Coursework: Duties and Responsibilities of a Hospital Unit Clerk

This assignment explores the duties of a hospital unit clerk (HUC) within a healthcare setting. It details the HUC's role in supporting physicians and nurses, including administrative tasks like photocopying, faxing, answering calls, and managing schedules. The assignment emphasizes how the course content has aided in understanding the HUC's responsibilities, such as patient paperwork, transcription of orders, and communication with patients and suppliers. It also discusses the scope of practice, the importance of working within it, and the impact of exceeding it. The tools of the trade, including forms, telephones, and computers, are identified. The conclusion highlights the HUC's administrative functions, communication duties, and the importance of adherence to their scope of practice, while also acknowledging the potential for multitasking and the use of various tools to fulfill their duties.

Running head: DUTIES OF A HOSPITAL UNIT CLERK 1
Duties of a Hospital Unit Clerk
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

DUTIES OF A HOSPITAL UNIT CLERK 2
Introduction
A hospital unit clerk (HUC) has a job description of performing clerical duties at a health
facility (Kennedy, 2016). Furthermore, the clerk assists the receptionist to receive patients and
other personalities in the hospital. These essay answers will describe the role of a hospital clerk.
Moreover, the answers will explain how the course content has helped me to understand the
position of a clerk at the health facility.
1. Yes. The course has helped me to understand the role of the HUC in a hospital set-up. I
learnt that the clerk has to work closely with the nurses and doctors to enable them to
operate effectively. The clerk acts as the secretary of the health facility (Kennedy, 2016).
The HUC must photocopy and fax information that the physicians need to attend to
patients. The clerk also receives and answers phone calls from patients and suppliers.
Moreover, the HUC stores all the essential schedules and lists on behalf of the hospital.
Therefore, the clerk plays a critical role in the health facility.
2. The scope of practice of a hospital unit clerk is extensive as the HUC aids in the
functioning of the hospital. The clerk attends to the paperwork from the patient
(Kobayashi et al., 2018). They also transcribe various orders from the care providers.
The transcription process includes admission and discharging patients after treatment.
The clerk provides personal forms to patients upon their arrival at the hospital
(Almuqdadi et al., 2016). The HUC then instructs the clients to fill out the forms before
undergoing medical attention. The clerk must be flawless in communication to carry out
their work effectively. The HUC must be fluent in written and verbal communication
(Solimeo, Stewart, & Rosenthal, 2016). Moreover, the clerk should have the ability of
multitasking due to the busy nature of the job.

DUTIES OF A HOSPITAL UNIT CLERK 3
3. Health officers should recognize and work within their scope of practice. The knowledge
of my area of operation ensures the smooth running of health facilities. Furthermore,
there is a reduction in commotion as everyone works within their area of activity.
4. Working outside my scope of practice has both positive and negative impacts on me and
the core workers. The essence of working outside my scope of practice enables me to
gain additional skills in the healthcare profession. However, the exercise moves me away
from my clients. Working outside my scope makes me neglect the duties in my unit of
operation. The department gains due to my ability to multi-task. However, the agency
gains from my work in the long run.
5. The tools are forms, telephone, and a computer. I will issue personal forms to the patient
to gain their details. I will receive and answer calls on behalf of the physicians. I will use
the computer to store orders from physicians.
Conclusion
The HUC has administrative roles to carry out in a health facility. Moreover, the clerk
receives and answers calls on behalf of the physicians. A clerk should work within their scope of
the duty to prevent commotion in the hospital. The clerks can also work outside their scope of
responsibility as they should multi-task. Some hospital transcription tools include telephone,
computers, and forms.

DUTIES OF A HOSPITAL UNIT CLERK 4
References
Almuqdadi, A., Yousef, A. M., Masoud, Z., Majdalawi, K., Al-hadeed, H., & Kalabani, R.
(2016). An Innovative Teaching Strategy for the Outpatient Clerkship Program at Jordan
University Hospital A Comprehensive Approach to Faculty Development Program.
Indian journal of pharmaceutical education and research, 50(2), 215-224.
Kennedy, M. (2016). The Importance of a Role-Specific, In-Hospital Ward Clerk Education
Program. Hospital topics, 94(3-4), 43-48.
Kobayashi, K., Ando, K., Noda, M., Ishiguro, N., & Imagama, S. (2018). Medical clerks in a
national university hospital: improving the quality of medical care with a focus on spinal
surgery. Nagoya journal of medical science, 80(1), 73.
Solimeo, S. L., Stewart, G. L., & Rosenthal, G. E. (2016). The critical role of clerks in the
patient-centered medical home. The Annals of Family Medicine, 14(4), 377-379.