ICU Unit Secretary – Evenings (7:00 PM–7:30AM

Overview

Position: ICU Unit Secretary – Evenings (7:00 PM–7:30 AM)

Schedule: Full time, evening 7pm-7:30am and Every 3rd weekend required

• Performs a variety of direct service activities to ensure that patients and their families/visitors receive timely information and appropriate responses to their needs.
• Provides informative, non-clinical information when requested by patients, families, staff or visitors. Interacts in a courteous professional manner.
• Coordinates activities of front desk/office support services. Performs clerical duties for the department. Answers/responses to telephone calls and inquiries in a timely manner.
• Answers patient call lights in a timely manner and follows up on-call light requests to ensure nursing staff has responded.
• Maintains communication data, e.g., computer, charge/white boards, daily communication sheets, assignment sheets, updates room name tags, and related labels.
• Participates in orienting patients to their room, call light, telephones and the unit by distributing welcome letters and informational packets.
• Initiates daily RN phone assignment, logs RN daily phone numbers, and demonstrates appropriate procedures to triage calls through the patient call system.
• Monitors healthcare computer software systems and Bed Board for new discharge orders, prints discharge summaries, places discharge summaries in charts, makes clinic appointments for patients prior to discharge, and documents as required.
• Facilitates patient/family/visitor access to hospital services such as the cafeteria, chapel, gift shop, parking, cashier, etc.
• Identifies emergency situations and initiates appropriate response actions within the scope of the role. Familiar with area disaster plans and unit.
• Coordinates and makes transportation appointments for patients and related materials (e.g., VA, chair car, patient transport, medical records, specimens, blood products, requisitions) in a timely manner. Uses computer software/terminal for data entry.
• Works collaboratively with other units, services, and departments to ensure patients, families, visitors and staff receive needed services information and materials.
• Takes initiative to identify and resolve questions and/or discrepancies, acting within the scope of the role.
• Performs a variety of office and clerical functions, such as photocopying, sending and receiving fax transmissions; responds appropriately.
• Coordinates unit communications, including placing alpha-numeric text pages to physicians or appropriate staff and calling family members/next of kin, as appropriate.
• May assist in patient admission, discharge and transfer processes by obtaining and managing insurance pre-approvals, verifying demographic information, and processing medical records.

• Maintains accurate, complete, up-to-date patient care records as defined by hospital policy.
• Prepares charts and labels on admission with appropriate documentation sheets and places clinical pathways in bedside charts. Maintains complete and accurate medical records through timely filing of results and treatment documents, periodic chart thinning, and replenishing chart forms.
• Label precaution charts with appropriate signs and maintains supply of precaution labels for patient rooms.
• Transcribes patient care orders accurately and in a timely manner as appropriate.
• Collaborates with the healthcare team to obtain necessary information for test/procedure scheduling, including pre-test/preoperative preparation scheduling; coordinates test/procedure schedule to minimize patient travel and time off unit.
• Communicates with patients, families, primary care providers, consultants, and staff as appropriate.
• Maintains appropriate manual and computer logs, records, and unit databases (e.g., diet list, census sheets, supply log, patient board) with current physician coverage, pager numbers, and RN names; tracks admissions and discharges.
• Ensures that the unit has a current Downtime Materials Box and replenishes it with appropriate order sheets, Doctor's Orders, Progress Notes, and lab information. Proficient in downtime procedures and aware of downtime computer and…