Unit Secretary

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

6d•$21 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Unit Secretary coordinates the flow of patient activity and information on a hospital unit or clinic under approved hospital policies and procedures. As a member of the Health Care Team and under the direction of the Clinical Manager or designee, the role performs clerical duties that support quality patient care. Employees are expected to role 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 position is based at Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, Rhode Island. The work schedule is 1500–2330, with 8-hour shifts every other weekend and every other holiday. The role works in a normal patient care environment and involves frequent standing, walking, and sitting. No supervisory responsibilities are assigned.

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.
Demonstrated 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.

Responsibilities

Use medical terms and abbreviations appropriately.
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 according to 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 proper etiquette and notify appropriate staff.
Use hospital computer systems to enter and verify orders, retrieve data, and generate reports; report computer or equipment malfunctions to the help desk.
Use required systems, including Patient Links, Nurse Links, Bed Board, MAK MAR, Carevue, and any new systems needed for the role.
Enter verbal physician orders within the limits of the Unit Secretary role, including dietary, laboratory, diagnostic X-ray, admission status, transfer, change-of-doctor, and hospital-service orders.
Enter verbal nursing orders when based on a protocol or covered by a previously entered physician order.
Transcribe physicians’ handwritten orders, fax orders to the pharmacy for medication entry, and enter other orders into the appropriate departments.
Transcribe handwritten chemotherapy orders according to hospital protocol.
Arrange delivery of necessary equipment.
Follow up on ordered diagnostic tests and document scheduling details, preparations, and holds in the computer; hold trays or make patients NPO when appropriate.
Order stationery and office supplies and maintain and stock the A–Z file.
Fax completed authorization forms for use of protected health information to other health care providers, receive and file faxed information in the patient record, and fax other forms as needed.
Attend education sessions, access the Patient Services website, and maintain competencies through annual mandatory competency checks and required 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 the hospital emergency operator for codes.
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, and file copies in the medical record. Print copies from Life Links when necessary.
Obtain copies of medical records as indicated.
Accurately perform Unit Secretary duties, including patient type and discharge disposition coding, 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.