Unit Secretary

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

4d•$21 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Unit Secretary coordinates the flow of patient activity and information on a unit or clinic according to approved 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 a variety of clerical duties that support quality patient care. The role requires effective interpersonal and clerical skills and modeling Brown University Health’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, as well as its core Success Factors: Instill Trust and Value Differences; Patient and Community Focus; and Collaborate. The position handles patient records and charts, communications, computer entry and retrieval, verbal and written orders within the limits of the role, diagnostic-test coordination, supplies, follow-up appointments, and continuity-of-care documentation. The Unit Secretary also supports unit safety, follows hospital policies and confidentiality requirements, completes required education and competencies, and performs other duties as assigned. The role reports unsafe situations to the Professional Nurse or Clinical Manager and has no supervisory responsibility.

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 across 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.
Experience (preferred; no specific amount 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 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 appropriate etiquette and notify the 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.
Accurately use Patient Links, Nurse Links, Bed Board, MAK MAR, Carevue, and other systems needed for the role.
Enter physician verbal 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 nursing verbal orders when they are protocol-based or covered by a previously entered physician order.
Transcribe physicians’ handwritten orders, fax medication orders to the pharmacy for 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, document scheduling details in the computer, record required preparations, and hold trays or arrange NPO status as 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 healthcare 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 annual mandatory competency checks and mandatory or safety education.
Report unsafe situations to the Professional Nurse or Clinical Manager and promote safety on the unit.
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 emergency operator for code pages.
Arrange follow-up appointments and document them on the patient’s Continuity of Care form.
Coordinate copies of Continuity of Care forms, 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 service charges, consult calls when indicated, and dietary-rounds report updates.
Understand and perform appropriate information-systems downtime procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.