Unit Clerk - Per Diem, Day Shift, Weekends - Heart Failure and Thoracic Surgery Unit at PPMC

Penn Medicine; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 31,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

Penn Medicine is seeking a unit clerk for per diem weekend coverage to support patient care units. The role emphasizes clerical operations, health information processing, hospitality, and collaboration with the patient care team under nurse supervision.

The position involves handling receptionist tasks, medical record input, and coordination of admissions, transfers, discharges, and supporting staff with orders and communications.

Qualifications

• HS diploma or GED is required.
• Post-high-school education with computer courses and medical terminology is preferred.
• Strong customer service and clerical skills are expected.

Responsibilities

• Provide receptionist support including answering phones and greeting visitors.
• Input health information into computer systems and manage records.
• Protect patient confidentiality in all interactions.
• Coordinate patient admissions, transfers, and discharges.
• Communicate STAT and NOW orders to nursing staff per guidelines.
• Ensure office equipment and forms are available and properly maintained.
• Coordinate in-house escort and special dietary orders through patient support services.
• Assist with arranging visits for local clergy and interpreter services.

Skills

Customer service

Computer skills

Clerical systems

Education

H.S. Diploma/GED

Post high school education with computer courses and medical terminology

Job description

Description

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.

Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?

Schedule

Schedule: Per Diem, weekends, 3 12hr shifts per six week scheduling period, 1 summer and 1 winter holiday

Job Summary

The unit clerk is an integral member of the patient care team who delivers quality care through collaboration and communication with team members. They work under the direct supervision of the nurse manager and the registered nurse to support the clerical and secretarial operations of the patient care unit. Responsible for key clerical functions and communication between the patient care team and patients/families. This role emphasizes the integration of clerical activities, health information record processing, hospitality and receptionist activities, and business service functions, incorporating organizational competencies of superior quality care and assuming responsibility and accountability for their role performance outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provides receptionist support including answering telephones, greeting visitors, and responding to patient call lights and ensuring that requests are either met or are handed off the appropriate nursing staff.
• Ensures that health information records are properly obtained, duplicated, assembled maintained and disassembled. Inputs information into various computer systems. Navigates through various components of the computerized order entry and documentation system.
• Uses discretion and protects the confidentiality of the patient.
• Facilitates the patient admission transfer and discharge process.
• Communicates STAT and NOW orders to RN’s or other pertinent staff within established guidelines.
• Communicates with ancillary and support services to ensure adequacy of office related equipment and forms. This includes all computer related equipment and supplies.
• Uses patient progression software to communicate with patient support services to coordinate in-house escort, special dietary orders, menu delivery, etc. and notifies nursing staff of new room assignments
• Attends to patient and family needs by coordinating visits for local clergy and interpreter services through Patient and Guest Relations.
• Promptly notifies nurse in charge if unable to complete task, or assignment as directed.
• Attends educational sessions at the request of the Nurse Manager.
• Maintains neat and organized work station.
• Responsible for maintaining pneumatic tube system.

Telephone Etiquette

• Answering phone calls - introduce self, identify department address time of day, ask How may I help you?
• Telephone transfer – explain the reason for the transfer, ask permission, provide information before transferring, make sure someone is on the line before you disconnect.
• Taking a message – give urgent message to appropriate person, inform caller of the availability of the person he wants to talk with before asking for name
• Placing on Hold
• Ending a phone call

• Uses effective interpersonal skills in all interactions. Makes eye contact and promptly greets all visitors, physicians, and patients who approach the nursing station or arrive on the unit.
• Performs duties and exhibits behaviors consistent with Penn Medicine Experience Standards.
• Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and procedures
• Other duties as assigned to support the unit, department, entity, and health system organization

UPHS Organizational Behavioral Competencies

Competency Level 1

• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Patient/Customer Focus: Building strong patient/customer relationships and delivering patient centric solutions.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness: Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity.
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Using thought, knowledge, logic and methods to solve problems with effective solutions.

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• Req: X
• Education Level: H.S. Diploma/GED
• And: Post high school education, which includes computer courses and medical terminology, preferred.

Licenses, Registrations, and Certifications

• Req
• Pref
• Licenses/Registrations/Certifications
• Licenses/Registrations/Certifications (Drop Down)

Skills and Abilities

• Pref (X): Demonstrated customer service skills
• Pref (X): Basic computer knowledge and skills
• Pref (X): Ability to utilize clerical systems

Standard Work Environment

- Work Environment Selection: Clinical Support Environment (MA, CNA)

Physical Demands

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or crouching. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, and ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Fine Manipulation: Able to manipulate objects while maintaining a grasp at all times. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Keyboard operation: Amount of time typing on computer keyboard. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Repetitive Foot Control: For example as when using sink pedals or driving. Frequency: Occasional (11% - 35%).
• Repetitive Use of Hands: The act of repeating the same hand motion. Frequency: Occasional (11% - 35%).
• Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Sitting: Remaining in a position in which one's weight is supported by one's buttocks rather than one's feet and one's back is upright for sustained periods of time. Frequency: Occasional (11% - 35%).
• Stooping: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another. Frequency: Constant (70% plus).

Lift/Carry

• Sedentary: 5 pounds and under. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).
• Light: 6-10 pounds. Frequency: Occasional (11% - 35%).
• Moderate: 11-49 pounds. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Heavy: 50 pounds and over. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).

Push/Pull

• Sedentary: 5 pounds and under. Frequency: Frequent (36% - 70%).Light: 6-10 pounds. Frequency: Occasional (11% - 35%).
• Moderate: 11-49 pounds. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).
• Heavy: 50 pounds and over. Frequency: Rarely (0 - 10%).

Specific Needs

• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and making fine discriminations in sound. Frequency: Constant (70% plus).
• Seeing: Vision for near, far, peripheral, depth, and color. Frequency: Constant (70% plus).
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Frequency: Constant (70% plus).
• Driving or Equipment Operation: Driving a car, van, cart, or truck and/or operating heavy equipment. Frequency: Never.

Benefits

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.

Live Your Life's Work

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.