Unit Secretary/Nursing Tech - Progressive Care

Location: 1100 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-4930

Pay Range: $16.37 – $24.89

Type of Opportunity: Full time (0.90 FTE), Non-exempt, 12-hour night shifts

About the Role

Presbyterian Hospital's Progressive Care Unit is hiring a Unit Secretary/Nursing Tech to perform secretarial/clerical duties while acting as the communication center for the nursing unit. This role also includes performing specific patient care procedures (such as bedside testing) under the direction of a licensed nurse and operating patient monitoring systems.

Responsibilities

• Courteously greets and directs customers.
• Promotes and facilitates accurate and timely unit communication; keeps locator boards current.
• Answers telephones and efficiently processes information, including accurately transcribing physicians' orders.
• Communicates and processes necessary paperwork/information for patient admissions, transfers, and discharges; ensures medical records are complete and in order at discharge.
• Maintains correct census and bed status reports; assembles and organizes patient charts daily by filing pertinent reports and adding blank forms as needed.
• Maintains and accounts for office supplies; assists in keeping the nursing unit clean and orderly.
• Technician Duties:
  • Monitors, collects, and records information in the patient record, including vital signs, weights, and other patient data.
  • Transports patients and documents actions in the patient record.
  • Participates in the nutritional well-being of patients through tray delivery, assistance with patient set-up, and feeding; accurately records input and output.
  • Assists with activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene (shaving, mouth care, foot care, pericare, and bathing), positioning, and ambulation.
  • Communicates information pertinent to end-of-shift summation before leaving the unit.
  • Rounds on patients and families frequently to assess and address personal needs, concerns, or comfort-related issues; reports information to the responsible nurse for resolution.
  • Inserts and removes gastric and urethral tubes; performs enemas and disimpactions; removes peripheral intravenous therapy lines; performs phlebotomy on certain units after specific training.
  • Operates patient monitoring systems specific to unit needs (e.g., cardiac and fetal heart monitoring); performs bedside testing such as oximetry, ECG, glucometry, urinalysis, and other tests.
  • Performs wound care and dressing changes; removes staples and sutures; assists nurses and physicians with sterile procedures; assists with application and removal of restraints under the direction of an RN.
  • Applies oxygen delivery devices as ordered without altering settings or determining rates; assists patients with portable or wall oxygen and ensures proper storage of E cylinders.
  • Documents all care provided in the appropriate place in the patient record; assembles patient charts; posts laboratory and other results in the patient chart; uses the computerized documentation system.
  • Delivers specimens to Laboratory, Microbiology, and Pathology; transports x-rays, blood products, and equipment.
  • Ensures cleanliness of nutrition areas and the general unit; cleans and stores equipment; empties trash, linen bags, and sharps containers; stocks medical supplies, linens, and paper goods; inventories equipment as required; processes broken equipment as directed; maintains equipment logs.
  • Performs other functions as required.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED.
• Clinical experience OR completion of a Unit Secretary course OR completion of a self-study module (preferred).
• Must successfully complete competency verification before starting on the assigned unit.
• BLS certification required at time of hire.

Benefits

• Educational and career development options, including tuition and certification reimbursement, scholarship opportunities.
• Staff safety: wearable badge that allows nurses to quickly and discreetly call for help when safety is a concern.
• Shift differentials for night/weekend shifts, higher education, certifications, and various lead roles (for eligible positions).
• Malpractice liability insurance.
• Loan forgiveness through the New Mexico Higher Education Department.
• EPIC electronic charting system.
• Access to a wellness program, including free on-site and community-based gyms, nutrition coaching and classes, mindfulness and meditation resources, and wellness challenges.

About Presbyterian Healthcare Services

Presbyterian exists to improve the health of patients, members, and the communities we serve. We are a locally owned, not-for-profit healthcare system of nine hospitals, a statewide health plan, and a growing multi-specialty medical group. Founded in New Mexico in 1908, we are the state's largest private employer with nearly 14,000 employees—including more than 1,600 providers and nearly 4,700 nurses. Our health plan serves more than 580,000 members statewide and offers Medicare Advantage, Medicaid (Centennial Care), and Commercial health plans.