I got used to med. term. order entry, etc....it was great, but the drive was horrid, it was over 150 miles round trip to work.

I work now as a tech in an ED, I make about $2.50 LESS an hour, but the job is 10 miles from my house and the experience there is great. I see a lot in a 12 hour shift and I get tons of experience for school.