Unit Assistant - Pre Operative in Santa Fe, NM

Summary:

Responsible for the completion of work in all areas of business pertaining to the functioning and operation of the department. This includes scheduling of procedures, facilitating communication for the unit, processing of patient medical records, processing and entry of patient charges, data entry and retrieval via utilization of various hospital information systems, completion of departmental reports, statistics, organization of the unit work area and support to the operations of patient care services.

Responsibilities:

• Follows established departmental policies & procedures, objectives, performance improvement, safety, environmental & infection control standards.
• Enforces departmental policies without creating negative reactions.
• Communicates effectively in high-stress situations. Establishes effective working relationships.
• Provides exceptional customer service to staff, physicians, physician office staff, and patients. Remains calm and professional when dealing with difficult customer situations. Makes tactful and appropriate responses.
• Actions promote cooperative behavior and team efforts with staff, physicians, and physician office staff.
• Displays industriousness, conscientiousness and dependability in performing tasks. Is reliable in meeting schedules and timelines.
• Accepts change in a positive manner, welcomes opportunities to learn new processes. Adjusts promptly and calmly to change. Strives for continuous improvement.
• Is able to successfully prioritize when faced with requests, demands and deadlines. Focuses effectively on critical aspects of the job.
• Displays an ability to solve problems, think, reason, and learn. Develops cohesive solutions that benefit the entire team.
• Effectively handles multiple demands from superiors and co-workers. Is able to draw on a variety of resources to achieve results.
• Answers telephone in a professional manner & communicates messages to appropriate people.
• Acquires information on and schedules surgical or outpatient procedures & communicates this information to the charge nurse & staff. Maintains additional schedules as required (Pre-Surgery Clinic, H&P’s, Total Joint Class).
• Initiates telephone communications as needed with other departments, physicians, physician office staff, patients, and staff members.
• Communicates with multiple hospital departments to coordinate use of equipment, rooms, and other needed resources.
• Verifies patients’ names, procedures, physicians and times of surgeries or procedures and informs appropriate personnel & departments.
• Informs charge nurse & staff of arrival and/or delay times of physicians.
• Maintains patient records:
  • Calls for old charts & copies of needed documents from the appropriate sources.
  • Processes & files patients’ charts as needed.
  • Enters and alters case data in unit software program.
  • Inputs unit specific lab requests & obtains results as needed.
• Orders & maintains supplies of unit specific records, paper work, and supplies.
• Audits records for completion & accuracy. Processes, enters & reconciles charges. Assists in the clarification of financial issues that arise from internal auditor, business department, medical information systems & medical records. Stays current on all procedural and charge master changes & charges. Makes necessary updates.
• Maintains implant-tracking information as required.
• Performance of clerical activities/responsibilities
  • Maintains a well-organized work area
  • Maintains accurate logbooks
  • Prints surgery or procedure schedules & posts the daily schedule up on the assignment board. Assures that schedules are distributed to the appropriate areas.
  • Types correspondence and departmental memos
  • Completes daily assignment worksheet and on-call staff schedule for the charge nurse.
  • Maintains patient & employee confidentiality.
  • Informs admitting & registration departments of any add-on procedures.
  • Performs errands to other areas of the hospital.
• Prepares monthly statistical reports.
• Assists in the preparation of departmental payroll, as required.
• Nursing assistant and admitting related functions:
  • Assists with admission process by instructing patients on changing into gown and booties, stamping chart, preparing paperwork and permits, taking off doctor’s orders.
  • Assists with the admissions process by obtaining patient vital signs, instructing patient on completion of forms, and doing basic preoperative or preprocedure teaching as needed.
  • Assists the RN’s by completing daily controls on the glucometer.
  • Maintains the admissions area by cleaning up after patients and preparing for the next patient. Communicates with housekeeping and maintenance as needed.
  • Performs or assists with patient transport as needed. Delivers patient belongings to the floor staff when there is no family to give them to.
• Assists with the processing & orientation of new employees (e.g. verifies proper badge coding, explains payroll, etc.)
• Attends safety, fire, infection control and appropriate committee meetings as needed. Strives to improve skills by attending in-services & seminars pertaining to job related skills.

Requirements:

Education:

• High school graduate or equivalent required. Unit secretary/clerk, medical terminology and computer experience preferred.

Experience:

• Two years related experience in a health field preferred.
• Excellent communication (verbal, written, listening) skills
• Excellent phone etiquette and multi-line telephone skills
• Computer, typing and data entry skills
• Good organizational and time management skills
• Detail oriented and capability or performing multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to read, speak and write English fluently.

Certifications, Registrations, or Licenses:

• CPR training will be provided and encouraged.

Work Schedule:

MULTIPLE SHIFTS AVAILABLE

Work Type:

Full Time