Unit Clerk Job Description
Unit clerks work at hospitals and healthcare facilities where they perform clerical, secretarial, and record keeping work. From maintaining patients’ records to ordering supplies, their job is multi-faceted.
They are required to be excellent at multitasking as they need to perform many duties simultaneously.
Besides that, they handle requests from a unit of physicians who may ask them for information regarding patients, results, and therapy care plans.
Some unit clerks are also certified nursing assistants as they may need to provide limited personal care such as patient transfer, bathing, and toileting along with administering medication under supervision.
They need to be calm of nature and possess the ability to handle emergencies. Since hospitals often cater to stressful situations, this quality is entirely necessary for a unit clerk.
To chart out some of the duties of a unit clerk, let us look at the list below:
Sample Job Duties for Unit Clerk Resume
- Greet patients and families as they enter the facility and guide them accordingly
- Answer telephones, direct calls to relevant staff, and take messages
- Ensure that patients’ medical records are updated
- Assist patients in filling out hospital admission forms
- Take and record patient transfer and discharge information
- Assist patients by responding to intercom requests
- Document care services provided to patients
- Acquire and maintain unit supplies inventory
- Ensure that unit equipment is in appropriate working order and is maintained periodically
- Request and coordinate lab tests and medication for patients
- Ensure the accuracy and security of patients’ records
- Schedule patients appointment following physicians’ calendar
- Provide nursing assistance to patients when requested specifically by doctors
- Check patient discharge forms and coordinate discharge activities with the hospital’s business office
- Direct visitors to the appropriate room or service area
- Coordinate distribution of mail and packages
- Prepare staff timesheets and update patient census and room lists
- Transport patients from one place to another when requested specifically
- Manage administrative needs at nursing stations
- Act as liaison between nurses, physicians, and patients by relaying important information
- Ensure that physicians’ orders and diagnosis are appropriately transcribed in the system
- Maintain a neat and clean environment of the facility
- Prepare medical records for new patients and ensure that information such as vitals and healthcare plan is recorded properly
Related: Unit Clerk Cover Letter