Health Unit Coordination
Overview
Health unit coordination programs prepare people to work as medical ward supervisors and clerks.Health unit coordination programs include topics such as:
- Maintaining patient records
- Supervising workers
- Scheduling
- Medical transcription
- Medical terminology
- Medical billing and coding
- Interpersonal skills
Schools
Many career and technical schools as well as many two-year and community colleges offer certificate and associate degree programs in health unit coordination. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program usually takes two years of full-time study to complete.
A few four-year colleges offer bachelor's degrees in health unit coordination. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Database Administration
- Health Records Administration
- Health Records Technology
- Health Services Administration
- Long Term Care Administration and Management
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Medical Office Management
- Medical Transcription
- Sociology
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
- Administrative Services Managers
- Human Resources Assistants
- Licensed Practical Nurses
- Office Managers
- Project Managers
- Registered Nurses
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Business Computer Applications
- General Computer Applications
- Healthcare Occupations
- Introduction to Business
- Medical and Clerical Assisting
- Medical Office
- Office Aide
- Office Procedures
- Psychology
- Public Speaking
- Recordkeeping
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
Typical Course Work
Program Courses
This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:
- Admission and Discharge Procedures
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Basic Pharmacology
- Communication and Interpersonal Relations
- Computer Applications in Healthcare
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
- First Aid and CPR
- Health and Safety Standards
- Healthcare Law and Ethics
- Introduction to Healthcare
- Medical Insurance Coding
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Transcription
- Principles of Management
- Processing Physicians' Orders
- Transfer Procedures
Some programs offer a clinical externship or practicum as part of their curriculum. This gives you the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge you learn in the classroom to real-life situations. You might assist in a hospital, a clinic, or even a nursing home. Whatever the setting, you benefit from the guidance and direct supervision of an experienced health unit coordinator.
Things to Know
Internships allow students to develop skills at companies or organizations. Some health unit coordination programs require students to complete an internship.
A common way to learn health unit coordination is to take course work in this area during nursing training.
After completing this program you will be eligible to sit for a national certification exam.
Schools
King-Snohomish Area
Bellevue College
- Health Unit Coordinator
North Seattle College
- Allied Health
Tacoma Area
Clover Park Technical College
- Health Unit Coordinator