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Online Hospital Unit Secretary Training Program
Online Hospital Unit Secretary Training Program
As a hospital unit secretary, you'll interface with many types of people, learn medical terminology and organize confidential medical information. Learn about necessary training, online programs, included coursework and potential careers.
What Kind of Training is Required to Become a Hospital Unit Secretary?
Hospital unit secretaries, also known as unit coordinators, are responsible for a number of tasks from admitting patients and sending faxes to organizing medical charts. If you're interested in becoming a hospital unit secretary, you will need to complete specialized training that can be found through individual courses, continuing education classes and certificate programs at both schools and private organizations. After completing your training, you may also be eligible to take the national certification exam given by the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators (NAHUC).
Alternatively, medical administrative assistant and medical office assistant programs are available online at the certificate and associate's degree level. Both of these programs provide you with the knowledge you need to assume administrative roles in health care facilities. These programs cover general administrative duties, including medical and insurance billing, records management, purchasing and medical ethics.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Field Overview</b></td><td>Assume administrative roles in health care facilities; optional certification exam</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Online Course Structure</b></td><td>No special requirements, but it may be necessary to purchase program-specific software such as Microsoft Office</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Common Courses</b></td><td>Medical terminology, medical office procedures, medical insurance coding, records management, business communication</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)*</b></td><td> $35,270 (<i>for medical transcriptionists</i>)<br/> $37,350 (<i>for medical secretaries</i>)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---HowDoIGetStartedWithTheOnlineTraining">How Do I Get Started with the Online Training?</h3><p>Online programs can typically be completed at your convenience from any location, but also offer you the opportunity to work with instructors and interact with other students using discussion boards and e-mail. Training programs for hospital unit secretaries may consist of a single course or multiple courses, depending on the program. You will typically also be required to purchase textbooks covering health unit coordinating and may be required to complete clinical experiences.
</p><p>If you're planning on enrolling in an online program, you will need reliable access to a computer with an Internet connection. You may also need to meet specific technical requirements, which can include certain operating systems or browsers. Additionally, you may be required to have software, such as Microsoft Office, in order to complete your coursework.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCoursesWillITake">What Courses Will I Take?</h3><p>Coursework for hospital unit secretaries and medical secretaries programs cover general administrative tasks, computing, keyboarding and data entry. Programs for hospital unit secretaries may also include clinical work to help you gain hands-on experience. Associate's degree programs for medical assistants cover core medical administrative courses, in addition to providing you with general education courses. The following are some of the core courses you can find in either the hospital unit secretary or medical administrative assistant program:
</p><ul><li>Medical terminology
</li><li>Records management
</li><li>Medical office procedures
</li><li>Business communication
</li><li>Medical insurance coding
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithMyTraining">What Can I Do with My Training?</h3><p>With a hospital unit secretary education, you may find administrative career opportunities in settings such as hospitals and nursing facilities. Career opportunities for medical secretaries is expected to grow at a much faster than average rate of 10% from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As of 220, the median annual wage for medical secretaries was $37,350, per the BLS.
</p><p>With a background in medical terminology, you may also find opportunities as a medical transcriptionist. However, this field is expected to see a 2% decline in employment between 2019 and 2029, according to the BLS. The BLS also reports the median annual wage for medical transcriptionists in 2020 to be $35,270.</p>
