15.61650 - Fay Hospital Unit Secretary

DCH Health System•Fayette, AL

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the supervision of the RN, the Hospital Unit Secretary assists in planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating activities at the nursing station. The role performs clerical and receptionist duties and maintains the unit’s physical environment. The secretary supports safe, smooth unit operations, including observation of cardiac monitoring status, ensuring qualified coverage of the monitor station during breaks and lunch, notifying staff about alarms and rhythm changes, and completing monitor counts each shift. The position transcribes and enters orders, manages medical records, answers phones and intercoms, communicates messages, maintains supplies and logs, and helps keep the nursing unit and equipment clean, safe, organized, and well supplied. The secretary supports patient safety and quality improvement activities, follows DCH policies and behavioral standards, and uses email, time-and-attendance and learning-management software, the intranet, MEDITECH, and other computerized systems. Additional duties include monitoring the VSB Sepsis tracker and promptly notifying the RN of positive indicators, and watching the bed request board and assigning rooms for admissions in a timely manner. This is an onsite position with 12-hour shifts and up to 48 hours per week. Physical demands include prolonged sitting, standing, or walking; short-distance walking; bending, twisting, reaching, and coordinated finger movement; and light work involving occasional exertion of up to 20 pounds. Duties must be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

Computer and/or computer-software knowledge or experience.
Approved previous experience in clerical functions or completion of in-service education classes, and a high school education or equivalent.
Ability to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English.
Ability to tolerate prolonged periods of sitting, standing, or walking; move about the nurses’ station; bend and twist; walk short distances; reach reasonable distances in any direction; and move fingers in a coordinated manner.
Ability to perform light work: exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds frequently, and a negligible amount constantly to move objects.
Normal or corrected-to-within-normal-range hearing and vision.
Ability to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
Physical presence onsite is essential.
Ability to perform 12-hour shifts, up to 48 hours per week.

Responsibilities

Coordinate nursing-unit functions to support safe and smooth operations.
Observe cardiac monitoring status for all patients; ensure qualified coverage of the monitor station during breaks and lunch; notify staff of alarms, rhythm changes, and leads-off alarms; and count monitors each shift.
Transcribe and enter orders, and assemble, maintain, and disassemble medical records.
Answer phones, intercoms, and call lights; communicate messages; greet visitors and direct them to appropriate staff.
Respond promptly to patient needs and consistently perform basic duties, including hand hygiene and use of two patient identifiers.
Order and maintain an inventory of supplies and participate in economical supply utilization.
Keep equipment and nursing units clean, safe, organized, and well supplied.
Document accurately in accordance with policies and procedures and maintain logs required by the unit Manager/Director.
Apply safety principles, identify and reduce unsafe practices, and take appropriate action to reduce risks and hazards.
Participate in performance-improvement activities, including serving on teams as warranted, assisting with measures, and supporting and implementing improvement changes.
Monitor the VSB Sepsis tracker and immediately notify the RN of a positive sepsis indicator.
Monitor the bed request board and assign patient rooms for admissions in a timely manner.
Schedule appointments and fax documents.
Orient new unit secretaries.
Perform other duties as assigned.