Jenn Swanson
What is a nursing unit clerk, anyway, you ask? For some bizarre reason, people seem to stop listening after the word “Nursing” and assume she or he is some kind of nurse. I’m not sure why, but I think it is because the job of the Nursing Unit Clerk (also known as Health Unit Coordinator, Unit Clerk, Unit Coordinator, Medical Unit Secretary, or the really old term that makes most of us shudder…Ward Clerk), is not well-known at all, despite it being an essential element of every health care team.
When we think of hospitals, we generally think of doctors and nurses. We might think of cleaning staff, kitchen staff, social workers, physiotherapists, and all sorts of management…but rarely do people even know about the role of the UC.
So Let Me Try to Explain…
This skilled, college-certified coordinator is often the first person you encounter when walking onto a nursing unit in a hospital. The UC has in-depth training in Medical Terminology, Pharmacology, and Communications, among other subjects. She/he liaises daily with doctors and nurses and allied health professionals and coordinates many of the activities of the unit.
The UC is expected to have all the answers, know where everyone is at all times, and to anticipate the needs of staff and patients. (Think: Radar O’Reilley..he was an EXCELLENT unit clerk!)
Reading and interpreting physicians’ handwriting is part of the job. Processing doctors’ orders, booking tests, booking ambulances and procedures, ordering supplies and equipment, setting up services after discharge, making sure pre-operative testing is done and results are available, and maintaining confidential medical records are all aspects of the UC role.
The UC is a whiz at the computer, can fix jammed printers, fax and photocopier machines, and is excellent with multi-lined telephone systems.
The UC is trained for crisis, and can efficiently coordinate personnel and equipment needed to deal with all sorts of crises in a timely manner.
The UC is trained in basic anatomy and physiology. She/he understands the nature of all manner of laboratory and diagnostic tests, and the patient preparation needed for xrays, nuclear medicine scans, MRIs, CT scans and numerous other diagnostic imaging technologies. The UC knows hundreds of abbreviations and medical transcription symbols and retains all sorts of information that can be recalled at any given moment.
The Unit Clerk knows when test results are abnormal, and alerts the appropriate medical personnel. He/she communicates regularly with the Pharmacy, the Dietary Department, the Laboratory and the Stores Department for services the patient needs.
The UC has excellent people skills. He/she is proficient in dealing with tearful relatives, can diffuse anger, explain procedure, and sort out the confusion. The UC is the consistent person at the front desk, and sets the tone of the unit for the day.
The Unit Clerk/Coordinator does what she/he does so the nurses can spend less time at the desk and more time hands-on with the patient.
Tweet ThisThe coordinator or unit clerk works days, evenings and night shifts. There is a UC in every patient care area of the hospital, including the Operating Room, the Emergency Department, and all Critical Care Areas.
The UC can maneuver around many personality types and remain professional, despite being around stressful situations and people who are sometimes seriously stressed. She/he is confidential and compassionate, and is an integral part of the health care team.
So Now You Know.
There is little public recognition of the existence of this role. There are public and private training programs across North America, and there is an professional association that has chapters in Canada and the US that holds annual conferences and provides further training for people doing this job: The National Association of Health Unit Coordinators.
This is an important position that warrants some recognition both by the public and by other health care professionals and employers. It is a unique, ever-evolving job that daily affects the safe and expedient delivery of medical care to all of us.
So…hug your local UC today!
Jenn
And….for those UC’s looking to learn more about confidentiality in the workplace and WHY it’s so important…check out this video below.
Thank you for sharing this article!
tell me some names of famous hospital unit clerks of canada ?
I have no idea. I don’t know why there would be famous unit clerks…does anyone else have an idea? I’ve never heard of any.
Excellent Post! These blogs are a great source of help and also
inspiration. Thank you for the post, there are some great sites here.
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Great content,thanks for sharing. Picked up some good and valuable insight.
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Thank you Francis, so glad you stopped by!
Thanks for sharing this informative blog with us. great stuff. I like your content of list you included. please
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Thanks for reading it Francis! What are Nursing Unit Clerks called in the UK?
Yes, you see all the posts on nurses, nurses, nurses, most of us UC/US know way more than them! Compare 30years to 1-5 ! Most of doctors depend more on uc/us and although they speak to nurse will backtrack to uc/us to make sure its done! Also UC/US are the one that nurses go to for info even after doctors speak w them first, they couldn’t make it
I think I would say that nurses and UC’s have different expertise, and so it makes sense that nurses would ask UC’s about things that a UC is an expert in. It is true that it’s rare to find articles or information about Unit Clerks. The Natioanl Association of Health Unit Coordinators has a regular newsletter as well as an annual conference dedicated exclusively to Unit Clerk/Coordinator topics. I’ll be at this year’s conference in Seattle and would love to meet you!
I am currently enrolled to be a nursing unit clerk in Ontario, the course is very interesting and challenging, I can not wait to be done and start working as a nursing unit clerk!
Thanks for the comment Jasmine. It’s a fascinating job because it’s different every single shift, and even after doing it for 23 years, I enjoyed going to work. How long is your program?
Wishing you the best Jasmine.
I was a UC for 10 years and had the honor of having Jennifer as my instructor. She brought the best out in me and because of her, I excelled at my position in every ward I went to. I especially enjoyed the fast pace of the ER over any other ward and did that position full time for about 2 years. May be getting back into it even at the age of 59. Very challenging and rewarding at the same time.
Thank you for your kind words Kelvin, and I look forward to hearing about whether you get back to being the great UC I know you to be!
I have been a Unit Clerk in a busy ER for the last 11 yrs. One thing you missed is how often the UC is blatantly robbed of pens, staplers, scissors and anything else someone in the Unit deems necessary! If I had a nickel for every time my pen was stolen I’d be a millionaire!
Lol! You are absolutely correct, Janice. I got to keeping my pens and pencils in my pocket or hand at all times…nothing more frustrating than trying to symbolize on an order and not being able to find a pen! Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I usually took my main black pen and used an elastic band to strap my red pen to it for ease of use when symbolizing. It was a great time saver and it was amazing how fast you could switch pens in a heartbeat.
Most times just looking at the pen setup would deter the nurse/doctor but what really irked me was when a nurse or a doctor would take my pen set and separate them so that they could use them.
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Thank you Jennifer for the well documentation of what we as Unit Coordinators
do on a daily basis. After reading it all, it just about made my head spin. LOL
However having a fantastic instructor such as yourself, I felt confident in my role
making the unit I was on run as smoothly as possible. No matter if it was the
Psych ward or Emergency, I felt confident that I could make it all work and that
the staff soon realized that they could depend on me to get the job done right.
Thanks again…
I will never forget you singing the names of the drugs to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb and having the other students learn your ditty. During the pharmacology exam, I could see several students singing to themselves as they had to answer the trade or generic names for each drug! Memory techniques,including putting unfamiliar words to familiar tunes, as Kelvin did, help us to remember when we need to…and unit clerks/coordinators have to remember a LOT! Thanks for sharing, Kelvin!
LOL To tell you the truth I forgot all about that however, now that you mentioned that, I STILL remember all the drug names in that group even though I have been away from being a UC for over 3 years.
Jenn,
I also thought how things are changing in the world of UC from the old standard of doing doctors orders and such. In my new hospital in Phoenix, AZ I did not do doctors orders and all the charting. It is more administrational duties. Answering phones and directing people around the unit and more computer knowledge instead of hands on knowledge of medicine which I miss. I had to know everything as you said in this article and now when I see new people coming on board they do not have this knowledge and do not understand what we did in the years before technology came about with electronic charting.
Yes it has changed a lot and still is. I imagine over 40 yrs you have seen it all! We still have some hospitals not using electronic med records, so still teach hand-on processing, but I imagine some of that will shift in the next 5 yrs or so. I think communication skills will become an even bigger “soft skill” to have as a UC. Great comments, Sue! 😉
Jenn,
This article was very well written. I have worked as a UC for over 40 years and I am now retired. Thank you for a great description of what we do on a daily basis in the hospital setting working with nurses, doctors, patients and ancillary staff.
Thank you Sue, so glad you liked it. What city did you work in? I’m always glad to help people explain what it is as even after my 23 years, some people thought I was a nurse! Cheers, Jenn
Phoenix Arizona working at Banner Estrella Medical Center.
Oh I have been to Phoenix…lovely!
I have added a link to your article on my blog! This is the best explanation I have ever seen in regards to a UC!!! I will be sharing this with my students! (future UC’s)
Cheers, Lisa
Thank-you very much, Lisa, I appreciate the feedback and the link!
Where (in what city/country) do you teach UC’s?
I am looking for topic ideas around communication for future posts, so let me know if you have thoughts on what would be of help to your students. I teach Human Relation Skills to UC students here in Vancouver, and I know it’s a huge subject.
Thanks again for stopping by!
Jenn
Hi Jenn!
THANK YOU for writing this awesome description of what/who a Nursing Unit Assistant does/is!!! I am a proud NUA from British Columbia, Canada, and you accurately described my daily duties at work!!!! I absolutely LOVE my job and am so proud of the hard work we do and feel very much a part of my health care team every day.
I will surely pass this on to my fellow NUA’s.
respectfully,
Christine
Hey Christine! Thank-you for your comments and I’m glad this article was helpful to you. I am so glad you love your job…we need more people like you in the system for sure. I would appreciate you sharing this with the other NUA’s. Do you have any other ideas for topics around communication that you would like to see? I always love ideas.
cheers,
Jenn
Hi there, i am a ward clerk/nursing secretary in ontario. I have been working in this field for almost two years. I spend my days scheduling staff. I did enjoy my job, but even though we have a scheduling computer program, scheduling staff is a night mare. The call in’s are a nighy mare. No one wants to work. Any one else having this issue? How do you schedule were you are?.
Hi Sandra, thanks for commenting. I know that here in BC the staffing is done by a staffing clerk (or several) in one centralized staffing department, so UC’s don’t have to do that job. I remember when we did though and yes, total nightmare. Are you able to bring your concerns (with written out points) to a manager during a meeting that maybe you ask for? It’s really too bad if the system isn’t being used the way you- the person on the ground- sees it could be. Perhaps you could take leadership on this one and see if you can work with management to make life easier for yourself and your colleagues? Would that be possible in your situation?
Here in ontario ward clerk does the scheduling. I have brought schedules home to do, and i don’t get paid for that. The other woman who has been doing this job for over 30 years does as well. If she doesn’t bring the work home to do, she will lock herself away in another room to do it. I did bring it up with my boss. Unfortunally she just does’nt get it. Two people to do close to two hundred staff memebers.
That sounds like it’s way too much work! I suppose the only way to address it would be for both of you (in a calm and professional way with documentation in hand) to ask your boss for an official meeting and lay it all out. If she doesn’t get it, maybe her supervisor would. I think that employee burnout and illness is often due in part to people feeling powerless, not valued and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the only people who can address this would be the ones in the middle of it. Another option is to write a letter to her and her higher up. Again, a nice letter just calmly outlining the problem. Sometimes if there is a paper trail, things get addressed. Would that be an option? I’m feeling for you…I know what a challenge that kind of work is and wonder how on earth you get anything else done in a day?
Well it is a lot. Falling on deaf ears i’m afraid. I have worked in this facility for 22 years , but in other departments. I wanted a change and a challenge. To bad it wan’t what i wanted. Expecially when you have to take the work load home. I just resigned today.
Well Sandra, here’s hoping you will find a fresh start doing something you feel good about next. Let me know if I can help, and all the best. Sometimes it takes guts to say “enough is enough” too. Be gentle with yourself and let me know how things work out?
Well maybe i need to come outwest. It would be good, daughter is out there. Well any who thanks.
You’re welcome. And if you do come out this way, let me know! 🙂
Awesome Jenn! I love it when people call me Radar, and isn’t it amazing how the assumption is just there that we (the UC’s) can fix anything! Fortunately, I almost always can, but if I can’t I do know who will.
It is amazing Sandi…and it’s true…no one else has the time, it seems, and when you need the piece of equipment asap…well, you do it. Thanks for visiting!
Jenn