Alumni from NIC’s Hospital Unit Clerk program have joined the front line at local health facilities, after completing their program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miranda Gudbranson became interested in the program after speaking to her nursing friends and seeing the high success rate of students receiving positions after graduation.
“My nursing friends explained how important this position is to the hospital,” said Gudbranson. “I would love to be a nurse, but seeing blood makes me weak. I think this was a great option and the closest I can get to dealing with patients one-on-one without having to deal with the blood.”
The nine-month certificate program studies medical terminology, classification and identification of medications, while also learning transcriptions and understanding physician’s orders.
“It’s a privilege to help educate new members of the health care team,” said Laura Hickey, NIC Hospital Unit Clerk instructor. “As a nurse myself, I know how important HUC’s are to ensuring a health department or health care office runs smoothly.”
For Gudbranson, it had been over a decade since attending school. She admitted she learned a lot from the program about herself, how to study again and how she was as a student with the help from all the resources at NIC.
“I loved how much I learned from it, and how much I learned about myself after not being in school for 14 years,” said Gudbranson. “I received a lot of help from different people at the college when I was struggling and there are so many options for people who are struggling. They want you to succeed.”
The program offers students all the necessary skills to work as a hospital unit clerk and help out as much as you can, noted Gudbranson.
“It’s a quick learning style with a lot of information in a short period of time,” said Gudbranson. “Once I was able to take my practicum - being able to put all of our knowledge to use is such a rewarding feeling.”
Gudbranson was able to transition directly from her program into a position at a local health facility in the medicine department in the Comox Valley.
Being able to help people is the part she finds the most rewarding.
“You can be that smiling face when the patients first walk in, assist the nurses so they can do their job properly. You are very beneficial to the whole wheel to the system.”
Visit www.nic.bc.ca/hospital-clerk for more information.
