Unit Secretary PRN

Inova Health System - Falls Church, VA

Full-time

Falls Church, VA

Hospitals

About the position

The Unit Secretary at Inova Health System plays a crucial role in supporting the efficient operations of the department by performing a variety of clerical activities. This position is essential for maintaining the flow of information and ensuring that patient care is delivered effectively. The Unit Secretary is responsible for providing prompt and efficient reception support for the unit, which includes managing confidential patient information and ensuring that all clerical tasks are completed accurately and in a timely manner. In this role, the Unit Secretary will engage in various clerical activities, such as copying and faxing records, maintaining physician and lab databases, and ensuring that medical supplies are adequately stocked. The Unit Secretary will also attend staff and committee meetings, taking minutes as required, and preparing unit charges as necessary. A significant aspect of this position involves the management of patient charts, including creating, maintaining, and terminating charts in compliance with Medical Records guidelines. The Unit Secretary must ensure the integrity of the medical record, which includes accurate patient identification on all chart forms and timely filing of test results and lab reports. The Unit Secretary will also handle incoming and outgoing calls, taking accurate messages and paging program personnel, other departments, and physicians as needed. They will assist in addressing patient needs by answering call bells and triaging issues to the appropriate care provider. Coordination with nursing staff and patient transport personnel is vital for facilitating patient admissions and transfers, as well as scheduling diagnostic tests and lab work as prescribed. Additionally, the Unit Secretary will greet patients, families, and visitors, providing them with non-clinical information and ensuring that the nursing station is adequately staffed at all times. They will generate and maintain essential tools for patient care, such as Kardex, MAR, and treatment sheets, while also keeping patient census and status boards up to date. The role may involve performing additional duties as assigned, making it a dynamic and integral part of the healthcare team.

Responsibilities

• Performs a variety of clerical activities and unit specific work to support efficient department operations.
• Copies and faxes records and other information as needed.
• Maintains and updates physician and lab databases.
• Maintains forms and clerical supplies, and ensures maintenance of medical supplies based on par levels.
• Attends staff and committee meetings and takes minutes as requested.
• Prepares unit charges as appropriate for specific unit needs.
• Creates, maintains, and terminates patient charts in compliance with Medical Records guidelines.
• Ensures the integrity of the medical record, including patient identification on all chart forms.
• Obtains and files test results, lab reports and treatment in charts.
• Updates patient charts in GECE/IDX with the time of discharge and moves them to EDDIS in a timely manner.
• Runs and distributes EPIC reports as requested by leader.
• Answers incoming and logs all outgoing calls and takes accurate and complete messages.
• Pages program personnel, other departments, and physicians, as needed.
• Assists in answering call bells and communicating specific patient needs to staff.
• Triages and escalates patient issues to next care provider if time exceeds 5 minutes or sooner as appropriate.
• Facilitates the movement of patients into and out of unit and keeps the Charge nurse informed of patients to be admitted or transferred.
• Coordinates with nurses, patient transport and admission personnel regarding admissions and transfers.
• Schedules diagnostic tests and lab work as prescribed by nursing and medical staff.
• Guarantees that all chart documents are placed in the chart in preparation for transfer or discharge.
• Returns old medical records to Medical Record Department at discharge.
• Scans, fax and/or sends patient documents to Medical Records in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintains chart forms in correct placement in the chart behind the correct chart tab.
• Sends thinned charts to new unit upon transfer or to Medical Records upon discharge.
• Transcribes physicians' orders accurately and in a timely manner.
• Greets patients, families and visitors as they enter the unit.
• Provides non-clinical information to patients, family members, visitors, staff, and physicians.
• Monitors patient and visitor movements at the nursing station and provides information to facilitate prompt patient care.
• Ensures that the desk remains covered at all times.
• Generates and maintains tools necessary for patient care (Kardex, MAR, Treatment sheets, Admission Order Forms, Progress Notes, Consult Sheets).
• Maintains patient census and status boards, log books, and computer databases, ensuring that date and records are current and accurate.
• May perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Basic Life Support certification is required.
• High School diploma or equivalent is required.