Site: Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Inc.
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Job Summary
Summary
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/floor procedure to ensure professional and efficient operation of the department in providing quality patient care. Performs the following duties to support unit operations and coordination of resources including but not limited to, answering unit phones, collaborating with health care team members and other departments, scheduling patient tests and appointments, maintaining all medical records, initiating and tracking unit requests, coordinating discharges, transfers, and admissions proactively to assure efficient operation and management of resources on the unit. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide indirect patient family centered care appropriate to the age of the patients served on assigned unit. Responsible for receiving visitors and responding to needs of patients and family members.
Does this position require Patient Care?
No
Essential Functions
-Provision of a Safe Environment
- Assists in maintaining a safe environment and intervenes appropriately.
- Identifies and/or initiates appropriate follow up for any safety issue.
- Utilizes judgment in implementing physician orders in a safe and conscientious manner, notifying charge nurse immediately of any concerns.
-Service
- Ensures patient and family member’s needs and expectations are met in a timely and caring manner.
- Maintains the C.A. R. E. standards with focus on communication, appearance and respect.
- Works collaboratively as a member of the Patient Care Team and takes a proactive role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the unit.
-Organizational Ethics
- Maintains and promotes the mission and values of the organization.
- Maintains confidentiality of all patient information
- Respects and supports a culturally diverse staff and patient population.
- Utilizes the proper procedures address patient or family’s concerns by notifying the Nursing Director/supervisor or clinical leader.
-Management of Resources/supplies and unit based needs
- Orders, expedites and distributes unit, clerical and patient care supplies as directed by the Nursing Director to assure par levels required of efficient operations.
- Orders supplies (including Workflow One) necessary for the unit as described by the Nursing Director through eBUY.
- Maintains work area and of f ice equipment in neat and functioning order.
- Initiates and tracks appropriate Facilities, Bio Med, Housekeeping, and IT related problems/replacements/ requests or work orders.
- Notifies Biomed department of malfunctioning equipment and arranges repair requests and for the equipment to be returned to the department.
- Assists Nursing Director to manage and facilitate unit projects.
- Acts as a liaison and assists in problem solving with ancillary services and all other departments which provide services or have an ef fect on unit activities.
- Provides back-up coverage for patient transport, including escorting discharge patients/families.
-Management of Information
- Answers, coordinates and manages all phone calls to the unit in consultation with the charge nurse. Takes accurate messages and ensures their delivery to the appropriate staff in a timely and professional manner. Places pages and phone calls upon request of clinical staff.
- Participates in shift-to-shift handoff communication by giving or receiving hand of report to/from the incoming/outgoing unit secretary and charge RN.
- Coordinates and notif ies appropriate staf f regarding all paperwork coming onto the unit including fax referrals.
- Maintains all patient medical records per hospital policies and procedures in a neat and orderly manner; properly label each page and f ile testing results and other information in individual medical records accurately and in a timely manner.
- Schedules patient diagnostic tests, appointments, and consults upon the direction of physician or RN.
- Coordinates logistics of patient discharge including transportation, equipment, etc.
- Performs clerical duties to admit, transfer, and discharge patients with the use of bed management system. Make certain that the patient record/chart, information plate
and/or labels, personal belongings, and other pertinent information accompany the patient on transfers.
- Enters, updates or prints data reports as appropriate including:
-Bed management system in a timely manner to ref lect current unit activity.
-Diet order sheets ready for pick-up by food and nutrition services.
-Advance Care Directives and Patient Code Status in the chart each shif t.
-Medication Reconciliation and Restraint reports and provides them to the physician or RN as a reminder to reorder restraints or update/complete
medication reconciliation each shif t.
-Quadramed assignment sheet and provides to the charge nurse prior to the beginning of each shif t.
-Recovery charges, and or billing information as indicated
- Checks the quadramed list by 11:30am and notif ies the charge nurse of any unclassif ied in-patients as well as reminding staf f to complete their quadrameds.
- Copies patient charts and other materials as requested.
- Utilizes Meditech system to: access and update administrative data screens, to enter transport requests, enter PASSPORT orders, print specimen labels, print kardexes,
print medication administration report.
- Requests and maintains old medical records as needed.
- Anticipates discharges and transfers and calls them to admitting/nursing supervisor when discharges are known and inputs any tentative discharges in bed management system.
- Updates charge nurse/clinical leader, admitting and nursing supervisor of admissions, discharges, and transfers on 7-3 and 3pm-11pm shif ts and inputs any tentative discharges in bed management system.
- Communicates with healthcare team members via VOCERA communication device.
- Performs all other duties as assigned.
-Collaborative Interdisciplinary Care
- Interacts with all members of health care team to provide interdisciplinary patient family centered care.
- Answers patient call lights and communicates patient request to appropriate clinical staff .
- Provides clerical support to unit staf f as needed.
- Floats to other pods or units as requested by Nursing office and functions appropriately as reported by staff.
-Patient/Family Education
- Receives and orients visitors to unit/department in a professional manner, projecting a positive public image with use of the C.A.R.E. standards.
- Provides all patients and families with basic information for unit operation.
-Competency
- Maintains compliance with hospital, unit secretary specific competencies.
- Identifies and actively seeks out unit and/or service-related continuing education classes.
- Orients or precepts new personnel as assigned and acts as a resource for other professionals, patients, and significant others on the unit.
- Responds to staffing needs of the healthcare team by cross-training and floating to other units.
- Attends staff meetings and/or read staff meeting minutes to keep current with unit and organizational updates or changes.
- Attends the annual Safety Fair.
-Quality Improvement
- Understands unit specific quality indicators.
- Participates in Quality Improvement Projects and Committees as directed by the Nursing Director.
- Participates in Service, Excellence, and Quality (SEAQ) programs for example, Falls Team, Patient Safety Committee, Pain Management Team
-Patient Care
- Responds to patient and family care by answering patient call lights and telephone in a timely manner.
- Coordinates patient communication through a variety of general reception and clerical duties
Education
High School Diploma or Equivalent required and Associate's Degree preferred
Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?
No
Licenses and Credentials
Experience
Experience in medical, customer service setting 1-2 years preferred Knowledge of Medical Terminology preferred Computer knowledge of Microsoft Office strongly
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Staff adheres to all I C.A.R.E. Standards.
- Excellent interpersonal skills to interact effectively with patients, visitors, and hospital personnel.
- The ability to work as a team member, promoting a caring and collegial attitude toward fellow employees.
- The ability to work under stressful conditions, adapting to the changing pace on the unit, frequent interruptions, emergencies, and acutely ill patients.
- Ability to work independently, with well developed organizational skills in order to prioritize tasks.
- Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with staff through voice mail, e-mail, etc.
- Demonstration of flexib