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 according to hospital-approved policies and procedures. As a member of the Health Care Team, the Unit Secretary performs clerical duties under the direction of the Clinical Manager or designee, using interpersonal and clerical skills to support quality patient care. Employees are expected to model Brown University Health’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, and demonstrate the core Success Factors: Instill Trust and Value Differences; Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate. The role includes coordinating and documenting patient records and orders, communicating with patients and staff, arranging tests and equipment, and carrying out related administrative functions. The position is based at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. It is a 32-hour workweek on the evening shift. Driving is not required.

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 throughout the life span, considering aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns at 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

Use medical terms and abbreviations appropriately.
Work with the team to identify cost-saving measures, address workflow problems, and develop new work methods for unit or clinic operations and patient care delivery.
Organize and prioritize workload according to patient and unit or clinic needs.
Assemble charts for admissions, disassemble charts for discharges, file reports accurately, and maintain medical records according to hospital guidelines.
Answer phones and intercoms using appropriate etiquette and notify the appropriate staff.
Use hospital computer systems 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 as needed for the role.
Enter permitted verbal physician orders in the computer system, including dietary, laboratory, diagnostic x-ray, admission status, transfer, change-of-doctor, and hospital-service orders.
Enter nursing verbal orders when based on a protocol or covered by a previously entered physician order.
Transcribe physicians’ handwritten orders; fax medication orders to the pharmacy and enter other orders into appropriate departments; transcribe handwritten chemotherapy orders according to hospital protocol.
Arrange delivery of necessary equipment.
Follow up on ordered diagnostic tests and document scheduled tests, 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 Authorization for Use of Protected Health Information forms to other health care providers, receive and file faxed information in patient records, and fax other forms as needed.
Attend education sessions, access the Patient Services website, and meet and maintain competencies through required annual checks and mandatory or 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 paging system, computer alpha paging, and emergency operator for code pages.
Arrange follow-up appointments and document them on the patient’s Continuity of Care form; coordinate copies, fax them 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 services charges, consult calls when indicated, and updates to dietary rounds reports.
Understand and perform appropriate information-systems downtime procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.