Unit Secretary runs the ER

[fireball]

just venting. We have a unit secretary who has decided she is queen bee of our ER. Lately she has been writing up the staff right and left! Especially nurses and for stupid shyt, ie; didn't answer call light, didn't log off chart propper, in fact she ripped one of the new ER docs a new one cause he didn't have time to finish up his documentation in a suitable time for her:( Seems like every time she complains, we find a new "nasty note" from the NM posted somewhere that we are now to do this or that or NEVER EVER to blah blah blah!...Got ripped at the last staff meeting cause of her allegations. Sorry guys, but l think it is just crap that the NM lets this secretary police the ER, l mean isn't that HER job? Unfortunately, the secretary is friends with some of the family members of the NM...yeah, l bet you saw that one coming. So far l have managed to escape her wicked poisen pen, and l am just too busy to try to get poop on her, like that would do any good, right? So thanks for listening, and any advice is welcome. Fireball

[Agnus]

She's spending so much time checking up on everone else and playing cop, I doulbt she has time to do her own job. Or maybe she has too much time on her hands and is therefore not worth what she is paid in that way.

[l.rae]

My pet peeve is managers who yell at everyone to dicipline some. Major morale buster.....anyway, l hate snitches too.......LR

[ERNurse752, RN]

She needs a taste of her own medicine...of course, if she's "in" with the NM, it may not do any good.

Maybe you could convince the docs to go after her, since hospitals actually listen to them sometimes.

[charissa]

ilike that where i work , she often says that she knows what is going on more than the nurses so why doesn't she just be the charge nurse! Iv'e gotten into lots of disagreements with her, she likes to dictate pt care, but not when it is my pt!

[2banurse]

I was a medical secretary in the past, yet I never treated my co-workers such as that. I do feel that a medical secretary should be part of the health team as a good secretary can take care of a lot of the clerical stuff that no one likes, and as a team member they are not no more superior or inferior than other team members. I think that you all should go to the NM and let her know the importance of having a unit secretary, but will not be disrespected and abused. Maybe if you go en mass, it may have more of an effect on the NM. Good luck!

[sjoe]

"Seems like every time she complains, we find a new "nasty note" from the NM posted somewhere that we are now to do this or that or NEVER EVER to blah blah blah!..."

1) This is a problem that ONLY management can remedy.

2) Things will never improve in this regard until you get a different NM.

3) You just need to decide how long you are willing to put up with it.

4) Been there, done that, quit.

[mattsmom81]

SJoe, totally agree. Sometimes if another charge type person gets involved, the staff can 'wear them down' and they will leave for greener pastures. But this doesn't always work.

Good luck..it gets tiresome always fighting this type on the job.

[Flo1216]

What is this? Secretaries and CNAS running the show, telling nurses and doctors what to do? What kind of NM'S run these places, for crying out loud????

[Flo1216]

She likes to dictate patient care? She is a freakin secretary? What the hell does she know about pt care??? This burns me up!!!

[TheLionessRN, RN]

Our clerk in the ER is not part of nursing service and is not part of the unit, but is just assigned there. I have worked in a few hospitals along the way and known a lot of clerks, and I have to say that the ones here are the nastiest I have ever come across.

Wish I could say the magic thing, but I agree that the doctors might have more influence than anyone else. Don't forget to document everything too!

[cindyln]

My unit clerk refers to the nursing staff as "HER" nurses.That makes me see red and I set her straight whenever I hear that.