Unit Secretaries

Nurses General Nursing

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I saw another thread about unit secretaries and I have always wondered about how much they make. Does anyone know? I've been thinking about it because I think that you have to be real sharp to do that job and I have a feeling that they aren't paid anything what they are worth. I don't know how they can decode the MD's handwriting, or any medical abbreviations, when they haven't gone to school. It kind of freaks me out how they do that.

Specializes in Rural Health.

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.

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I am a night unit secretary (health unit coordinator, as we are called in the hospital I work at) and have been one for 6 years, plus taught the program at a local tech school for 2 years. I don't know about others hospital, but ours won't hired unit secretaries who have not taken an approved health unit coordinator course, and they prefer that the US's are certified through NAHUC. Starting pay is $10.00 and top pay is $13.50, plus differentials. And I love my job, but no, it's not enough money!!!! But I deal with it until I get my RN (yes, I work full time as a unit secretary AND go to school AND have a family....how many ends can you burn of a candle at one time???) I know my nurses hate doing my job if I am not there, and I have been told (teasing, of course) that I can NEVER take a day off again!!!! But it is great experience, you learn a lot, and when I get my RN, I won't need to rely on the unit secretary for everything! The most frustrating moment for me is when I have 6-7 charts in front of me, 2 admits coming, and I am trying to get everything done, and a nurse comes up to me and asks me to page a doctor for her. I don't mind doing it normally, but when I'm really busy...HELLO???...is it really that hard to dial a phone yourself?? (I'm not talking about when it's a STAT call and the nurse needs to be in the room with the patient....I'm talking about when the nurse needs some Restoril for a patient who can't sleep, and she tells me to page, then sits at the nurses' station and chit-chats. I want to turn and say "is your dialing finger broken???" OK, now that I have vented....hehehe....actually, I love being a US, but I want to get my RN and work in NICU or L&D. Wouldn't want to be a US for the rest of my life, but it's a good job for now!

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I have been a unit secretary for about three years, and I make 13.00/hr. I love the job, and it has helped me tremendously with nursing school. I can't imagine what I would be like w/out that experience!

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In BC we start off with 19-21$ as a Unit Clerk if thats the same thing as a unit secetary

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