Unit Clerk - Full Time

Guthrie County Hospital; Iowa; On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Guthrie County Hospital is seeking an Unit Secretary to handle a range of clerical, admissions, and communications tasks on the nursing unit. You will greet patients, manage phone triage, and ensure accurate patient information in the EHR while supporting care teams and unit operations.

The role emphasizes professional, timely handling of patient data, coordination with nursing and ancillary departments, and maintaining smooth unit operations through strong customer service and clerical skills.

Qualifications

• No specific degree required beyond high school; basic medical terminology is preferred.
• Experience with patient admissions, registration or clerical duties is a plus.
• Strong communication and customer service skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Greet patients and visitors and direct them appropriately.
• Answer phone calls, triage inquiries, and route to the correct team.
• Perform pre-admission and admission duties and verify demographics/insurance.
• Update patient information in the EHR and support billing accuracy.
• Maintain unit supplies and deliver materials between departments.
• Support staff communications and assist with clerical projects.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Phone handling

Data entry

Team coordination

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Medical terminology training or experience

Tools

EHR system

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

The Unit Secretary performs a wide range of clerical, communication, and administrative support functions for the Nursing Unit. Responsibilities include greeting and directing patients and visitors, answering and triaging phone calls, completing patient admissions, maintaining accurate patient information, managing unit supplies, and facilitating communication among care team members. This role ensures timely, professional, and accurate processing of patient information to support clinical operations and high-quality patient care.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Admissions, Registration & Patient Information Management

• Perform accurate pre-admission and admission functions, including obtaining demographic and insurance information and verifying eligibility in the health information system.


• Explain required paperwork and consent-to-treat forms to patients.


• Obtain copies of insurance cards, identification, and related documentation to support billing accuracy.


• Update patient demographic and contact information in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.


• Perform account creation and registration tasks in accordance with established policies.


• Monitor census edits and make corrections as needed to ensure accuracy.

Clerical & Administrative Support

• Answer phone calls and patient call lights promptly and courteously; assess urgency and route appropriately.


• Utilize the paging system to ensure timely communication among clinical staff.


• Provide patients, families, and visitors with information or directional assistance as needed.


• Maintain patient medical information and support communication of provider orders to ancillary departments.


• Respond to information requests from medical providers, nursing staff, and ancillary departments.


• Schedule patient appointments as directed.


• Restock, reorder, and maintain nursing unit supplies.


• Deliver materials to/from the nursing unit and other hospital departments.


• Assist with clerical projects as requested by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Nurse Manager, or nursing personnel.

Customer Service & Communication

• Consistently provide outstanding customer service to patients, families, visitors, and staff.


• Communicate professionally using phone, paging, and written messages.


• Support a welcoming, organized, and efficient nursing unit environment.

Compliance & Standards of Practice

• Maintain an updated working knowledge of all applicable policies and procedures.


• Ensure all admissions-related duties are completed accurately.


• Protect confidentiality of patient information and follow all organizational privacy and security standards.

Requirements

• High School diploma or equivalent


• Working knowledge on use of computer keyboard and basic computer functions


• Medical terminology training or experience preferred


• One to three months of related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience


• Dependent Adult & Child Abuse Mandatory Reporter Training