When my friends think of a hospital orderly they envision the hilarious antics of Jerry Lewis and his disorderly conduct in his movies. However, what I did as an orderly working for the local hospital was a serious undertaking.
Orderlies Assist with Nursing Care
After finishing my college degree in Psychology I was hired by Washington Hospital in Washington, Pennsylvania, as an orderly in 1979. My duties included but were not limited to changing bedpans, preparing patients for surgery, assisting nursing staff with bathing, transporting patients and giving enemas.
While I never believed I could deal with sick people, I soon noticed that I started to treat the person not the illness. I was enthralled with the patients and their lives.
Every Patient Has a Story
Bud Yorkin Sr. was admitted to our wing. His son was the famous Bud Yorkin, Jr. who created television shows such as: “All in the Family”, “Maude”, “Sanford and Son” and “The Jeffersons” just to mention a few. Senior told me that his son wanted him to move to Hollywood. However, he said he was extremely comfortable living in the Little Washington.
Another patient who was dying conveyed to me how it was raising a family during The Great Depression. Through his aging 80-year-old eyes I imagined the crops he had to plow just to feed his family. When the harvest didn’t produce enough food, they went without. He told me everyone was poor, so people pulled their resources and provided help to their neighbors. When he passed, I sat with the body until the family left. Through a covered cart, I transported his body to the morgue.
Orderlies Have Expanded Duties
Because of my background in Psychology I spend some time assigned to the Psychiatric Ward. At night, various psych patients were administered their meds by the night interns and with assistance I would escort the patients to their holding rooms. Some of the patients were diagnosed with Manic-Depression Disorder now referred to as Bi-Polar.
Most of the patients were well behaved. However, when the police ushered in a patient with restraints and high on a recreational drug, it sometimes took several orderlies and officers to force the patient into a holding cell until the recreational drug wore off.
Orderlies were often tested and trained as Surgery Techs. It was a time when hospitals were looking to save money by training orderlies instead of nurses. Their duties were to assist the surgeon in the operation room by handing instruments to the doctors. Eventually, this practice was turned over to nurses or degreed techs.
What a Great Career and Opportunity
Currently in the Pittsburgh area medical careers survived the recession and continue to have a robust future. According to an on-line job site a Medical Orderly can average $34,429 a year.
When I started as orderly in 1979 my pay was over $8 an hour, with paid healthcare benefits, personal days off and two weeks of vacation. This industry continues to grow.