Ward Clerk

Primary Purpose: To promote teamwork in performing clerical and receptionist duties at the nurses’ station while providing a safe environment. Performs other duties as assigned.

Formal Policy-Setting Responsibilities: No formal supervisory responsibility.  The policies associated with the job’s purpose and essential responsibilities are set by others.                                

Routine Decision Making: Determines who to forward phone calls to.                                    

Formal Supervisory Responsibility: No formal supervisory responsibility.           

Unusual Working Conditions: Risk of blood, body fluid contamination. Potential exposure to hazardous drugs and chemicals.                                                                              

Age Specific Competencies: May provide care for infant (birth-2 yrs.), pediatric/child patients between (2 yrs-12 yrs.); adolescent patients between 12 to 18 years of age; adult patients between 18 to 64 years; and geriatric patients 65 years and older.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks

Maintains safe and comfortable unit. (90% of time)                                       

• Verifies correct diet with dietary staff prior to passing tray to patient.                                                     
• Answers phone in a polite and friendly manner.                                                
• Take messages for patient, family, staff, and providers and delivers them within fifteen (15) minutes.                                                                                                      
• Cleanse nurse’s station with disinfectant daily prior to shift end.                                                
• Removes malfunctioning equipment from the direct patient care area immediately upon discovering a problem.                                                            
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• Ensures that callers requesting the nurse for patient information has the HIPAA passcode.            
• Keeps chart and patient identification tags out of public view, continually.                                            
• Provides patient name band, fall risk, allergy band, etc. to nurse immediately upon request and as needed.               
• Utilizes correct patient identification at all times.
• Scan all medical documents into Meditech system in a timely manner.
• Utilizing the ‘AIDET’ (Acknowledge, Introduction, Duration, Explain, Thank) model, conducts an appropriate introduction, reviews the plan of care, mutually sets attainable patient goals.
• Assists in ensuring supplies are stocked and orders as appropriate.

Develops and promotes performance improvement initiatives. (10% of time)                                   

• Plans, develops and evaluates self-objectives, annually.                                                
• Participates in planning ways to solve problems and make improvements in the Medical Surgical unit, quarterly, and as needed.                                                           
• Participates in implementing planned changes and activities to improve the Medical Surgical unit quarterly, and as needed.                                                
• Evaluates planned changes and activities to improve the Medical Surgical unit, quarterly, and as needed.

• Attends unit staff meetings 5= 100%, 4= 81% - 99%, 3= 75% - 80%, 2= 50% - 74%, 1= <49% annually.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Light Work:  Lifting 20lbs maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 10lbs. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job is in this category when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree or                                                           

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Lifting: Raising or lowering an object from one level to another (includes upward pulling).              
• Carrying: Transporting an object, usually holding it in hands or arms or on the shoulders.
• Pushing: Exerting force upon an object so that the object moves away from the force (including slapping, striking, kicking, and treadle actions).                                                     
• Pulling: Exerting force upon an object so that the object moves toward the force (includes jerking).          
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, ropes, and the like, using the feet and the legs and/or hands and arms.                                                                                      
• Hearing: Ability to determine audible communication.                                                   
• Stooping: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist.   
• Kneeling: Bending the legs at the knees to come to rest on the knee or knees.                    
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending the legs and spine.     
• Reaching: Extending the hands and arms in any direction.                                                             
• Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with the hand or hands (fingering not involved).                                                           
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, or otherwise working with the fingers primarily (rather than with the whole hand or arms as in handling).
• Repetitive Motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Feeling: Perceiving such attributes of objects and materials as size, shape, temperature, or texture by means of receptors in the skin, particularly those of the finger tips.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.  Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.                                               
• Seeing: Obtaining impressions through the eyes of the shape, size, distance, motion, color or other characteristics of objects.                                                                            
• Acuity, far - clarity of vision at 20 feet or more.                                                  
• Acuity, near - clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.                                                             
• Depth perception - ability to judge distance and space relationships so as to see objects where and as they actually are.                                                      
• Field of vision - area seen up and down or to the right or left while eyes are fixed.             
• Accommodations - adjustment of the lens of the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.
• Color vision - the ability to identify and distinguish colors.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Inside: Worker spends approximately 75% or more of time inside.                                                            
• Wet: Contact with water or other liquids.                                                             
• Hazards: Situations in which the individual is exposed to the definite risk of the bodily injury.       
• Infectious Disease: Risk of exposure to biohazard us materials, blood, body fluid contamination. 

Education and Certification: High school education required. BLS preferred.   

Required Knowledge: Medical terminology; knowledge of ancillary departmental procedures and staffing pattern.                                               

Required Skills and Ability: Good computer skills; good communication skills; ability to operate general office equipment; customer service skills and good organizational skills.