Unit Secretary roles

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Do the Unit Secretaries at your hospital have any patient contact whatsoever? I am completely fascinated with hospitals (been in them quite a few times) and think I would be happy in a career as a US, but I would like to be able to speak with or comfort patients several times a shift. Would I have any time for this in a US role?

Thanks all!!:balloons:

Rhonda

Specializes in Emergency Room, ICU, CHF Clinic.

It is an exciting job. Sometimes too much so. I do get some respect from some of the doctors and nurses. The doctors and nurses I work with are comfortable when I am there because they know they they can depend on me to do what I am supposed to do. When I am out of work due to sickness or whatever, I get told a lot how much they miss me. I just get burnt out sometimes because of the demands placed on me. I have to prioritize. Some things just have to wait until I can get around to doing them.

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Specializes in E.R..
Do you all consider this to be an exciting job? Are you shown respect from doctors and nurses??

I don't consider it exciting only because to me sitting behind a desk and missing the action during a code or other really good case isn't fun. While everyone else is in with that pt. the doctors are shouting orders out at you and the nurses to expedite this pt.s care. So usually u are busy ordering the necessary tests or on the phone coordinating the transfer of this pt. The only exciting part to it is that u do get to at least glance at these types of pt.s. whereas the general public will never get to see it. I have been very lucky, the doctors and nurses I work with have consistantly acknowledged the fact that the ER couldn't run without the Unit Clerk. Which it is very true, there is so much to the job that is a valuable position.

I forgot to mention in my above post, I too have a CNA. But our job classification clearly states that we are a Unit Clerk with no pt. contact(as in taking care of the Pt.) We do have to ask questions sometimes to the pt.'s and their families but that is as far as it is supposed to go. But because I work 3rd shift and we are the skeleton crew there a few instances where the nurses ask me to help them out. But it is very few and far between.

This would be a good position for somebody who is wanting to learn more about the medical field. I have found that with my experience, I am much farther ahead in a lot of my classes than most because I have been around it for so long. U can't help but learn because u have the charts, u listen to the conversations around u all day, and you can ask questions and someone is always willing to explain things. So it would be a good starter position if u don't have a CNA but want to get your foot in the door.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CICU, NeuroICU.
Do you all consider this to be an exciting job? Are you shown respect from doctors and nurses??

It all depends on performance. If you're good yes, you get some, if you're not good they won't even ask you for anything. So it all depends on performance.

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Specializes in SICU, MICU, CICU, NeuroICU.
I don't consider it exciting only because to me sitting behind a desk and missing the action during a code or other really good case isn't fun. While everyone else is in with that pt. the doctors are shouting orders out at you and the nurses to expedite this pt.s care.

Ah, I stay outside the patients room and usually go an run a get stuff from the supply room.

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