Unit Secretary

General Summary of Position

Performs a variety of clerical support activities for a nursing unit. Ensures the timely, efficient, and organized flow of operations for the assigned nursing station / area.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Greets patients, visitors and / or physicians and provides appropriate assistance. Answers incoming telephone calls to the unit, including STATS, relaying information, as appropriate.

Responds to or relays patient call system requests and other alarms as needed. Responds to standard Telemetry phone (as applicable) and relays message as needed.

Uses the brown phone during outage. Pages doctors and other disciplines as needed. Monitors and responds to requests for ingress and egress for units with locked access controls.

Facilitates and prepares for MedConnect Downtime. Faxes orders to pharmacy and other appropriate areas such as dietary and radiology.

Transcribes orders to Kardex; prepares MAR and ensures MC downtime forms are complete and ready.

• Enters / updates unit charges into the computer as applicable, such as laboratory tests, dietary orders, etc. Faxes physician paper orders to the Pharmacy as needed.
• Knows basic equipment (printer, copier) troubleshooting procedures. Reports to and follows up with BioMed (or outside company) for any repair needs.
• Initiates and completes clerical functions regarding the admission, discharge and transfer of patients. Coordinates with the Resource nurse and the primary nurses of patients accordingly.
• Initiates and follows up on requests such as work order requests (engineering, electric, carpentry, IT, etc.).
• Files hard copies such as face sheets and paper orders in the appropriate patient medical chart. Thins patient medical chart, prepares new chart, and facilitates discharged patient's chart to Health Information Management (HIM) department.
• Assists in maintaining unit supplies / equipment by monitoring inventory levels, ordering supplies, and completing appropriate logs.

Maintains unit device inventories as applicable, such as telemetry boxes, associates' work phones, locators, handheld devices, WOWs.

Checks and ensures appropriate unit par items such as O2 tanks, chair alarms, etc. as applicable. Knows how to manage the Logi-D supply system.

Uses different electronic systems appropriate for a unit secretary, such as MedConnect, the Nurse Call system, Teletracking, PeopleSoft, Office Depot.

MedConnect - Enters / adds non-clinical orders such as equipments (beds and medical supplies). Determines new orders for review and alerts nurse (discharges, stat orders, etc.

Runs reports on different quality indicators such as fall risk patients, central lines, foley catheters, flu vaccine, etc.

Nurse Call - Enters patient-nurse and PCT assignment. Ensures all staff are logged in. Answers consoles and relays message.

Checks associates' work phone every shift and assigns to staff. Updates assignments as needed. Teletracking - Checks assignments and admissions / transfers and relays updates to resource as needed.

Enters requests such as bed requests, transport and item requests. PeopleSoft / Office Depot - Orders unit supply needs for supervisor's approval.

Cross-covers for other nursing units and gives report to on-coming Unit Secretary or nursing associates at completion of assigned shift.

Coordinates with the Resource nurse of the cross-covering unit.

• Maintains a clean, organized and efficient work station. Distributes patient mail, messages, flowers, etc. Maintains and coordinates clearing of unit hallways such as beds for pick-up, commodes to dirty room, calls DES as needed.
• Assists with the orientation and training of new unit secretaries to the unit as directed.
• Maintains daily census / nursing assignment boards and / or nursing assignment information sheets. Posts and updates assignment boards for physicians, APPs, Respiratory Therapist, IV Therapist, and other ancillary associates.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• High School Diploma or GED required
• May require up to l year of technical or other specialized training such as the unit secretary training program at WHC.

Experience

6 to 12 months hospital or clerical experience demonstrating good working familiarity with typing / computer keyboarding and medical terminology familiarity required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Requires the ability to read and write; and knowledge of grammar, and arithmetic including fractions and decimals.
• May require the use of standard office / medical equipment (i.e., typewriter, personal computer, data terminal, on-line printer, calculator, telephone, facsimile, copier, sterilizing equipment, blood pressure cuff, or tables);

the preparation, comparison or checking of reports, records and related data; and basic use of formulas, charts, tables, drawings and knowledge of their application.

This position has a hiring range of $19.347 - $29.109