Unit Secretary - Emergency Department
Wellstar Health Systems

Facility: Cobb Hospital

The Emergency Department at Cobb Hospital has an opportunity for a Unit Secretary

This position is PRN and must be able to work various shifts.

Job Summary:

The Unit Secretary functions under the direction of the Nurse Manager and Assistant Nurse Manager to facilitate the provision of safe, age appropriate and culturally aware patient care by performing clerical and receptionist functions including computer order entry, retrieval of data, maintaining unit supplies, transporting supplies/equipment/patient medications, preparing and maintaining patient charts, providing customer service and acting as the central communication source on the nursing unit.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Excellence in Customer Service by partnering with health care team, patient and family
- Protects rights and dignity of patient at all times.
- Builds relationships with the family.
- Maintains confidentiality.
- Participates in hourly patient rounding.
- Maintains paper medical record and scanning documents into electronic medical record as necessary.
- Resolves patient concerns.
- Proactively offers assistance and comfort measures to patients and families.
- Present self in positive and professional manner and show sensitivity to concerns and needs of others. Patient Centered Care
- Answers telephone calls and patient call lights and communicates to healthcare team patient needs.
- Facilitates patient admission, transfer and discharge as appropriate.
- Tracks bed activity and when patient is on/off unit; notifies housekeeping of patient discharge.
- Assists in unit flow management during code situations (answers call lights, etc).
- Requests patient escort when appropriate.
- Facilitate patient direct admission.
- Monitors data entry for key patient safety information. Team Work
- Supports initiatives of the Health care team.
- Participates in interdisciplinary rounds as scribe and facilitates outcome activities as needed.
- Performs charge reconciliation.
- Notifies nurse when physician has arrived on unit.
- Performs audits as requested.
- Performs staffing reconciliation in Smart Square.
- Completes and submits supply requisitions; accepts and stocks delivery.
- Places orders for durable medical equipment.
- Participates in unit performance improvement initiatives.
- Supports professional nursing practice through shared governance, evidenced-based practice and ethical accountability.
- Transports unit supplies, patient care supplies, medications and equipment as assigned.
- Practices accountability. Communication
- Uses effective written and oral communication skills with patients, staff, physicians, family and visitors.
- Uses safety communication techniques.
- Places physician and ancillary consults.
- Maintains computer and other related IT equipment. Reports when devices are not working properly.
- Acts as liaison between patients and diagnostic areas to determine anticipated times for tests/procedures; communicates with patient and updates white boards with information.
- Knowledgeable, maintains, and acts as unit expert regarding patient care documentation tools in the event of downtime.
- Unit super user for electronic documentation.
- Facilitates data recover during downtime.
- Communicates patient care concerns/problems/emergencies to the RN.
- Uses positive and respectful communication with all members of healthcare team, patients and families. Safety and Infection Control
- Provides a safe environment for the unit operations.
- Consistent use of appropriate hand hygiene.
- Keeps patient rooms and unit areas clean and free of clutter.
- Follows appropriate PPE/Infection control policies.
- Reinforces the importance of universal precautions with patient and patients family.
- Operates Xenex machines after patient discharge.
- Performs environment of care rounds.

Required Minimum Education:

• High school diploma OR equivalent from accredited program

• Less than 1 year clinical experience in acute care setting is preferred

• Ability to read, write and speak the English language.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to collaborate with other health care providers in the provision of patient care.
• Ability to multi-task essential.
• Ability to function in stressful and emergency situations essential.
• Strong detail orientation required.
• Computer skills required; Personal time management skills are required.
• Basic computer skills required.
• Ability to enter information into an electronic medical record.
• Basic medical terminology required.