PBX OPERATOR - HOSPITAL COMMUNICATIONS

Status: PRN - As Needed

Shift: Varies days, evenings, nights

Exempt: No

Summary:

Responsible for handling all hospital calls in a timely, efficient, and courteous manner.

Other information:

FACTORS RELATING TO THE JOB

A. EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

1. Previous Experience Required:

Sufficient previous experience on a switchboard in a hospital or similar setting is preferred.

2. Specialized or Technical Education Required:

High School Diploma or equivalent.

3. Manual or Physical Skill Required:

Excellent people and communication skills, pleasing telephone voice, ability to react instantly, ability to handle more that one task efficiently, ability to meet and greet the public in a professional manner.

4. Physical Effort Required:

Strength: Sedentary Push: Occasionally Pull: Occasionally

Carry: Occasionally Lift: Occasionally Sit: Constantly

Stand: Occasionally Walk: Occasionally

B. WORK COMPLEXITIES

1. Complexity and Difficulty of Work:

Speed and accuracy is vital, strong decision-making skills, problem-solving skills, must be able to remain focused on tasks while being exposed to distractions in a very busy area, must be able to effectively communicate with various levels of hospital employees, patients, patients families, physician office personnel and the medical staff.

2. Seriousness of Errors:

An error during a code situation could impact patient, and employee safety.

Errors in most other cases would result in delays or poor customer relations.

C. WORKING CONDITIONS

1. Hazards:

Hazards relating to this position are minimal.

2. Adverse Working Conditions:

Periodic stress due to multiple calls, locating personnel, and an expanding amount of equipment to be dealt with

D. CONTACTS

1. Contacts with Customers, the General Public or Other Companies:

Interfaces with all customer groups including patients, visitors, and other health care facilities.

2. Contacts with Other Departments:

Interfaces with all physicians, employees and all departments.

E. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Responsibility for Safety of others:

Employees are responsible for responding to or maintaining all safety policies and procedures.

2. Responsibility for Company Funds or Property:

Employees have access to the Gift Shop keys.

3. Responsibility for Confidential Information:

All employees come in contact with a limited amount of confidential information.

4. Responsibility for Performance of Work without Immediate Supervision:

Depending upon the shift, employees are expected to work independently although a manager is available 24 hours a day for problems.

5. Responsibility for the Supervision of Others:

N/A

Responsibilities:

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

1. Screen calls and takes messages when appropriate.

2. Maintain confidentiality regarding patients, physicians, employees and other hospital-related business acquired due to the nature of the job.

3. Maintain established hospital and departmental policies and procedures, safety and Infection Control procedures, and Quality Assurance procedures.

4. Attend in-services and other required meetings.

5. Use the computer for inquiries regarding physician information and patient information.

6. Maintain the policies for non-disclosure of information regarding NPP (Confidential) patients

7. General cleaning duties of the work place including daily disinfectant of all equipment.

8. Notify appropriate personnel of equipment malfunctions including telephone, beeper system, paging system, alarm system.

9. Document errors and occurrences and route to the supervisor immediately.

10. Assist in training new personnel.

11. Document all long distance calls placed and received.

12. Work other shifts when necessary.

13. Assist in the care of departmental equipment and supplies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES (continued)

14. Notify IT when the computer system is down.

15. Prepare daily call sheets.

16. Document changes or messages on all communication reference materials, including daily call sheets, monthly calls schedules, logbook, and bulletin board.

17. After regular business hours act as the answering service for Home Health, and Hospice.

18. Initiate the surgery crew call-out when requested by the Nursing Supervisor. (Nursing Supervisor is the only person who may request the surgery crew, not physicians.)

• Determine the staff on call.
• Contact the staff on call using the appropriate procedure in the specified order and connect with the nursing supervisor.
• Document the call out and response times.
• Notify the Nursing Supervisor if failure to contact any of the surgery staff immediately.

19. Process on-call staff calls using the following guidelines:

• Take the message.
• Determine the staff member or members on call.
• Contact using the appropriate procedure.
• Relay the message.
• Document the action, message, and delivery of the message with times.
• Notify the appropriate personnel if unable to contact the on call staff member for further instructions, follow through until the problem has been resolved.

20. Process physician answering service calls for physicians using the following guidelines:

• Take the message.
• Determine the Physician on call if applicable.
• Contact the Physician using each physician's established preferred procedure.
• Relay the message.
• Document the action, message, and delivery of the message with times
• Connect the physician to the patient's home at their request.
• Notify the Nursing Supervisor if unable to locate the physician after using all available resources.

21. Immediately respond to or initiate codes as appropriate using established procedures. Remain at the switchboard and process all emergency communication activities involved during code situations.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES (continued)

22. Immediately respond to alarms appropriately.

23. Overhead paging and beeping of various hospital employees.

24. Assist patients with long distance calls ensuring that calls are not charged to the hospital.

25. Contact security and maintenance personnel using the radio.

26. May be cross trained to work at North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital.

27. Respond to emergency calls from clinics.

28. Perform all other duties as assigned by the Manager or Director.

29. Follows North Oaks Health System's compliance program and all federal and state regulatory guidelines.

30. Demonstrate competency in age-specific criteria as applicable to job scope.