24 hours in… our Clinical Secretaries team
How would you describe your role in one sentence?
I am the first point of contact for patients, families and other health care professionals using the Hospice service or those who are new to Hospice Care.
How many people do you come into contact with on a daily basis?
We have a variety of contact routes – on average I speak to around 40-50 people on the phone, face to face around 20 people/staff.
What’s the first thing you do on a standard day?
Log in to computers, check for any admissions requests that may have been sent in. We action these immediately and in time for our daily admissions meeting at 9:30am.
What’s your favourite task?
Supporting patients and families with any issues they may be having and being that person on the end of the phone to reassure and comfort them.
Which task do you dislike the most?
I find it difficult having to tell a family member, who can be very distressed, that we do not have capacity to admit their family member onto the in-patient unit.
What’s the most interesting thing about your job?
We’re fortunate to deal with a variety of different patients who all have different wants and needs. This always makes our phone calls varied.
What do you think other people would be surprised to know about your role?
How many calls and emails we deal with on a daily basis.
What skills do you need to do your job?
You need to be able to multitask, stay calm when under pressure and always be empathetic and understanding.
Who have you learned the most from at Princess Alice Hospice?
The Community Nurses, who go out to visit and treat people in their own homes and the amazing work they do for all the patients and their loved ones.
Is there anything boring about your role??
No, as no two days are the same. The role can be repetitive with tasks but there are many different aspects to the role that keep you busy all day with the phones, emails, tours, referrals etc. so I have no time to be bored!
What’s the last thing you do before you leave at the end of the day?
Ensure all the urgent tasks have been actioned before we leave and we try to always leave our inboxes and referrals all up to date so we can start fresh the next morning.
