Fleming College

Program Highlights

Join a fast-paced working environment where you will use your interpersonal skills of working comfortably with busy professionals and the interesting variety of clients that frequent medical facilities. Add to your people and organizational skills with a solid foundational knowledge in medical terminology and procedures, office skills and communication. A field placement will round out your training.

Is This You?

You will be an important part of the care team. You will often be the first one, with whom patients or their families interact, so excellent and caring communication skills are essential. Physicians, nurses and support staff will rely on your administrative savvy for support. This can be a fast paced environment, where multi-tasking is a fundamental job component.

Career Prospects

• Hospital ward clerk
• Office support, long term care facility
• Surgical unit clerical support staff
• Private clinic office staff

Recommended skills and pre-requisites

Basic computer skills are expected of all participants whether or not you are taking online courses.

Dual Certification

The Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary certificate and the Medical Office Support Staff certificate share some of the same core courses. Having completed one certificate, you can achieve dual certification by also completing the courses required of the other. 

Courses in Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary Certificate (Online)

Details and registration below

Mandatory

• Medical Terminology (HLTH056)
• Working and Communicating in a Medical Setting (HLTH126)
• Behaviour Management & Crisis Intervention (SOCI007)
• Essentials in Health Records Management (HLTH151)
• Introduction to Pharmacology (SCIE021)
• Medical Conditions for Medical Office Professionals (HLTH109)
• Processing of Physicians' Orders (HLTH348)
• Understanding Medical Tests for Medical Office Staff (HLTH058)
• Understanding Surgical Procedures for Medical Office Staff (HLTH146)
• HNUS: Clinical Placement for Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary (FLPL134)
• HNUS: Clinical Case Studies (placement alternative) (FLPL260)

Mandatory

Medical Terminology

HLTH056

Develop the language required to communicate effectively in a medical setting. Medical terminology and word structure related to twelve body systems will be studied. Terminology related to basic diagnostic procedures and basic pharmacology will be included.

Working and Communicating in a Medical Setting

HLTH126

Learn theory and techniques for successful verbal and non-verbal communication and effective work skills, including communication systems, ethical behaviour, confidentiality, stress and time management, hospital organization, and human relations.

Behaviour Management & Crisis Intervention

SOCI007

Become confident using effective conflict management and communication strategies in an interactive setting. Best practices in care-giving situations will be studied along with the impact of personal values, institutional settings, and other factors of dysfunctional behaviour. Self-care and self-evaluation of the care-giver will also be emphasized.

Essentials in Health Records Management

HLTH151

Gain an understanding of the hospital and medical staff organization, patient record content, procedures in filing, numbering and retention of patient records, qualitative analysis, release of information, forms control and design, indexes and registers, reimbursements, regulatory and accrediting agencies, and alternate health care delivery systems. NOTE: The passing grade for this course is 65%.

Introduction to Pharmacology

SCIE021

Expand your knowledge of a variety of drugs and interactions. We will examine drug legislation and pharmacological actions and come to understand the responsibility of dispensing medications. This is not an applied medications course. The Medical Terminology course is strongly recommended as a precursor to this course.

Medical Conditions for Medical Office Professionals

HLTH109

Common diseases and disorders of each body system are presented along with a review of the anatomy and physiology pertinent to the content. Additionally, the effects of aging on the system and the relationship of aging to disease are presented.

Processing of Physicians' Orders

HLTH348

Acquire the appropriate processing skills for the completion of physicians' orders

Understanding Medical Tests for Medical Office Staff

HLTH058

Current and future medical office professionals will gain an understanding of common medical tests related to body systems. Knowledge of medical tests will help you educate patients in relation to the description and purpose of specific tests, as well as any preparations required. It will also provide you with references to build on their knowledge of care during and after the test based on expected results.

Understanding Surgical Procedures for Medical Office Staff

HLTH146

Review a wide variety of surgical procedures that commonly occur in the hospital setting. This course is open to people currently employed in Health related areas or who hope to do so in the future. Recommended prior learning: Medical Terminology

HNUS: Clinical Placement for Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary

FLPL134

A 5-day placement at the end of the theoretical component concludes the certificate and involves job shadowing and practice in a hospital nursing unit or outpatient clinic to consolidate the beginning skills of a Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary. Pre-requisite: All required courses must be complete prior to placement-HLTH56, HLTH58, HLTH151, HLTH278, HLTH146, HLTH109,HLTH126, SCIE21, SOCI7.

HNUS: Clinical Case Studies (placement alternative)

FLPL260

This capstone course is a self-directed online alternative to the clinical placement course in the Hospital Nursing Unit Secretary certificate and gives you a window into the realities of working on a hospital ward. Several scenarios will be presented, covering key elements of typical ward work including communications, surgery, pharmacology, privacy, and ethics. Using knowledge gained from your previous coursework, you will create detailed descriptions and answer questions relating to how to handle each unique situation in a hospital ward setting.