Nursing Unit Assistant Certificate

The Nursing Unit Assistant is a key member of the healthcare team, has frequent contact with nursing and medical staff, and performs a wide range of clerical duties related to the operation of a patient/resident care facility.

This 439-hour Nursing Unit Assistant Certificate program focuses on the theory and application skills of the various roles and responsibilities of a Nursing Unit Assistant through classroom demonstrations and a 125-hour supervised practicum at accredited facilities. Topics include: medical terminology and abbreviations, coordinating patient/resident appointments, transcribing and processing physicians' orders, communicating with other healthcare departments and hospitals, assembling/maintaining patient/resident charts, performing keyboarding and data-entry responsibilities, arranging patient/resident tests and receiving results, telephone answering, and receiving and directing visitors.

Admission Requirements

• B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for at least one year as of the first day of classes.

• English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.

• A minimum grade of 60% in Okanagan College's Continuing Studies' Computer Fundamentals or the Okanagan College's Continuing Studies' Computer Fundamentals challenge test

• Applicants must provide evidence of a negative tuberculin test, taken no more than six months before the date of application (or evidence of an appropriate follow-up if the test was positive.)

• Keyboarding speed of 50 net wpm.

• A criminal record check clearance from the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Office. Okanagan College's admission offices will provide applicants with instructions and forms for applicants to submit to the Solicitor General's Office and a deadline for the College to receive the clearance letter. Applicants should only initiate their criminal record check when instructed by Admissions. Failure to provide a clearance letter by the deadline will result in a cancellation of the applicant's admission application.

Graduation Requirements

Students must pass the practicum and attain a minimum grade of 70% in each of the other courses in the program.

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