Unit Secretary - Float Pool

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

6h•$21 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

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, the Unit Secretary performs clerical duties under the direction of the Clinical Manager or designee. The role requires interpersonal and clerical skills that support quality patient care. Employees are expected to model Brown University Health’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, and demonstrate the Success Factors of instilling trust, valuing differences, focusing on patients and the community, and collaborating. This position is based at Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, Rhode Island. The stated work shift is 11:00 PM–7:30 AM, every other weekend and every other holiday. The role is in a normal patient care environment and involves frequent standing, walking, and sitting. Driving is not required, and the position has no supervisory responsibility.

Requirements

High school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma.
Effective interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to multitask and perform a variety of complex clerical duties.
Basic computer skills.
Ability to read, write legibly, and speak English.
Knowledge and skills to provide care-related support for patients across the life span, considering aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns.

Nice To Haves

Basic knowledge of medical terminology is preferred.
Work experience is preferred; no specific experience requirements are stated.

Responsibilities

Use medical terms and abbreviations appropriately.
Work with the team to identify cost-saving measures, resolve work-process problems, and develop new work methods in 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.
Answer phones and intercoms using appropriate etiquette and notify the appropriate staff.
Use hospital computer systems accurately to enter and verify orders, retrieve data, generate reports, and perform the Unit Secretary role using systems such as Patient Links, Nurse Links, Bed Board, MAK MAR, and Carevue or successor systems.
Report computer and equipment malfunctions to the help desk.
Enter permitted verbal physician orders, including dietary, laboratory, diagnostic x-ray, admission-status, transfer, change-of-doctor, and hospital-service orders; enter nursing verbal orders only when protocol-based or covered by a previously entered physician order.
Transcribe physicians’ handwritten orders and chemotherapy orders according to hospital protocol.
Fax medication orders to the pharmacy for entry and route other orders to the appropriate departments.
Arrange delivery of necessary equipment.
Follow up on ordered diagnostic tests and record scheduling details, preparations, and required holds or NPO instructions in the computer.
Order stationery and office supplies and maintain and stock the A–Z file.
Fax completed authorization forms and other required forms; receive faxed information and file it in the patient record.
Attend education sessions, use the Patient Services website for updates, and maintain required competencies through annual 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, education, fire and general safety, infection control, credentialing, HIPAA, and confidentiality.
Page physicians and others using hospital paging systems, computer alpha paging, and the emergency operator for code pages.
Arrange follow-up appointments; complete, coordinate, fax, and file Continuity of Care forms as required; send forms to Home Care Services when indicated.
Print information from Life Links and obtain medical-record copies when needed.
Accurately perform other Unit Secretary functions, including patient type and discharge disposition coding, observation and inpatient status, patient-services charges, calling consults when indicated, and updating dietary rounds reports.
Understand and perform appropriate information-systems downtime procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.