5 East Unit Secretary BWFH

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

2d•$20 - $29•Onsite

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Nursing Director and as a member of the Unit Based Patient Care Team, the Unit Secretary performs a wide range of secretarial duties and coordinates unit and floor procedures to support professional, efficient department operations and quality patient care. The role supports unit operations and resource coordination by answering phones, working with healthcare team members and other departments, scheduling tests and appointments, maintaining medical records, tracking requests, coordinating admissions, transfers, and discharges, and receiving visitors and responding to patient and family needs. The position provides indirect patient- and family-centered support appropriate to the ages served on the assigned unit. This is a part-time, onsite position scheduled for 16 hours per week: two 8-hour rotating day/evening shifts, every other weekend, one weekday shift, and holiday rotation. The position is based at 1153 Centre Street.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Associate's degree is preferred; experience cannot be accepted in lieu of a degree.
Excellent interpersonal skills for interacting effectively with patients, visitors, and hospital personnel.
Ability to work as a team member and promote a caring, collegial attitude toward fellow employees.
Ability to work under stressful conditions, adapt to changing unit pace, frequent interruptions, emergencies, and acutely ill patients.
Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks using well-developed organizational skills.
Verbal and written communication skills for effective communication with staff, including by voicemail and email.
Flexibility and willingness to adapt to varied responsibilities as a member of the unit-based patient care team.
Ability to provide indirect care appropriate to the ages of patients served; patients on this unit range from adolescent to geriatric.
Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods.
Ability to assist with lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds and with transporting patients on and off the pod.
Demonstrated customer service skills.
Adherence to I C.A.R.E. Standards.

Nice To Haves

One to two years of experience in a medical or customer service setting.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Strong computer knowledge, including Microsoft Office.
Associate's degree.

Responsibilities

Help maintain a safe environment, identify safety issues, initiate appropriate follow-up, and notify the charge nurse of concerns related to physician orders.
Respond to patient and family needs in a timely, caring manner; uphold C.A.R.E. standards; and support smooth unit operations as a member of the Patient Care Team.
Maintain patient confidentiality, support the organization’s mission and values, respect cultural diversity, and refer patient or family concerns to the appropriate nursing or clinical leader.
Order, expedite, and distribute unit, clerical, and patient-care supplies; maintain work areas and office equipment; and initiate and track facilities, biomedical, housekeeping, and IT requests.
Notify Biomedical Engineering of malfunctioning equipment and coordinate repair requests and equipment returns.
Assist the Nursing Director with unit projects and collaborate with ancillary services and other departments to solve problems affecting unit activities.
Provide backup patient-transport coverage, including escorting discharged patients and families.
Manage unit phone calls, take and deliver messages, and place pages and calls at the request of clinical staff.
Participate in shift handoff communication with the incoming or outgoing unit secretary and charge RN.
Coordinate paperwork and fax referrals; maintain, label, organize, and update patient medical records in accordance with hospital procedures.
Schedule diagnostic tests, appointments, and consultations as directed by a physician or RN, and coordinate discharge logistics such as transportation and equipment.
Perform clerical admission, transfer, and discharge tasks using the bed management system, ensuring records, labels, belongings, and other pertinent information accompany transferred patients.
Enter or update unit activity and other information in relevant systems and reports, including diet orders, advance care directives, code status, medication reconciliation, restraint reports, assignment sheets, recovery charges, and billing information.
Check the Quadramed list by 11:30 a.m. and notify the charge nurse of unclassified inpatients and outstanding staff tasks.
Use Meditech to update administrative data, enter transport and PASSPORT orders, and print specimen labels, kardexes, and medication administration reports.
Request and maintain old medical records as needed; copy charts and other materials when requested.
Anticipate and communicate discharges, transfers, and admissions to the appropriate staff, admitting, and nursing supervisor; enter tentative discharges in the bed management system.
Communicate with healthcare team members using the VOCERA device.
Interact with the healthcare team to support interdisciplinary patient- and family-centered care; answer call lights and relay patient requests to clinical staff.
Provide clerical support to unit staff and float to other pods or units as requested.
Receive and orient visitors professionally and provide patients and families with basic information about unit operations.
Maintain required competencies, seek relevant continuing education, orient or precept personnel as assigned, cross-train and float to other units, attend staff meetings or review minutes, and attend the annual Safety Fair.
Understand unit quality indicators and participate in quality improvement projects, committees, and SEAQ programs as directed.
Perform other duties as assigned.