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.
• Assists with donning and doffing of all staff
• Manage checklists and assist with assigning jobs to COVID RNs
• Replenishes isolation cart supplies
• Helps clean used equipment
• Helps remove waste in doffing area, and clean ancillary areas
• Ensures tissue test is conducted once per shift, for negative pressure area
• Assists with transportation of patients coming from the ED or discharging/transferring from the unit
• This staff can float roles and units based on needs of COVID units as indicated by COVID Ops RN/COVID Resource Lead.

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:
o coordinating discharge medications,
o arranging follow-up appointments,
o assembling pertinent medical record information for the receiving
facility, and
o 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.
• Maintains a clutter-free desk area.
• 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.

Maintaining a Safe Environment
• Demonstrates awareness of and functions within safety, infection control, and emergency and equipment guidelines.
• Maintains a safe environment and identifies and reports all unsafe situations including Environmental hazards (electrical, chemical, other); uses appropriate precautions and follows OSHA standards.
• Knows current location and use of emergency equipment, such as, but not limited to, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, 02 shut off valves, circuit breakers, emergency exits, and elevator alarms.
• Knows and follows correct procedures to initiate appropriate emergency codes.
• Demonstrates flexibility in response to unexpected changes and emergencies on the unit.
• Recognizes and responds to patient, facility and environmental emergencies.  Participates in emergency scenarios (e.g. fire drills, mock codes, and disaster drills).
• Notifies appropriate person/department of any safety hazard.
• Reports and tracks completion of unit maintenance and physical projects.

Professional Growth
• Attends and participates in in-services and continuing education programs which directly affect practice and improves unit operations.
• Responds positively when learning needs are identified and accepts responsibility for seeking education.
• Meets attendance standard.
• Identifies own learning needs and seeks directions for growth.
• Participates in own evaluation.
• Attends and participates in unit meetings, committees and/or projects; reads minutes if unable to attend.