Unit Secretary

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

11d•$21 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Unit Secretary coordinates the flow of patient activity and information on the unit or clinic in accordance with hospital policies and procedures. As a member of the Health Care Team under the direction of the Clinical Manager or designee, the Unit Secretary performs clerical duties that support quality patient care. Employees are expected to model Brown University Health’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence and demonstrate its core Success Factors: Instill Trust and Value Differences; Patient and Community Focus; and Collaborate. The role involves managing medical records and patient information, responding to communications, using hospital computer systems, entering and transcribing orders within the limits of the role, coordinating tests and follow-up appointments, and supporting safe unit operations. The position is based at Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, Rhode Island. The stated work hours are 1500–2330, every other weekend and every other holiday, on the evening shift. Driving is not required. The position is represented by the International Brotherhood Teamsters.

Requirements

High school graduate or General Equivalency Diploma.
Effective interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to multitask while performing a variety of complex clerical duties.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to read, write legibly, and speak English.
Knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients across the life span, considering aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

Nice To Haves

Basic knowledge of medical terminology is preferred.
Experience is preferred; no specific amount or type is stated.

Responsibilities

Exhibit appropriate use of medical terms and abbreviations.
Work with the team to identify cost-saving measures, solve work-process problems, and develop new work methods for unit or clinic operations and patient care delivery.
Organize and prioritize workload based on patient and unit or clinic needs.
Assemble admission charts, disassemble discharge charts, file reports accurately, and maintain medical records according to hospital guidelines.
Answer phones and intercoms using appropriate etiquette and notify appropriate staff.
Use hospital computer systems accurately to enter and verify orders, retrieve data, and generate reports; report computer and equipment malfunctions to the help desk.
Use Patient Links, Nurse Links, Bed Board, MAK MAR, Carevue, and other systems required for the role.
Enter physician verbal orders within role limits, including dietary, laboratory, diagnostic x-ray, admission status, transfer, change-of-doctor, and hospital-service orders.
Enter nursing verbal orders when they are based on a protocol or covered by a previously entered physician order.
Transcribe physicians’ handwritten orders, fax medication orders to the pharmacy for entry, enter other orders into the appropriate departments, and transcribe handwritten chemotherapy orders according to hospital protocol.
Arrange delivery of necessary equipment.
Follow up on ordered diagnostic tests and document scheduled dates and times in the computer, including required preparations; hold trays or make patients NPO as appropriate.
Order stationery and office supplies and maintain and stock the A–Z file.
Fax completed authorizations for use of protected health information to other health care providers; receive and file faxed information in patient records; fax other forms as needed.
Attend education sessions, access the Patient Services website, and maintain required competencies through annual competency checks and mandatory safety education.
Report unsafe situations to the Professional Nurse or Clinical Manager and promote unit safety.
Follow established hospital and unit standards, policies, and procedures, including those concerning attendance, badging, mandatory education, fire and safety, infection control, credentialing, HIPAA, and confidentiality.
Page physicians and others using the hospital page system, computer alpha paging, and the emergency operator for code pages.
Arrange follow-up appointments and document them on the patient’s Continuity of Care form.
Coordinate copies of the Continuity of Care form, fax forms to Home Care Services when indicated, file copies in the medical record, and print copies from Life Links if necessary.
Obtain copies of medical records as indicated.
Accurately perform all aspects of the Unit Secretary role, including patient type and discharge disposition codes, observation and inpatient status, patient service charges, calling consults when indicated, and updating dietary rounds reports.
Understand and perform appropriate information-systems downtime procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.