What does a Unit Secretary in a hospital do?

Hospital Unit Secretary's Duties

• Answer:

  A hospital unit secretary makes sure that any duties not directly related to patients are taken care of in order for the unit to run efficiently and smoothly. The secretary has a variety of duties to assist doctors, nurses and other staff members so they may focus on providing care to their patients. In a hospital unit, she may work during the day, evening or the overnight shift. Most hospital unit secretaries have a high school diploma and have taken office skills classes at a community college. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008, secretaries in a medical setting made an average of $30,960 per year. Communication A hospital unit secretary communicates with a variety of people and must be able to communicate with executive hospital administration, medical staff, vendors and patients and their families. Aside from answering the phone, which may involve the use of a multi-line phone system, he may also be required to make phone calls for other staff to obtain important medical documents or information. Written correspondence is also the responsibility of the unit secretary. Whether he is writing a unit memo or a letter for the unit's head doctor or nurse, he must write in an articulate and professional manner. Word Processing Hospital unit secretaries use word processing tools and software to complete the necessary paperwork that goes with checking patients in, caring for them and treating them. She may also assist personnel with typing up medical reports, orders for treatment outside of the unit, and orders for supplies and equipment needed for the hospital unit's inventory. Since most word processing will be saved in a computer file, the unit secretary must know how to file computer documents in an organized and efficient manner. Knowledge of word processing programs is very important, particularly if the hospital has programs that are specific to the medical field. Record Keeping An important part of the hospital unit secretary's job is to maintain records, which contain highly sensitive, confidential information. The unit secretary must be knowledgeable and observant of patient privacy laws. A variety of record types are kept, including word processing programs, spreadsheets, databases and handwritten documentation. The hospital unit secretary is responsible for making sure all records are filed or kept in the correct area so she can retrieve them quickly when a medical staff members requests them.