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Unit Secretary Resume Samples
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6-10 years of experience
Prepared charts for new patients, took off orders, scheduled consults, procedures labs and post-discharge follow-up appointments
- Managed communication flow at nurse’s station including screening of non-published patients, physician calls, departmental calls, etc.
- Retrieved, filled, and submitted all necessary paperwork and requests for doctors
- Provided unit secretarial coverage for multiple units during staffing shortages
- Oriented new unit secretaries
- Implemented an electronic medical record as part of the Medical/Surgical Unit clinical team
- Team member for patient satisfaction improvement team
0-5 years of experience
Served as a point of contact for the nursing unit and coordinated patient services by scheduling tests, treatments, and consultations
- Performed clerical duties including maintenance and organization of patient records, as well as breakdown of medical charts for record keeping
- Maintained and updated patient health information
- Transcribed charge nurse and attending physicians’ medical orders and notes
6-10 years of experience
Processed and entered Physicians’ orders for medication, lab-tests, nursing, dietary, medical equipments, and other medical related orders into the patient’s medication administration record charts(MAR) and in the McKesson System.
- Processed and managed patients’ records in the folders and in the system for doctors and nurses to view and access the patient’s information.
- Handled patient’s requests by operating intercom room service system, delivering those requests to assigned nurses and technicians.
- Assisted Nursing Unit by ordering and bringing supply orders for medication, dietary, labs, and medical devices.
- Handled call center by answering calls for Nursing Unit.
6-10 years of experience
Coordinate the communications, record keeping and administrative activities within patient care unit.
- Manage the movement of medication orders to pharmacy and medication distribution to nursing stations via tube system in an appropriate and timely manner.
- Use automated systems to access, chronicle and maintain clinical information, including physician orders, new admissions, discharges, and transfers.
- Triage and chronicle telephone calls received regarding information service for patients and respond quickly to meet patients’ needs and resolve problems.
- Establish customer relationships with internal staff, patients, and healthcare providers to facilitate qualitative patient care.
- Ensure confidentiality of all patient data.
- Notify support services of unit issues related to housekeeping or facilities maintenance.
0-5 years of experience
Answers phone with calm, pleasant and friendly demeanor.
- Orders and receive supplies for the unit.
- Accurately enters department records in computer systems and maintains the corresponding filing system.
- Demonstrates knowledge regarding department specific policies and procedures including response to emergency situations.
- Admit patients, administer and maintain patient records.
- Break down medical charts for record keeping and coordinate billing.
- Transcribe physician orders; check off lab work, and place test results in patient charts.
6-10 years of experience
Skilled in performing job duties that require interactions with patients, visitors and members of the patient care team
- Performed secretarial duties
- Maintains unit supplies,
- Assists with patient transportation,
- Produce unit correspondence and maintains unit and patient records in order to support the delivery of quality patient care.
0-5 years of experience
Provided short term care to geriatric psych patients
- Maintained nursing station and all required tasks
- Successfully complete all jobs by time requested, assist with [company name] scheduling
- Assisted with patient admissions and staffing needs
- Worked on the floor directly with Patients, Psychiatrist, Social Workers, RN’s and Nurse Practitioner
- Provide care including dressing, bathing, feeding, and grooming
0-5 years of experience
Answer and direct incoming calls
- Order medical tests and schedule as ordered by physicians
- Deliver test results to appropriate hospital staff
- Create and maintain individual patient charts
- Complete inventory and order supplies as necessary for assigned unit
0-5 years of experience
Answer phones and direct callers to their preferred locations
- Consult physicians from all specialties to come see our patients
- Create patients charts and properly file medical records
- Admit and discharge patients by collecting all their acute records and insurance information
- Enter physician orders’ into the patients chart
0-5 years of experience
- Answered phones
- Interacted with patients and their families
- Filed paper work in patient charts
- Assisted nursing staff with tasks that could be delegated
- Performed drug screenings and body searches
6-10 years of experience
- Communicate changes in behavior, observations, unit milieu to charge nurse in timely manner
- Monitors escalating and isolating behaviors and develop a crisis intervention plan with other staff
- Provide individual emotional support to patients
- Work collaboratively with the interdisciplinary treatment plan team and offer suggestions for modification of plan of care
- Maintains safety of every patient by completing rounds according to policy
- Complete search of belongings and individual upon admission and as needed; confiscating any necessary items
- Monitors ADLs to maintain optimum patient function: insures patients hygiene, sleep, toileting and nutritional needs are provided for • Organized and conducted evening group activities when Activity Therapist is not available
- Train new employees according to policy in the Behavioral Health Technician and/or Unit Secretary role
- Perform unit secretary functions; transcribes orders, maintain charts, schedule appointments, tests and consults, assists with admissions, and entering data in EPIC medical chart program
0-5 years of experience
Work included rotation thru out the unit
- Reception area duties included greeting family members and guests
- Answer phones and route to appropriate bedside
- Used Easy Lobby check-in management on guest in and out of the unit
- Main desk duties included monitoring the tube systems, order entry and answering phones
- Break down charts
- Stocking supplies
6-10 years of experience
Sole unit secretary, responsible for all word processing, corporate reports,
maintenance of accurate scheduling (physicians call schedules and nursing)
- Facilitate all order entry and transfer of patients to higher Level of Care;
- Answer calls and represent the unit in a professional and welcoming
- Compliance with state requirements for Paternity Opportunity Program, and Newborn Hearing and Screening Program
- Supply inventory and maintenance of PAR levels and ordering
- Additional duties as birth clerk and fetal death clerk
- Additional duties as data extractor for Surgical Site Infections – assists Infection Preventionist & Quality Practitioner
- Additional duties include ER & Inpatient discharge follow-up calls (DCA)
- Floated to Med-Surg and ASU for unit secretaries as needed
- Additional duties in staffing office as staffing coordinator
10+ years of experience
Assist visitors, nurses, and doctors
- Enter patient reports into charts
- Answer phones and call lights
- Enter physicians’ orders into the computer
- Use Star Clinical program to pre-admit, transfer, and discharge patients
- Schedule appointments and patient surgery procedures
- Order supplies for the unit
0-5 years of experience
Transcribing Doctor orders
- Administrative duties including Filing, Faxing, Copying
- Assisting Administrator
- Scheduling appointments and transportation
0-5 years of experience
- Check blood pressure
- Check blood sugars
- Draw blood
- Bathe and assist patient with ambulate
- Change dirty linens
- Perform unit secretary duties
- Do EKG test
- Assist ICU nurses with their patients
Unit Secretary Duties and Responsibilities
While a unit secretary’s day-to-day duties and responsibilities are determined by where they work, there are many core tasks associated with the role. Based on our analysis of job listings, these include:
Perform Receptionist Tasks From greeting patients and families to answering telephones, unit secretaries perform tasks commonly associated with receptionists. This includes sending faxes, handling interoffice mail, making copies, and ordering office and medical supplies for the unit to which they are assigned.
Manage Patient Appointments Unit secretaries check patients in to a particular hospital unit. This involves reviewing insurance documents, gathering personal information, reviewing patient paperwork, explaining patient rights and privacy, and entering patient details into a computer system. They also handle patient discharges and transfers. In addition, unit secretaries schedule new and existing patient appointments and follow-up appointments.
Maintain Patient Records One of the main office administration tasks that falls to unit secretaries is managing patient records in an electronic health records system. This includes entering data, updating records, and retrieving information based on a physician’s or nurse’s request. They also manually file records and doctor notes as needed.
Process Patient Orders Unit secretaries handle patient orders and coordinate X-rays, blood tests, imaging, and other procedures with other departments. They also handle requests from other departments for patient record information or referrals.
Unit Secretary Skills and Qualifications
Unit secretaries generally combine organizational and managerial skills with an interest in the medical field. Employers tend to look for candidates who display the following skills and capabilities:
- Data entry – unit secretaries should possess fast typing speed and familiarity with various computer systems
- Electronic health records management – the ability to use different electronic health records software is a major plus for unit secretaries
- Medical billing experience – unit secretaries sometimes process patient billing and payment and need to be familiar with a wide variety of medical terms to adequately create patient orders
- Communication skills – strong verbal and written communication skills are needed, as unit secretaries converse with and email physicians, nurses, insurance companies, patients, vendors, and various hospital departments
- Customer service – keeping patients informed and satisfied with their hospital experience is a crucial job responsibility
- Teamwork – unit secretaries are part of a team made up of physicians, nurses, medical officer managers, nursing assistants, hospital administrators, and other healthcare personnel
- Attention to detail – detail-oriented unit secretaries ensure accurate information is processed for every patient
- Multitasking – in a fast-paced healthcare environment, unit secretaries often handle more than one task at one time, such as answering telephones, checking patients in, and processing insurance information
Unit Secretary Education and Training
Those seeking to become a unit secretary do not typically need more than a high school diploma or GED. Training in specific electronic health records management software, medical billing software, and other relevant programs is often done on the job. Aspiring unit secretaries could obtain a two-year degree in medical office administration, but this is not required. A degree could, however, be required for advancement in this field.
Unit Secretary Salary and Outlook
As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), unit secretaries earn a median annual salary of about $34,600. Those in the 10th percentile make just over $24,000 per year, while top earners realize a median annual wage of $50,000. Those working in general and surgical hospitals and outpatient care centers tend to make the highest annual wages in the profession. By state, unit secretaries in the District of Columbia (about $46,000), Massachusetts ($43,000), and Connecticut (just over $42,500) earn the highest mean salaries in the U.S. Employment for all medical secretaries is expected to increase 22 percent through 2026, the BLS states. This rate is much faster compared to the average for other occupations. An expected increase in the need for medical services and a growing aging population are the main factors behind this projected employment growth rate.
Helpful Resources
If it sounds like working as a unit secretary is for you and you want to learn more, explore the resources provided below:
National Association of Health Unit Coordinators – educational opportunities, professional development, networking, certification – these are the main benefits offered to unit secretaries who join NAHUC, which was established in 1982 but has roots as far back as the 1960s
Being a Health Unit Coordinator – from diagnostic order information to medical laws, this comprehensive book explores everything a unit secretary needs to know to succeed in this occupation
The Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists – take online courses and network with fellow unit secretaries, medical secretaries, and other professionals when you become a member of AMSPAR
“Medical Secretary: Is It Right for Me?” – this short video reviews actions to take and questions you should ask yourself before pursuing a career as a medical or unit secretary
Steps to Becoming a Medical Secretary: A Step-by-Step Guide to Working in a Hospital – an experienced
medical secretary takes you through what it takes to work as a medical or unit secretary on both a personal and professional level, offering tips and secrets to help you succeed in this field
The Essential Medical Secretary: Foundations for Good Practice – this book, approved by AMSPAR, covers everything a unit secretary needs to know about medical records, ethics, drugs, and so much more