Unit Secretary

Site: Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Inc.

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

With energy and purpose, Cooley Dickinson Health Care, a member of the Mass General Brigham system, is advancing health care in western Massachusetts, and has been since 1886. Our network employs more than 2,000 medical professionals and support staff, at our main Hospital campus in Northampton and additional locations in twelve towns throughout the Pioneer Valley. Cooley Dickinson's VNA & Hospice is also a vital part of our network, providing home-based services throughout Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Job Summary

Summary

The Unit Secretary is responsible for performing a variety of administrative tasks to record, verify, and receive patient, unit, and hospital information reflecting admissions, transfers, discharges, patient data, patient census, and related data. The Unit Secretary participates in maintaining necessary supplies and equipment and supports patient care on the unit by participating in hourly rounding, assisting with answering call bells, communicating specific care needs to the clinical staff, passing meal trays, and setting up meal trays. The Unit Secretary may function as patient care observer to monitor for patient safety in situations where 1:1 observations are required. When in this role, patient care needs will be communicated and met by other members of the clinical care team.

This position is part of the 1199SEIU Bargaining Unit at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

This position reports to the Nurse Manager and operates within established organizational and departmental policies and procedures.

Must be able to interact effectively and appropriately to an individual's intellectual level and physical ability.

1Infants 1Pediatric 1Adolescent 1Adult 1Geriatric

Essential Functions

Receive incoming communications and take appropriate action to relay information to the necessary person(s).

• Receive and direct Medical Staff, personnel, patients and visitors.
• Notify patient's nurse of scheduled appointments.
• Inform next shift Unit Secretary, Shift Charge Nurse, or Nurse Manager of problems needing attention.
• Notify Case Management of the need for consultation at the request of physician or nurse.
• Notify consulting physician, physician's office, or answering service of need for consultation as ordered by attending physician.
• Contact religious personnel on behalf of patient as directed by nursing staff, patient or patient's family.
• Contact receiving unit when patient is being transferred to assure patient unit is ready.
• Receive telephone Lab reports, record appropriately, then communicate all phone reports to the appropriate nurse or physician as soon as possible.
• Communicate problems and information to appropriate persons.
• Participate in staffing the unit under the direction of the Nurse Manager. Place calls to staff to communicate needs of the unit.
• Transcribe doctor's orders onto appropriate records accurately.
• Report any STAT orders placed or written by physician to the appropriate staff immediately.
• Enter any written orders into computer.
• Schedule tests and x-rays around patient's needs and testing requirements (e.g. timing requirements, procedural protocols, etc.).
• Enter diets into computer.
• Communicate with pharmacy via fax or phone as appropriate.
• Perform non-clinical duties related to the admission, hospitalization, discharge,