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What is a Unit Assistant Clerk?

Hospital Unit Clerk as first job?

  • I'm 25, and I have no employment experience. I am thinking about applying for a job as a hospital unit clerk. I've been in college for two years now, and I've taken courses in medical ...show more

  • Answer:

    Hello I am 41 and have been a hospital unit clerk for 16 of my 17 years on an Inpatient Rehab Unit. Being a U.C. has been rewarding for me. You meet so many people patients, physicians, nurses and many other disciplines. I never took a course I learned on the job training. If you can use a comouter you can Unit Clerk. You have to have a good mental skills and communication. Yes it can be stressing at times. When I started I was the only U.C for our unit until 6 years ago, Now we have 5, Me and another full time and 3 contingents. The contigents are all 3 in nursing school and they fill in for me and the other full time clerks days off and vacation time. I train the new clerks coming in. I am what they call a preceptor. I even train the new hired in nurses the computer system. I am involved with 4 Safety areas in the hospital I work and I am leader of our Safety Team, Unit Clerks can make a differance even though people think we sit behind a desk all day. We don't. We run errands, file, take off orders, ect. Yes starting out Unit Clerk is a good job, My contigents are 19-22, I was so scared when I took the postion I was afraid to talk to physicians but being a U.C. brings you out of that. Unit Clerks are respected and they are a vital part of your hospital organizations. I myself would like to become a certified unit clerk but there is nothing here in Ohio or on line that I can find. I just would like to have the certification so that it means a little more. I myself do a lot of different things. I file, make doctors apts., creat forms, note off orders, copy, fax, creat things, memos, billing and so much more. I have seen many computer changes over the years. You make alot of new friends, you see staff come and go. You see the outcomes of your patients. You have contact with family, other departments. You learn as you go. The nurses can't live without the clerks. We are the eyes and ears of the nurses station. I hope I have encouraged you. If you get a good preceptor you will go far. I never forgot mine. I always tell people I remember being new and that feeling of being scared, hoping I remember everything she taught me and I keep in mind I was once new. Thank You Jacqueline Bell, Wheelersburg Ohio [email protected] or [email protected]

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1. No, I don't think that this would be a good first option for a job. A lot of these areas require you to have some sort of office experience, and or experience such as typing, writing correspondence, filing, transcription etc. 2. Depending on which department you choose to work for it can get very stressful and very hectic. The departments that you should steer away from if you do choose a unit nursing clerk as a beginning job are emergency, surgery, and labs. Some of the departments that you may be able to choose as a first time unit clerk would be something like oncology, radiology, mental health, obstetrics, medicine or something like that. But as a typical day, you are having doctors and nurses that are giving you orders, and you have to come up with solutions of how you will be able to coordinate diagnostic testing such as x-rays, blood tests, etc., and you are also responsible for keeping each patient's file organized. You may also have to coordinate visits with specialists to various patients and organize the general functioning of an entire ward. 3. You should try a job like working at an outpatient clinic or something first through a hospital, so that you're able to get some experience with working quickly, and accurately and also maintaining confidentiality. Eventually when you have gotten enough experiene from working in a clinic, then you can start applying for internal positions, and they may accept you as a unit clerk. 4. Yes you should consider taking the nursing unit clerk course before applying for a job. They do have a practicum during this program, and it will also give you a sample of whether or not you would be able to handle the job without alot of office/administrative experience. During the time that you take the courses, you can maybe work at an outpatient clinic and gain some medical experience when you're waiting to get into this course, and during the duration. I hope that this helps you.

mtwaites

A hospital unit clerk has to deal with patients, their family members, nurses and doctors. Depends on the unit but it can be a stressful position. Lot of phone calls. If you like to keep busy and enjoy a challenge then it's a good pick. You need to have patience also.

Christine B

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