Unit Secretary/Nursing Attendant - Behavioral Health Inpatient
You'll work on a 26-bed adult psychiatric unit: 16 beds less acute and 10 beds acute care. Wellspan Health is a community hospital.
Posted Sep 16 · New grads welcomed
- Shift and hours
- 12-hour shifts · Day, evening or night shifts 12-hour day/evening/night
- Unit and setting
- 26-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit · Behavioral Health Provide 24/7 inpatient psychiatric care including diagnostic assessments, stabilization, and personalized treatment plans.adult inpatient psychiatric patients
- License
- RN license
- Term
- Per Diem PRN - will need to work a min of 24 hours off shift per 6-week schedulePRN, at least 24 hours per 6-week schedule
Do you qualify?
- New grads
- Welcomed, residency program
- Certification
- BLS Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Also asks
- High school graduate or equivalent High school graduate or the equivalent.
- Also asks
- Customer service and communication experience Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills required.
- Also asks
- Computer and fax proficiency Proficiency in the use of computers, fax machine, and related equipment required.
Preferred
- Education
- Graduate of a nursing educational program Graduate of a nursing educational program preferred.
- Experience
- Clerical experience in a healthcare setting Prior clerical experience in health care setting preferred.
Your six-month RN application plan
Start about six months before graduation. Some programs open earlier; use each employer’s application dates. See program calendars.
6 months before
Shortlist units
Check application windows. Gather clinical experience, references and your expected graduation date.
Find residencies →4–6 months before
Apply as windows open
Apply before graduation when the program allows it. Keep the cohort date and license deadline with each application.
Explore new grad jobs →2–3 months before
Meet the unit manager
Ask about overtime, a shadow shift, preceptor continuity and the schedule after orientation.
Prepare your questions →Around graduation
Confirm your start
Coordinate NCLEX, the required license and your start date. Get relocation and repayment terms in writing.
Plan your license →
What it pays
- Weekend differential
- Shift and Weekend Differential Eligibility Shift and Weekend Differential Eligibility
- Extra pay
- Shift and weekend differential
Benefits
- Educational support for nursing certifications
- Nursing leadership pathways and preceptorships
- Mentorship from a Nursing Educator, Clinical Managers, and a Licensed Professional Counselor leader
The role and schedule
- Precepting
- You would precept other nurses Assists in orientation of new personnel to the unit by being friendly and encouraging and serving as a preceptor or "buddy".
- Charge
- Charge shifts are part of the role
- Charting
- Epic Under the supervision of the RN, completely and accurately transcribes physician orders utilizing Epic.
- Day to day
- Answer, place and transfer phone calls Receives, places and transfers telephone calls using appropriate telephone etiquette while promoting positive customer service.
- Day to day
- Set up and maintain patient charts Initiates, assembles and maintains charts for all patients on the assigned unit.
- Day to day
- Transcribe physician orders into Epic under RN supervision
- Day to day
- Handle death paperwork, including calling CORE and notifying the funeral home and coroner Completes appropriate forms upon patient's death to include calling CORE, notifying funeral home and coroner, when necessary.
- Day to day
- Assist with postmortem care and transport bodies to the morgue Assists in postmortem care and transports the body to Morgue on occasion.
- Day to day
- Perform chest compressions during Code Blue when required Performs external cardiac compressions to patients during Code Blue activities if required.
- Day to day
- Position, transfer and transport patients Safely positions, transfers, and transports patients.
- Day to day
- Answer call lights, pages and safety checks Anticipates unit's needs, and promptly answers/responds to patient call lights, pages, and safety checks.
- Floating
- Float to other Patient Services areas as needed Expected to float to other Patient Services areas to cover assigned duties as needed.
- Unit size
- 16-bed less acute unit Work in a 26-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit, featuring a 16-bed less acute unit and a 10-bed acute care unit.
- Unit size
- 10-bed acute care unit
- Weekends
- Weekends as needed Weekend and Holiday as needed
- Holidays
- Holidays as needed
Support on this unit
The posting does not state the assignment size, and nothing published names it for this unit.
- Orientation
- Residency program
Your fit
Questions to ask
- Can you walk me through base pay range?
- What should I expect for weekly hours, holiday, call, and rotation?
- What preceptor time and ongoing unit support are included?
- How are patient load and staffing support handled day to day?
On your path
Psychiatric is open from year one. Behavioral health spans inpatient, emergency, and community settings.
Original listing
Posted on Wellspan Health’s careers page.
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Behavioral Health Services Inpatient – Unit Secretary - PRN Work in a 26-bed adult inpatient psychiatric unit, featuring a 16-bed less acute unit and a 10-bed acute care unit. Provide 24/7 inpatient psychiatric care including diagnostic assessments, stabilization, and personalized treatment plans. Join a multidisciplinary team of Psychiatry, Nursing, Licensed and Unlicensed Professional Counselors, Occupational Therapy, RN Care Management, and Social Work.
Thrive in a supportive and engaging team culture that fosters personal and professional growth. Access nursing leadership pathways, preceptorships, and a graduate nurse residency program to advance your career. Benefit from educational support for nursing certifications and mentorship from a dedicated Nursing Educator, Clinical Managers, and a Licensed Professional Counselor leader.
Learn more about our safe staffing practices and low nursing turnover during your interview. PRN - will need to work a min of 24 hours off shift per 6-week schedule 12-hour day/evening/night Weekend and Holiday as needed Shift and Weekend Differential Eligibility Position Function: As a Unit Secretary, performs the clerical duties on the patient care unit while functioning as the focal communication source at the nursing station. As a Nursing Attendant, functions as an integral part of the patient care team by performing selected patient care treatments and tasks as delegated by licensed nurse.
Is accountable for own action in performing duties as assigned and for which he/she is trained. Included is recognition and understanding of the physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes unique to the age/population group served on the unit. Essential Functions and Responsibilities Unit Secretary
- Remains calm, reassuring, and proficient during emergency situations.
- Readily adapts to changes in workload. Prioritizes work.
- Receives, places and transfers telephone calls using appropriate telephone etiquette while promoting positive customer service.
- Assists in orientation of all new staff to unit, demonstrated by being friendly and encouraging, sharing knowledge and skills, and being willing to participate in orientation.
- Maintains appropriate quantity of forms, materials, and supplies.
- Accurately records/enters information as required (I.e., patient charges, appointments, etc.).
- Initiates, assembles and maintains charts for all patients on the assigned unit.
- Under the supervision of the RN, completely and accurately transcribes physician orders utilizing Epic.
- Seeks guidance and direction as needed for performance of duties.
- Advises appropriate personnel of situations requiring attention or follow-up.
- Maintains chart check to ensure no missed orders (N/A where indicated).
- Assists during emergency situations as directed by shift charge nurse. Reports any patient problems to a direct care provider immediately.
- Supports, reinforces, coaches, and assists, as necessary, the physicians in the retrieval of clinical information from the EMR.
- Maintains patient assignments boards, patient therapy board or tracker.
- Completes appropriate forms upon patient's death to include calling CORE, notifying funeral home and coroner, when necessary.
- Demonstrates involvement in unit by attending 50% of staff/committee meetings and in-services for area.
- Responsible for maintenance and activation of downtime forms during planned and unplanned Epic downtime periods.
- Expected to float to other Patient Services areas to cover assigned duties as needed.
- Transports medications within the hospital as requested and needed according to Hospital policy.
Nursing Attendant
- Demonstrates ability to communicate pertinent information to the primary nurse.
- Seeks guidance and direction, as necessary, for performance of duties and completion of assignment.
- Assists and maintains a neat, clean, and safe environment for patients and other nursing staff.
- Attends 50% of in-services and staff meetings for area.
- Familiar with duties and performs them independently, accurately, efficiently, promptly, recognizing their importance and relationship to patient care for all age/population groups.
- Receives instructions and follows directions accurately and in a cooperative manner.
- Observes changes in patient condition & promptly reports to primary nurse.
- Utilizes proper body mechanics to prevent injury to self and others. Safely positions, transfers, and transports patients.
- Assists in maintaining equipment assigned to patient care and reports malfunctioning of equipment to appropriate personnel.
- Assists in orientation of new personnel to the unit by being friendly and encouraging and serving as a preceptor or "buddy".
- Recognizes and responds to priorities in the patient care process. Readily adapts to changes in workload and responds efficiently.
- Responds appropriately to emergency situations.
- Anticipates unit's needs, and promptly answers/responds to patient call lights, pages, and safety checks.
- Assists in postmortem care and transports the body to Morgue on occasion.
- Performs external cardiac compressions to patients during Code Blue activities if required.
- Transports medications within the hospital as requested and needed according to Hospital policy.
Qualifications and Standards
Education
Formal Education and Training - High school graduate or the equivalent. Graduate of a nursing educational program preferred.
Experience
Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills required. Proficiency in the use of computers, fax machine, and related equipment required. Prior clerical experience in health care setting preferred. Certifications/
Licensure
Basic Life Support (BLS)
What's around it?
Chambersburg, PAFrom Census ACS 2024.
Living costs about 5% below the US average
- Median rent
- $1,099/mo
- Household income
- $56,576/yr, all local households, not nurse pay