Nature of work
A unit secretary provides assistance to doctors and nurses in a certain medical unit or department of a health care facility.
Duties and Responsibilities
• Act as receptionist
• Handle incoming and outgoing correspondences
• Handle light billing and bookkeeping duties
• Keep an organized system of patients’ medical records
• Handle phone calls
• Transcribe doctors’ orders into patients’ medical records
Requirements
1. Education
A high school diploma is required to be employed as a unit secretary. However, some facilities require certified nursing assistant certification or registered nursing license to be able to qualify.
2. Knowledge
A unit secretary must have a working knowledge of the following:
• Medical terminologies
• Health facilities’ admission and registration procedures
• Administrative procedures like record-keeping, word processing, stenography and audio transcription
• Customer service principles and practices
• English language including grammar, spelling and proper use of punctuations
3. Skills
Following skills are required for a unit secretary
• Effective communication skills
• Excellent computer and technology skills
• Basic bookkeeping skills
• Ability to multi-task
• Ability to work with a team
Earnings
The salary of a unit secretary is determined by the person’s experience and skills, job location and the type of facility where the secretary is employed. The annual pay ranges from $23,000 to $32,000.
For more detailed career guide please visit: Secretary Job description.