What are the responsibilities and job description for the Unit Secretary position at medstar?
Job Summary:
MedStar Health is looking for a Unit Secretary to join our team at MedStar Washington Hospital Center!
As a Unit Secretary, you will perform various clerical support activities for a nursing unit. Ensures the timely, efficient, and organized flow of operations for the assigned nursing station/area.
Join one of the largest healthcare systems in the Baltimore-Washington metro region, also recognized as one of the "Healthiest Maryland Businesses". Apply today and learn how MedStar Health can be your next great career move!
Primary Duties:
Greets patients, visitors and/or physicians and provides appropriate assistance. Answers incoming telephone calls to the unit, including STATS, relaying information. Responds to or relays patient call system requests and other alarms. Responds to standard Telemetry phone and relays messages. Uses the brown phone during outage. Pages doctors and other disciplines. Monitors and responds to requests for ingress and egress for units with locked access controls. Facilitates and prepares for MedConnect Downtime. Faxes orders to pharmacy and other appropriate areas such as dietary and radiology. Transcribes orders to Kardex; prepares MAR and ensures MC downtime forms are complete and ready.
Enters/updates unit charges into the computer, such as laboratory tests, dietary orders, etc. Faxes physician paper orders to the Pharmacy. Knows basic equipment troubleshooting procedures. Reports to and follows up with BioMed, etc. for any repair needs. Initiates and completes clerical functions regarding the admission, discharge, and transfer of patients. Coordinates with the Resource nurse and the primary nurses of patients accordingly. Initiates and follows up on requests such as work order requests.
Files hard copies such as face sheets and paper orders in the appropriate patient medical chart. Thins patient medical chart, prepares new chart, and facilitates discharged patient’s chart to Health Information Management department. Assists in maintaining unit supplies/equipment by monitoring inventory levels, ordering supplies, and completing appropriate logs. Maintains unit device inventories as applicable, such as telemetry boxes, associates’ work phones, locators, handheld devices, WOWs. Checks and ensures appropriate unit par items such as O2 tanks, chair alarms, etc. Knows how to manage the Logi-D supply system.
Uses different electronic systems appropriate for a unit secretary, such as MedConnect, the Nurse Call system, Teletracking, PeopleSoft, Office Depot. MedConnect – Enters/adds non-clinical orders such as equipment. Determines new orders for review and alerts nurse. Runs reports on different quality indicators such as fall risk patients, central lines, foley catheters, flu vaccine, etc. Enters patient-nurse and PCT assignment. Ensures all staff are logged in. Answers consoles and relays message. Checks associates’ work phone every shift and assigns to staff. Updates assignments. Checks assignments and admissions/transfers and relays updates to resource. Enter requests such as bed requests, transport, and item requests. Orders unit supply needs for supervisor’s approval.
Cross-covers for other nursing units and gives report to on-coming Unit Secretary or nursing associates at completion of assigned shift. Coordinates with the Resource nurse of the cross-covering unit. Maintains a clean, organized, and efficient workstation. Distributes patient mail, messages, flowers, etc. Maintains and coordinates clearing of unit hallways such as beds for pick-up, commodes to dirty room, calls DES. Assists with the orientation and training of new unit secretaries to the unit as directed. Maintains daily census/nursing assignment boards and/or nursing assignment information sheets. Posts and updates assignment boards for physicians, APPs, Respiratory Therapist, IV Therapist, and other ancillary associates.
Qualifications:
High School Diploma or GED.
6-12 months hospital/clerical experience demonstrating good working familiarity with typing/computer keyboarding and medical terminology familiarity.
May require up to 1 year of technical or other specialized training like the unit secretary training program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
