Unit Secretary-CVT Stepdown 12G Part-time Weekend Days

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Chicago, IL

5d

About The Position

The Unit Secretary reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values and complies with its Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulatory and accreditation standards. Serving as the receptionist for the patient care unit, the Unit Secretary is often the first person to greet and assist patients, visitors, and staff. This role coordinates information at the nurses’ station in a positive and timely manner and assists physicians, nurses, and other health care providers in coordinating patients’ stays and care experiences.

The position supports customer service, medical record maintenance, patient flow, and the organization of the unit’s nursing station. The role is part-time, with weekend day shifts, and pays $22.10 per hour.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Computer experience.

Nice To Haves

• One year of college or business school.
• Unit secretary experience.
• Medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Extend prompt, responsive courtesies to patients, staff, and visitors.
• Assist with monitoring visitor and employee access, including badges in patient care and visitor waiting areas, and alert security as necessary.
• Recognize difficult situations involving patients, staff, or visitors, facilitate communication, and escalate appropriately.
• Assist and direct patients, staff, and visitors according to hospital policies.
• Answer and transfer phone calls according to NMH phone standards using AIDET, coordinating multiple lines simultaneously.
• Answer and respond promptly and accurately to patient calls through the nurse call system using AIDET; recognize urgent requests, escalate them to appropriate staff, and handle communication needs appropriately.
• Prepare medical records for admission, discharge, and transfer, and help obtain and release records.
• Maintain paper medical records, track their location, place required forms in the record, scan appropriate forms into the EMR, and notify team members when documents are added to the paper chart.
• Ensure nurse coverage is identified in the EMR and support EMR downtime readiness, report EMR problems to the IT Help Desk, and verify regulatory documentation at the point of care, escalating missing documents.
• Perform charge entry accurately.
• Complete admission, discharge, and transfer activities in a timely manner; notify appropriate nursing staff and physicians of patient admissions and consulting team arrivals.
• Obtain patient identification when needed and assign appropriate caregivers in the nurse call system.
• Prepare patient charts for medical records after discharge, discharge to another healthcare facility, transfer to another inpatient unit, or transfer to the OR.
• Request will-call ambulance and Medicare time and request patient escort when appropriate.
• Track patient scheduling for tests and procedures and inform care providers of anticipated times.
• Track patient activity on and off the unit, update bed tracking as appropriate, and verify and reconcile unit census with the charge nurse and/or Clinical Coordinator.
• Perform other patient-flow duties delegated by unit leadership.
• Receive and distribute unit deliveries to patients and staff, and accept and stock deliveries in the appropriate place.
• Maintain a clean, uncluttered nursing station and tube station.
• Place service requests for equipment and repairs and follow up to ensure repairs are completed.
• Maintain and track adequate supplies of forms, clerical equipment, and nursing supplies; complete and submit supply requisitions accurately.
• Perform basic computer and printer maintenance, including adding paper or toner and clearing printer jams.
• Maintain and distribute staff assignment and phone-number lists as appropriate, and ensure unit signage is stocked.
• Use required online systems and attend training necessary to perform the job.
• Perform other duties delegated by unit leadership.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• A range of benefits intended to support employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being and provide protection for unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED