What do unit secretaries do

You can usually find part-time and full-time unit secretary opportunities in places like long-term healthcare facilities, medical clinics and hospitals. As you apply for jobs, you can increase your chances of getting hired by highlighting your relevant skills and offering flexible availability. In some healthcare facilities, like hospitals, unit secretaries can work shifts at night and on the weekends. Health unit coordinators manage the administrative responsibilities for an entire section of a clinic, hospital or medical office, making it a natural professional progression for a unit secretary.

In order to be eligible for the Health Unit Coordinator Certification exam, you must complete a health unit coordinator program or currently work as a health unit secretary. Find jobs. Company reviews. Find salaries. Upload your resume. Sign in. Finding a Job. What is a unit secretary? What does a unit secretary do? Salary and job outlook for a unit secretary. Unit secretary skills. Customer service skills: In most medical facilities, a unit secretary is a patient's primary contact.

These professionals must be able to make patients feel welcome, guide them through their visit and solve any issues that arise. Communication skills: Unit secretaries interact with patients, their families, insurance companies and medical personnel, which is why strong communication skills are so vital for this role. Clerical skills: This position involves completing a wide range of clerical tasks, like using intercom systems, fax machines, scanners, filing systems and photocopiers.

Computer skills: An effective unit secretary must have well-developed computer skills so that they can use accounting software, word processing software and medical databases. They should also possess strong typing skills. Knowledge of medical terminology: Because unit secretaries work so closely with medical personnel, it's imperative that they have a working knowledge of key medical terms and procedures.

Multi-tasking skills: A unit secretary often handles multiple responsibilities simultaneously. For example, they may answer the phone and place the caller on hold while scheduling a patient's next appointment. Organization skills: Unit secretaries process and organize a healthcare facility or department's most important information.

In order to be effective in the role, you must be able to use, design and implement organization strategies, such as filing systems.

How to become a unit secretary. Earn a high school diploma. Computers Typing Office management Communications. Complete a certificate. After completing a training program, the option exists to take the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant CMAA exam, which some employers prefer for unit secretaries.

Unit secretaries usually work in medical centers, general hospitals and also in specialty hospitals that have many departments. For example, a hospital unit secretary might cover the emergency room, the intensive care unit or radiology department. Usually, this role reports to nursing managers and staff nurses, along with a unit or department director. In addition to working at a front desk, a unit secretary can expect to walk through the unit often, where she will receive assignments and provide patient support.

Part-time and full-time positions in medical settings exist, with varying shifts and some weekend hours. Some unit secretaries work three hour shifts a week, which is similar to shifts of many nurses, while others work standard, eight-hour shifts. Some hospitals also offer weekend-only shifts for those who need to be off during the week.

Wages vary by medical environment and location. In addition, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts and Connecticut offer some of the top earnings, while Louisiana, Arkansas and West Virginia are among the lowest-paying states. PayScale also shows some small changes in unit secretary salary ranges, based on experience and tenure.

As of August , the progression looks like this:. The BLS expects that unit secretaries and other medical secretaries will benefit from a high percent rate of job growth between and This will add an estimated , jobs for medical secretaries over that period. Strong demand for medical services leads to a much better outlook for medical secretaries than for administrative professionals working in other settings, such as law offices and executives' offices.

Having an education in or a certification in administrative medical assisting, along with experience working in a medical environment, can provide an advantage when seeking work. Ashley Donohoe started writing professionally in about career, business and technology topics.