Unit Secretary-Orthopedics 14W Full-time Evenings

About the role

The Unit Secretary is the receptionist for the patient care unit and is often the first person to greet and assist patients, visitors, and staff. This position requires excellent communication and customer service skills, as well as computer experience.

Responsibilities

• Extends courtesies to patients, staff, and visitors in a prompt and responsive manner in all communications.
• Aids in monitoring visitor/employee access including the presence of badges in all patient care areas including the visitor waiting areas and alerts security as necessary.
• Recognizes difficult patient, staff and visitor situations, facilitates communication and escalates appropriately.
• Assists and directs patients, staff and visitors according to hospital policies.
• Answers the phone promptly and transfers calls according to NMH phone standards using AIDET.
• Effectively coordinates calls on multiple lines simultaneously.
• Promptly and accurately answers and responds to all patient calls within identified timeframe via the nurse call system using AIDET.
• Recognizes patient care requests requiring urgent attention and escalates to appropriate staff.
• Assures patients with communication needs are identified at the nurse call system and calls are handled appropriately.
• Prepares medical records on admission, discharge and transfer.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the patient medical record including but not limited to: assisting the care team in obtaining and releasing medical records, maintaining paper record and remains informed of the location, scanning appropriate forms into the electronic medical record (EMR) and notifying appropriate team members when additional documents are added to paper chart, ensuring nurse coverage is appropriately identified in EMR, facilitating unit readiness for EMR downtime including but not limited to knowledge of downtime procedures and maintenance of appropriate forms, verifying regulatory documentation at the point of care and escalating to the appropriate care team of any missing documents.
• Performs charge entry accurately.
• Performs admission, discharge, and transfer activities in a timely manner.
• Notifies the appropriate nursing staff and physician upon patient admission.
• Notifies appropriate nurse staff and physician when consulting teams arrive to the unit.
• Obtains patient identification if needed.
• Sets up appropriate caregivers in the nurse call system.
• Prepares patient chart: to be sent to medical records after patient discharge, for discharge to another healthcare facility, for transfer to another inpatient unit or the OR.
• Requests time for will-call ambulance and Medicare.
• Requests patient escort when appropriate.
• Tracks patient scheduling for tests and procedures and informs care providers of anticipated time.
• Tracks patient activity on and off patient care unit - monitors and updates bed tracking as appropriate.
• Verifies and reconciles unit census for accuracy in collaboration with charge nurse and/or Clinical Coordinator.
• Supports patient flow as delegated by unit leadership.
• Receives and distributes patient care unit deliveries to patients and staff.
• Accepts deliveries and stocks in appropriate place.
• Maintains a clean, uncluttered nursing station and tube station.
• Placing service requests for equipment and repair and follows up to ensure repair is complete.
• Maintains and tracks an adequate supply of forms, clerical equipment, and nursing supplies according to patient care unit standards.
• Accurately completes and submits supply requisitions.
• Performs basic computer/printer maintenance: add paper, toner, fix printer jams.
• Demonstrates ability to use online systems as required.
• Attends appropriate training classes necessary to perform job.
• Other duties and responsibilities delegated by unit leadership.

Qualifications

• High School or GED.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Computer experience.
• One year of college or business school.
• Unit secretary experience.
• Medical terminology.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section located at jobs.nm.org/benefits to learn more.