unit secretary

SUMMARY

Under the general supervision of the Nurse Manager, performs a variety of clerical and administrative support duties. Coordinates and documents flow of patient activity and information from admission into the unit, through discharge, or transfer from the unit.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another.

In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include:

• Instill Trust and Value Differences
• Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate

RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication and Customer Service

• Communicates clearly, concisely, and expeditiously with unit, other hospital staff, physicians, patients and visitors.
• Greets patients and visitors in professional, courteous, and helpful manner.
• Recognizes consumer dissatisfaction and intervenes to correct, or refer to appropriate person.
• Identifies and reports unauthorized personnel.

Telephone and Paging Functions

• Answers the telephone in a timely and courteous manner.
• Receives, records, and communicates messages accurately.
• Transfers telephone calls and pages staff accurately.
• Answers patients’ call buttons and pages appropriate staff person to respond; does follow-up pages on unanswered pages.

Patient Information and Medical Records

• Enters and edits all patient information into computer, including height and weight, isolation status, patient type, patient activity, and charge entries.
• Practices in accordance with all Physician Order Management policies and procedures.
• Follows all clinical informatics downtime procedures for entering data into patient’s electronic profile.
• Obtains missing patient data from other units or outside facilities, as needed.
• Maintains the integrity of the medical record.
• Completes Medical Record Review Checklist daily and upon checklist.

Supplies and Unit Support

• Orders and maintains appropriate forms, dietary supplies, educational materials and office supplies for the unit.
• Maintains order and cleanliness at desk area.
• Follows up on status of purchase requisitions.
• Anticipates storeroom supply needs before evening and night shift.
• Secretary ensures dietary orders are current every AM between 3a and 4a.

Reporting and Discharge Coordination

• Provides management of automatically prepared reports including but not limited to, GENESIS, Glumeter, and rounds reports.
• Works with nursing staff and case managers to enter discharge disposition and destinations into computer.
• Faxes necessary paperwork to external agencies.
• Prepares all necessary paperwork for patients discharged to rehabilitation centers or nursing homes.

Staff and Administrative Support

• Assists the Nurse Manager in monitoring maintenance of staff educational records and compliance with mandatory tests/training/certifications and annual health screenings such as PPD and fit testing.
• Completes weekly staff projections for the nursing unit.
• Completes unit secretary schedule ensuring even distribution of secretarial resources, as assigned.
• Participates in unit staff meetings and records minutes.
• Assists in maintenance of posted communications on unit and with memorandums to staff.
• Updates policy manuals as required.

Quality and Compliance

• Provides support for the unit in achievement of hospital and unit quality indicators.
• Assists with distribution and collection of quality audits and complies with unit processes for indicator data collection.
• Conducts Environment of Care Rounds monthly, reports findings, and follows through with work orders/phone calls/faxes to appropriate departments for resolution of issues.
• Resolves those issues that can be taken care of at a unit level.

Financial and Clerical Functions

• Appropriately enters patient charges to generate appropriate revenue for the unit.
• Reviews and reconciles these charges daily and reports variances to the manager.
• Performs general filing, copying, faxing, and other clerical and administrative support duties as requested.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

BASIC KNOWLEDGE

• Equivalent to a high school diploma.
• Computer skill level proficient to enter and maintain patient data and print required reports.
• Knowledge of medical terminology preferred.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and perform multiple tasks expeditiously.
• Speaks, reads, and writes English clearly.

EXPERIENCE

• Six months’ clerical experience in a health care environment strongly preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Sits, stands and walks intermittently throughout the day.
• Exposed to patient care environment.
• May be required to lift up to 20 pounds.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• None.