Unit Secretary Day Shift-BMW

Wellstar Health System•Marietta, GA

About The Position

The Unit Secretary works under the direction of the Nurse Manager and Assistant Nurse Manager to support safe, age-appropriate, and culturally aware patient care. The role performs clerical and receptionist functions, including computer order entry, retrieving data, maintaining unit supplies, transporting supplies, equipment, and patient medications, preparing and maintaining patient charts, providing customer service, and serving as the nursing unit’s central communication source. The Unit Secretary supports patient-centered care, unit operations, communication, and safety. Responsibilities include responding to calls and patient needs, assisting with admissions, transfers, and discharges, supporting documentation and downtime processes, coordinating with the healthcare team, maintaining supplies and equipment, and following infection-control and safety practices. The role also complies with Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Ability to read, write, and speak English.
Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
Ability to collaborate with other healthcare providers in delivering patient care.
Ability to multitask and function in stressful and emergency situations.
Strong attention to detail.
Computer skills, including basic computer skills and the ability to enter information into an electronic medical record.
Personal time-management skills.
Basic medical terminology.
Less than one year of clinical experience in an acute-care setting is preferred.

Responsibilities

Protect patients’ rights and dignity, maintain confidentiality, build relationships with families, and participate in hourly patient rounding.
Maintain paper medical records and scan documents into the electronic medical record as needed.
Address patient concerns and proactively offer assistance and comfort measures to patients and families.
Answer telephone calls and patient call lights, and communicate patient needs to the healthcare team.
Facilitate patient admissions, transfers, discharges, and direct admissions; track bed activity and patient location; and notify housekeeping of discharges.
Support unit flow during code situations and request patient escorts when appropriate.
Monitor entry of key patient-safety information.
Participate in interdisciplinary rounds as a scribe and facilitate related outcome activities as needed.
Perform charge reconciliation, staffing reconciliation in Smart Square, and audits as requested.
Notify nurses when physicians arrive on the unit.
Complete and submit supply requisitions, receive and stock deliveries, place durable medical equipment orders, and transport supplies, medications, and equipment as assigned.
Participate in unit performance-improvement initiatives and support professional nursing practice through shared governance, evidence-based practice, and ethical accountability.
Use effective written and oral communication with patients, staff, physicians, families, and visitors, including safety communication techniques.
Place physician and ancillary consults; maintain computers and related IT equipment; and report malfunctioning devices.
Coordinate with diagnostic areas about anticipated test and procedure times, communicate updates to patients, and update whiteboards.
Maintain expertise in patient-care documentation tools for downtime, serve as a unit super user for electronic documentation, and facilitate data recovery during downtime.
Communicate patient-care concerns, problems, and emergencies to the RN, and communicate respectfully with the healthcare team, patients, and families.
Promote a safe unit environment, practice hand hygiene, keep rooms and unit areas clean and uncluttered, follow PPE and infection-control policies, and reinforce universal precautions with patients and families.
Operate Xenex machines after patient discharge and perform environment-of-care rounds.
Perform other duties as assigned and comply with Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.