My work as an administrative secretary in the Wellbeing Services Coynty and digital tools.I work as an Administrative Secretary at the North Savo Wellbeing Services County, supporting the Service Unit Director at the Medical Services Center. Our center is part of Specialized Services, primarily affiliated with Kuopio University Hospital, and includes the Cancer Center, the Pediatric and Youth Center, the Medical Center, and the Wellbeing Services County Pharmacy.
I am responsible for a wide range of administrative tasks for these large operational units. My work includes duties in human resources, such as preparing official appointments and employment contracts, as well as payroll-related tasks. I also take part in financial monitoring, budgeting, and the preparation of financial reports. In addition, I participate in management team activities and serve as a secretary in various meetings, handling meeting arrangements and documentation.
A key part of my role is the daily use of digital systems, including a case management system used for drafting proposals for official decisions. My work is highly diverse and fully digitalized, requiring precision, confidentiality, and strong organizational skills. As part of my responsibilities, I handle patient complaints submitted through an electronic system. In my daily work, I use Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook, the HR management system, and the case management system. I also regularly work with invoicing and purchase invoice systems.
As mentioned, at our workplace, we use a wide range of electronic systems, many of which I actively use in my daily work and am also involved in as an employee. These include the Nepton and Titania systems for working time tracking, and the AinoHealth system related to occupational health. We also use the training system Personec F OSS, which contains employee training records and enables electronic registration for training sessions. Additionally, the OSS system includes development discussion forms and onboarding forms for new employees.
Social Media – the tools in my field. This part of the assignment was, so to speak, a bit more challenging, as we do not directly use the listed social media applications in the administration of the wellbeing services county—at least not in my specific role. However, the wellbeing services county does utilize social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. The responsibility for managing these accounts primarily lies with the county’s communications unit. In my previous role at the hospital, I was part of our department’s social media team for Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, where we updated Instagram with posts about events in our unit, including introductions to our facilities.
The use of social media in the social and healthcare sector is quite precise and carefully managed. Of course, it is used for communication with clients to familiarize them with the services provided by the wellbeing services county, and, with consent, to introduce staff members and showcase the activities of various units. On a personal level as well, using social media in the role of an employee requires caution and responsibility. It’s essential to consider all data protection aspects and to understand the employee’s role when using social media.
In my own work, we use Microsoft Teams for quicker communication compared to email, for example. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many meetings have remained as Teams meetings or at least hybrid ones. Microsoft Teams is, therefore, an essential tool in our administrative work within the wellbeing services county. Although Microsoft Teams is not strictly a social media platform, it is more accurately described as a collaboration tool, i think.
However, if I were to specify the social media channels used by my employer, I would first mention Facebook and Instagram. General updates on Facebook and Instagram are managed by the wellbeing services county’s communications unit. In addition, many individual units also have their own accounts where they share information about their activities, both on Facebook and Instagram. For example, the recruitment unit of the wellbeing services county also has its own Facebook and Instagram accounts, where they share current information about recruitment matters. Personally, I follow several of my employer’s unit-specific Facebook and Instagram accounts. This also helps me stay informed about the activities of different units within our large organization.
One of the social media platforms used by my employer, I would highlight LinkedIn. I find myself using it during my free time specifically to follow posts related to my employer. Through LinkedIn, I can access a lot of information, for example, about the new teaching clinic at Kuopio University Hospital.
The North Savo Wellbeing Services County also has its own YouTube channel, featuring a variety of videos, including breastfeeding guidance, as well as more entertaining sections in the form of humor videos. The presenter for example is Santa Claus. In addition, there are many different introductory videos about the work of various professional groups, such as operating rooms and recovery rooms. There are also instructional videos about moving around the hospital. In short, the channel offers a wide range of videos, showcasing different facilities, professionals in their work, and providing, for example, home care instructions.
At the moment, in my role as an administrative secretary and meeting secretary, I am participating in a pilot project focused on the use of artificial intelligence in meeting management. This pilot will also greatly support my current studies. I believe that within administrative tasks, meeting management is one of the areas where AI can be utilized among the first. The use of artificial intelligence will especially help speed up the process of drafting meeting minutes.
In my opinion, one of the benefits of social media in my field is the sharing of information. Social media is an effective way to share information quickly and broadly. It can also serve as a platform for information retrieval, news tracking, and exchanging various opinions and experiences. For example, the visibility of recruitments can be increased on social media, helping to reach new professionals, especially when there is a shortage of skilled workers and new talents. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, in the social and healthcare field, data privacy is the most important aspect. On social media platforms, false or misleading information can circulate, and it can spread quickly. This can influence people’s decisions and perceptions of issues. And it can even cause serious consequences. The most important elements of social media use in my field are professionalism and the reliability of the information. Above all, it is essential to ensure ethical conduct and, most importantly, data privacy. This is strictly monitored and regulated in every aspect.
Reflections on Learning. I gained new insights once again through this assignment, especially when it comes to digitalization and the purposes, benefits, and drawbacks of using social media. I noticed that I don’t really use social media in my own work. Email and Microsoft Teams are still the most important tools in administration. However, the increasing use of artificial intelligence is a very current topic. In my opinion, piloting the use of AI in management teamwork is a very interesting step forward. I also noticed the large number of social media channels linked in the course assignment. Some of the platforms were very familiar and ones I personally use, but at least half of them were completely new social media platforms to me. So once again, I realized just how vast the range of available social media platforms truly is, and how little I’ve actually explored myself in the end. On the other hand, I’m glad that my use of social media hasn’t gotten out of hand, so to speak. I still believe that the ability to be present, in both life and work, is the most important skill of all.
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