Patient Services Specialist 1-Trainee or PSS 2
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Health Care Provider
Posted on June 7, 2019
Req #: | 152953 |
Department: | HMC 1EH-12 Boarders |
Job Location: | Downtown Seattle |
Posting Date: | 04/18/2019 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | $2,776.00 to $3,858.00 per month |
Union Position: | Yes |
Shift: | Evening Shift |
The UW is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. As an employee you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please view this page.
The HMC 1EH-12 Boarders Unit has an outstanding opportunity for a Full-Time Patient Services Specialist 1-Trainee or PSS 2 (Evening Shifts). Under general supervision of the Nurse Manager/Charge Nurse, the Patient Services Specialist (PSS) is responsible for supporting patient care and providing clerical, environmental and customer service support for the patient care unit. As a central member of the inpatient care team, she/he provides patient focused care through use of customer service strategies; communicates effectively with medical staff, patients, visitors, and other medical center departments to facilitate patient care; and coordinates unit activities by acting as the communications center for the nursing unit: handling all unit paperwork (i.e., including chart maintenance and patient information, etc.), triaging telephone calls, accessing and entering information in computer programs and participates in non-nursing activities. The PSS exercises independence in the planning and accomplishment of a wide spectrum of clerical duties. The PSS maintains inventory of supplies and equipment. She/he partners in the orientation and training of professional and support staff, nursing and medical students, and PSS.
Standards of Performance
•Follows service culture guidelines.
•Prioritizes duties to maintain patient safety, smooth unit operations, and customer satisfaction.
•Follows integrity and compliance guidelines.
•Demonstrates respect for patient’s values, lifestyle, spiritual needs and/or cultural diversity in all interactions.
•Maintains confidentiality of written and verbal patient information according to policy.
•Demonstrates knowledge of common medical terminology and use of approved abbreviations.
•Demonstrates ability to use paging and phone systems effectively.
•Demonstrates ability to answer and triage phone calls and call lights, and acknowledge/address the concerns of patients and/or family members.
•Demonstrates knowledge of patient, facility and environmental emergency procedures, initiating codes when applicable.
•Stays informed of and contributes to unit quality assessment and improvement projects.
•Demonstrates competency for transporting and handling of blood, blood products, and/or specimens.
•Demonstrates competency for transporting of patients to and from scheduled appointments.
•Demonstrates knowledge of computer systems, including ICS, REG/ADT, ORCA and Mindscape.
•Demonstrates ability to order and/or maintain equipment and supplies from Materials Management.
•Demonstrates ability to read and understand physician orders.
•Demonstrates professional phone etiquette.
Unit Coordination
•Coordinates admissions, discharges and transfers with the charge nurse and patient placement.
•Responds to delegated tasks in a responsive and timely manner.
•Communicates messages promptly. Takes accurate messages and relays patient information to appropriate staff member. Escalates repeated patient requests to appropriate staff or the charge nurse.
•Coordinates transportation including paperwork to and from other facilities and for diagnostic tests.
•Facilitates prompt and smooth discharge of the patient by:
•coordinating discharge medications,
•arranging follow-up appointments,
•assembling pertinent medical record information for the receiving facility, and
•communicating all of this to the assigned nurse and charge nurses.
•Reports previous shift activities and remaining tasks to oncoming PSS and/or charge nurse.
•Facilitates patients getting to exams and diagnostic tests. Coordinates ordering of lab tests, diagnostics, and other testing.
•Discusses prioritization of unit needs with the charge nurse.
•Communicates STAT orders and emergent/urgent test result to staff immediately.
•Updates and maintains ADT system and current census information and EPIC white boards in a timely manner.
•Delivers mail to staff and patients and distributes faxes to appropriate recipients.
•Monitors incoming computerized orders in a timely manner. Notifies RN of STAT orders.
•Assures proper working function of all office machines, phones and computing equipment (including mobile computing equipment) used on the unit.
•Assures downtime forms, charts and reference materials are in stock and ready for use.
•Completes and prints appropriate requisitions, schedules tests and appointments as ordered, meeting any necessary deadlines. Coordinates patient testing schedules with other departments.
•Assists Nurse Manager, Charge Nurse and direct patient care staff in daily functioning of the unit and patient care. Assists with staffing calls. Assists in inventorying shift change equipment (i.e. – Cell phones, telemetry boxes, etc).
•Prints acute care handoff sheets at the beginning of the nurse's shifts.
•Other duties as assigned.
•PATIENT SERVICES SPECIALISTS 1-TRAINEE REQUIREMENTS: High School graduation or equivalent AND one year of experience in a health care setting OR two years of general office experience OR equivalent education/experience.
•PATIENT SERVICES SPECIALISTS 2 REQUIREMENTS: High School graduation or equivalent AND one year of experience in a health care setting OR three years of general office or customer services experience OR equivalent education/experience.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.