Learn more about the academic programs we are delivering in Winter 2025. If you have any questions about part-time studies, please contact us.

 

Hospital Nursing Unit Clerk

Seneca College Certificate

 

Overview

The Hospital Nursing Unit Clerk is designed for students who have some clerical experience and are interested in gaining entry to the healthcare sector. The program prepares students for a career providing administrative support for a variety of healthcare environments including hospital units, healthcare institutions, and community-based health clinics. Students will learn medical information and procedures, as well as administrative, interpersonal, organization, and communication skills that are necessary to perform duties as a medical administrator. Topics relevant to medical knowledge include medical terminologies, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, medical conditions, and pharmacology. Courses such as medical billing, health records management, communication in a medical setting, medical office procedures, and medical keyboarding will prepare students for tasks including setting up records for new patients, transcribing physicians' orders from patient records, preparing requisition forms for laboratory, recording patient diagnoses on appropriate medical forms, and arranging for the transfer of patients to other units.

Career Opportunities

Graduates may find employment in a wide variety of medical settings such as physicians' offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical clinics, nursing homes, and healthcare organizations.

Entry Requirements

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent with:
    • Grade 12 English: ENG4 (C) or ENG4 (U)

OR

  • Mature Student Status (age 19 or older) with the prerequisite course, its equivalent or appropriate Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) Certificate program credit (see Academic Upgrading)

OR

OR

Students who do not meet the admission requirement should contact the Program Coordinator directly for further advisement.

Prerequisites

It is your responsibility to ensure that program requirements and course prerequisites as outlined are met. Prerequisites are included for your academic protection. Knowledge of the prerequisite material is assumed by your instructor and instruction will proceed accordingly. Students lacking prerequisites not only jeopardize their own ability to succeed but present unnecessary interruption. If you lack appropriate prerequisites (or Transfer Credit for the prerequisite course) you may be asked to withdraw or transfer to a more appropriate course with the risk of academic/financial penalty.

Filter Classes: In Class     Online     Correspondence     Hybrid     Availability   

Part-time Studies courses are being offered in either of the following four formats: Online, Flexible, In-person, Hybrid. Click Availability below to see current offerings.

Curriculum

MDR100
Medical Terminology
Availability
 

Medical terminology will assist students in developing the language required to communicate effectively in a medical setting. Word structure, diagnostic procedures and pharmacology as well as common medical terminology related to twelve body systems will be studied. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

HNU100
Understanding Surgical Procedures for Medical Office Staff
Availability
 

Prerequisite(s):

Medical Terminology Recommended

This course has been designed for medical office professionals to assist in developing an understanding of common surgical procedures related to a wide variety of body systems. Knowledge in the area of surgical procedures will help the student to educate the patient prior to and after surgery, what to anticipate, and expected results. This course is open to people currently employed in health related areas or hope to do so in the future. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

HNU101
Understanding Medical Tests for Medical Office Staff
Availability
 

Prerequisite(s):

Medical Terminology Recommended

Designed for medical office professionals to assist in developing an understanding of common medical tests related to a wide variety of body systems. Knowledge in the area of medical testing will help the student to educate the patient in relation to the description and purpose of the test, preparation of the patient before the test, with care during and after the test, end expected results. Risks, complications, and special concerns are covered. This course is open to people currently employed in health related areas or hope to do so in the future. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

SST838
Medical Terminology II
Availability
 

Prerequisite(s):

MDR100

This course continues on from MDR100, completing the major body systems through 45 hours of instructional time plus a minimum of 6-8 hours of homework per week. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

HNU102
Medical Conditions for Medical Office Staff
Availability
 

This course introduces the student to important concepts related to human diseases. The most 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. This course is open to people currently employed in health related areas or to those who hope to do so in the future.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

SST836
Health/Medical Records Theory
Availability
 

This course is designed for individuals working or interested in working in the health care field: ward/unit clerks; volunteers; medical secretaries or administrative assistants; and medical insurance adjusters. Topics include addressing the changes in health care such as interpretation of The Health Act; multiculturalism; role of the District Health Council; the new Rights of Access to health information; what to expect in the future with respect to changes that impact on patient care, mandatory legislation re consent to treatment; Advocacy Acts; ethics and the law, and how they impact health care workers. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

SST822
Medical Health Billing
Availability
 

Prerequisite(s):

MDR100 and KIP103/SST821

This course is of interest to secretaries, unit clerks, or anyone employed in a physician's office or medical clinic. Using a medical software billing package which meets the current requirements set out by the Ministry of Health for claim submissions, students acquire the necessary skills required to do health billing in a physician's office or medical clinic and become familiar with the Schedule of Benefits on line and Diagnostic Codes, give an Interpretation of the Remittance Advice and prepare OHIP claim submissions on desk or by EDT.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

ACT303
Working and Communicating in Medical Settings
Availability
 

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, human relations. You must achieve a grade of 65% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

SST821
Medical Office Procedures
Availability
 

Medical Office Procedures is a course designed for the learner who plans to work as an administrative (front office) medical assistant in a private physician's office, specialty clinic, or hospital setting. It will include information on professional and career responsibilities, interpersonal communications, records management, written communications, financial administration, and managing the medical office. The Canada Health Act will be introduced as well as OHIP and the principles of OHIP medical billing.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

HNU103
Medical Keyboarding
Availability
 

Prerequisite(s):

Students need minimum keyboarding skills of 30 net words per minute with 5 or less errors. Students with keyboarding skills less than this need to improve their skills prior to registering for this course.

Corequisite(s):

MDR100

This course is designed to familiarize the user with medical keyboarding, medical terminology in medical documentation, and medical office skills. It includes case histories for timed writings, medical terminology, medical letters, and a variety of medical reports. These exercises will help the learner increase their knowledge of terms they will encounter on the job, and will improve their keyboarding speed and accuracy. A very brief introduction to Medical Transcription is included. This course is a prerequisite for the Beginning Medical Transcription course. You must achieve a grade of 60% to pass this course.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

HNU104
Pharmacology for Medical Office Professionals
Availability
 

Pharmacology for medical office will assist in developing an understanding of how drugs work, drug classifications, methods of administration, and the major drug groups affecting the various body systems. Common drug examples will be looked at with each drug classification. The meaning of Doctor's Orders using commonly accepted medical abbreviations will also be discussed. This course is open to people currently employed in health related areas or hope to do so in the future.




Loading availability...
If the availability does not load please click here.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have basic medical knowledge and skills in medical administration, office management, and business communications for the healthcare environment. Graduates of this program may seek employment as medical administrative assistants, medical secretaries, and ward secretaries in environments such as physicians' offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical clinics, nursing homes, and healthcare organizations.

Graduation/Convocation

When you meet all program requirements and become eligible for a certificate, diploma, or degree, you must inform the Registrar by completing a Graduation Application form and paying the graduation and alumni fee. Certificates, diplomas, and applied degrees are issued twice a year in the Fall (October), Spring (June) and Winter (February).

For further information including deadlines and fees, please visit the Convocation website or contact the Convocation Office at theservicehub@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Minimum Performance for Graduation

A student will be eligible to graduate from a certificate, diploma, advanced diploma or graduate certificate program if they have achieved a minimum graduating GPA of 2.0.

A student will be eligible to graduate from a degree program if they have achieved a minimum graduating GPA of 2.5, which includes a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the courses in their main field of study and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in breadth courses.

Program Contacts

Maria Graziosi
Program Assistant
Maria.Graziosi@senecapolytechnic.ca
416-764-0964


Melanie Rubens
Program Coordinator
Melanie.Rubens@senecapolytechnic.ca
416-764-0973


For more information about this program, fill out the following form.