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What are the top 3 traits or skills every health unit coordinator must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your health unit coordinator expertise?

Mutli tasking ability
Ability to stay calm at all times
Attention to detail

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every health unit coordinator must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your health unit coordinator expertise?

Hi, I graduated from a HUC training program of 3 months in Nov 08, I have been hired at a hospital and started Jan 09. The 3 strongest traits I think you need to accomplish this job well are 1.) customer service skills 2.) ability to multi task under pressure 3.) willing to learn and eye for details.
Good Luck! I love it.

MNull said: Hi, I graduated from a HUC training program of 3 months in Nov 08, I have been hired at a hospital and started Jan 09. The 3 strongest traits I think you need to accomplish this job well are 1.) customer service skills 2.) ability to multi task under pressure 3.) willing to learn and eye for details.
Good Luck! I love it.

Great job...To be hired did you have to attend an accredited program or if you get certifed thru the national exam is that okay for employers?

Hi - I received my certificate from the 12 week program and will pursue getting NAHUC Certified in the next few months - interestingly, when I got hired at this hospital, two other people got hired without the certificate or prior training. The hospital I'm at requires a 120 hr training with their own HUC program. So I would encourage you to contact local hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and/or Dr offices and ask what they require. Most likely you find a variety of options. Good Luck!

MNull in Milford, Ohio said: Hi - I received my certificate from the 12 week program and will pursue getting NAHUC Certified in the next few months - interestingly, when I got hired at this hospital, two other people got hired without the certificate or prior training. The hospital I'm at requires a 120 hr training with their own HUC program. So I would encourage you to contact local hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and/or Dr offices and ask what they require. Most likely you find a variety of options. Good Luck!

That is interesting...I will definitely call HR and ask. I did find a online program that is a 3 mos course and you get a certificate and then can sit for the nat'l exam. I also called them today and you can take the exam asap when you finish your program. The cost is $150.00 for members, $175.00 for non-members. I think it would be good to join the association though. It lasts for 3 years also then you can re-take an exam or do a number of credit hours.

Hi - are you currently taking the on-line course? I took the class room format and it was so great - I came away with so much information not only about HUC academic guidelines but about the personal side of it, the customer service side of it for patient's families and internal customers (any and all hospital staff from the Doctors to the food service staff)and as a HUC you need to be able to know who to call and when, having already shown respect to these departments really helps. Also the cost for the NAHUC certification is what it is here too, so much be the same over the board. My HUC instructor just organized a class just for the HUC who has been out of the class room for awhile to brush up on the certification testing - so things are moving in the right direction. I just sent my $ and application to be on the NAHUC listing so I can receive their publications and newsletters.
Best of luck, keep me posted. I really love my job, today I worked on Monitor Watching - I need 40hr of training (already passed the ECG monitor watching test last week)..before I can sit by myself and monitor - that is very interesting and important because you are the eyes for the RN's and PCA's regarding the well being of the patient on the heart monitors. One more aspect of being in the health care industy.

MNull in Milford, Ohio said: Hi - are you currently taking the on-line course? I took the class room format and it was so great - I came away with so much information not only about HUC academic guidelines but about the personal side of it, the customer service side of it for patient's families and internal customers (any and all hospital staff from the Doctors to the food service staff)and as a HUC you need to be able to know who to call and when, having already shown respect to these departments really helps. Also the cost for the NAHUC certification is what it is here too, so much be the same over the board. My HUC instructor just organized a class just for the HUC who has been out of the class room for awhile to brush up on the certification testing - so things are moving in the right direction. I just sent my $ and application to be on the NAHUC listing so I can receive their publications and newsletters.
Best of luck, keep me posted. I really love my job, today I worked on Monitor Watching - I need 40hr of training (already passed the ECG monitor watching test last week)..before I can sit by myself and monitor - that is very interesting and important because you are the eyes for the RN's and PCA's regarding the well being of the patient on the heart monitors. One more aspect of being in the health care industy.

Hi there...That is very interesting...I cannot find a course being taught in the Knoxville, TN/Maryville area ( I called all around) so yes it looks like the online program will be it. I did take this HUC course many years ago when I was in college and I did love it. I did my clinicals at the local hospital which I loved. There was not any openings when I graduated so I pursued other things. So alot of the info I do remember (believe or not) LOL so I don't think I will have that much trouble. That is so neat on the monitor watching, thanks for the info. I will keep you posted. I should start the program in about a week or so.

Hi I see a couple of you are talking about an online course for HUC. Would you please tell me the name of the school or where you found the course. At this time I cannot go to the school. I have worked as a unit secretary before and Iam very interested in this course.

diane in Apopka, Florida said: Hi I see a couple of you are talking about an online course for HUC. Would you please tell me the name of the school or where you found the course. At this time I cannot go to the school. I have worked as a unit secretary before and Iam very interested in this course.

Hi Diane:
I just began the online program since there was not anything in the Knoxville, TN area for HUC training. Go to: www.wecareonlineclasses.com
and click on your state and pick the HUC program. It costs $272.50 (which is very good price) and buy your book that you will need. Mine cost 65.00 from an Amazon bookstore. You can take your national cert exam when you are finished also.
Good Luck and let me know how you did !

Hi - I am in Cincinnati Ohio and took a 3 month course at Health Care Professionals - a branch of Great Oaks. Some hospitals will hire without a certificate - you may want to contact your local hospitals and inquire about these positions - especially since you have been a unit coordinator before. I am still in a major learning curve even with the 3 month course and the hospital training but I love it.
Best of luck and please feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Margie

Hi Barbara, Thanks for the response. I went to the NAHUC website and wecareonlineclasses.com was listed there. I called and spoke with a rep. who was very nice and informative. I will be starting their classes next week. They are the least expensive courses I found and after talking with the rep. it seems to me that the 500 hour courses I was looking into are so long because of the clinicals. It seams most classes here combine Monitor Tech. with the HUC courses. But, one step at a time for now.

Shay in Dayton, Ohio said: Does this wecareonline class actually work? Would you actually be able to get a job after you get your certification? I am seriously thinking about taking this class.

Thank you,
Shay

Yes definitely it is fine. You either take the "classroom" class which I HAVE taken it was 8 weeks long or you can take the online course...same thing. You just don't get to do your clinicals but they will train you anyway when you get hired at a hospital. As long as you get your certificate of completion then I would take the National Exam thru the HUC Association and you are good to go. I have spoken to the individuals at We Care and they are very nice to work with.
Shay: See the post from Diane in FL...

diane in Apopka, Florida said: Hi Barbara, Thanks for the response. I went to the NAHUC website and wecareonlineclasses.com was listed there. I called and spoke with a rep. who was very nice and informative. I will be starting their classes next week. They are the least expensive courses I found and after talking with the rep. it seems to me that the 500 hour courses I was looking into are so long because of the clinicals. It seams most classes here combine Monitor Tech. with the HUC courses. But, one step at a time for now.

Hi Diane:
I am glad for you. They are very nice at the website also. You will have to learn "their way" when you get hired anyway so the clinicals are not all that needed I don't think. The book is very good, you will really find it informative when you get it. Glad I could help you. Let me know how things go since we will be finishing up around the same time..LOL

Thank you for all your help :D

Hi Barbara, Did you start the program through wecareonline? My sister started the program today. How do you like it so far?

diane in Ocoee, Florida said: Hi Barbara, Did you start the program through wecareonline? My sister started the program today. How do you like it so far?

Hi Diane: I sure did a few weeks ago...I have taken my Unit 1 and Unit 2 test so far. I do like it but there is alot to learn !!! I also bought the other HUC book that I found at Amazon.com and I am reading that also and taking the tests to really learn it all. I am just starting on the Unit 3 section and the book has a CD for "transcription" online exercises so I am excited about learning that. How are you doing with the course?
Are you going to apply at hospitals when you finish this also?
I am from FL also, the Ft. Pierce/Vero Beach area. I was born in Ft Lauderdale so I know the state very well.

good to hear from you. My sister started yesterday. We found the book on half-ebay and it was half the price but still waiting for it to get here. We live in Orlando and yes the florida hospital system has around 8 job postings on indeed.com. I called NAHUC and they said if I already know this stuff I can just take the national test but I'm going to do this course with her just to make sure cause I'm not to familiar with transcribing. I was looking on blackboard and thought i saw you on there. Was going to send you a message there but having trouble with it

It probably would not be a bad idea to look over the material again just to "refresh" yourself. My email is bstrzykalski@yahoo.com. I would also just go to the individual hosptial websites, they have alot of HUC openings that may not be on indeed. I noticed here in TN they don't post HUC openings on the online job boards but are their if you go to the indiv hospital site. Go figure...Keep me posted when you get your book!

Hi Barbara How are u doing with your classes? Have you finished yet? I'am on unit 3.

diane in Tallahassee, Florida said: Hi Barbara How are u doing with your classes? Have you finished yet? I'am on unit 3.

Hi Diane: Yes I did finish with a 96%. I also received my certificate in the mail also. How are you liking it so far with your sister? I also bought that second HUC book that I a reviewing now so I can take the national exam. When I see an opening in my local hospital I am going to apply asap. What are your plans when you get done?

Glad to hear you did so good. I ran into a snag. My computer is Vista so I cant use the practice CD. If I ever get done I plan on going to Florida Hospital. They are always looking for HUC. I did find out if you go directly to the hospital website they list all the unit secretary and HUC jobs. Good Luck

diane in Tallahassee, Florida said: Glad to hear you did so good. I ran into a snag. My computer is Vista so I cant use the practice CD. If I ever get done I plan on going to Florida Hospital. They are always looking for HUC. I did find out if you go directly to the hospital website they list all the unit secretary and HUC jobs. Good Luck

Yes, my computer does not run the CD also but my husband's laptop does. I also joined the NAHUC as a member, cost is only $20.00 so I thought that would look good on the resume. What is the name of the hospital that you live close to? I will let you know where I end up and you keep me updated also. Best of luck to you Diane (and your sis) LOL

MNull said: Hi, I graduated from a HUC training program of 3 months in Nov 08, I have been hired at a hospital and started Jan 09. The 3 strongest traits I think you need to accomplish this job well are 1.) customer service skills 2.) ability to multi task under pressure 3.) willing to learn and eye for details.
Good Luck! I love it.

Is the job stressful? Does the hospital staff treat the HUC with respect or do you have to deal with impatient or stressed employees?

Is the position of HUC very stressful? Do you have to deal with alot of stress out hospital staff or do they treat the HUC fairly well?

I'm so glad to hear positive things about the Hospital Unit Coordinators.I'm looking forward to visiting NAHUC website for more info..Good luck to all who is considering this field. I would like to hear from you occasionally to see how you all are doing...Also there is a HUC forum on Facebook just enter
Hospital Unit Coordinators on the upper right hand side of the webpage.

im thinking about taking the health unit coordinator course at a technical school in Florida do you have any idea how much huc make

Amberj in Lakeland, Florida said: im thinking about taking the health unit coordinator course at a technical school in Florida do you have any idea how much huc make

$ 9-13/hour depending on experience, hospital and city
In Phoenix, one hospital offered me a starting wage of 9.50 an hour and another hospital offered 13.00 an hr (no HUC experience). For as hard as you will be working I believe it should be more like 18-20/hour but that's just me.

I also took the HUC course from we care online and NONE of the hospitals around me accept this class, even if you go and get certification. Their response is because of the lack of on the job training so it is a waste of money!! I even checked with 2 hospitals in michigan where i was thinking of moving too and they also will NOT accept training from wecareonline!!

kimberly in Anderson, South Carolina said: I also took the HUC course from we care online and NONE of the hospitals around me accept this class, even if you go and get certification. Their response is because of the lack of on the job training so it is a waste of money!! I even checked with 2 hospitals in michigan where i was thinking of moving too and they also will NOT accept training from wecareonline!!

You are right Kimberly. I did the exact same thing and GOT certified and they won't even ask me for an interview...
I wish I had known that first before spending all the money...

My sister and I took the class from WECARE online and neither one of us have had any luck finding an HUC job. Like you stated Kim, no one recognizes the course through this (school?). It was a complete waste of money.

I have taken the HUC class and am certified. I have applied for 50+ jobs and no response . I am seeing you have to have a year experience in acute care. It seems like taking the class was a waste of my time. Can anyone give any suggestions in to where to appy for any jobs in Las Vegas,NV with 0-6 months experience as a HUC?

It took me 8 months to find a job after completing the HUC certificate from a community college. I know it's frustrating but keep trying. Some nurse managers will give you a chance and others will not without experience. I probably applied as many times as you did before I sent a resume and I got a call from a nurse manager the next morning. I am not in Las Vegas but it is the same here in Phoenix. I even thought of volunteering a few hours a week at one point just to get in the door.

I finished taking the HUC course in November, even upgraded by taking an EKG course. Every hospital I have applied to wants 1 yr experience in the acute care. How can a person find a job or apply for a position with no acute care experience? Any suggestion would do. I have also applied as a admit rep still no response from these hospitals. Help.

That seems to be the case. I took the course, got nationally certified and not 1 response. I put in 30 applications at all different hospitals.

Barbara in Maryville, Tennessee said: Hi Diane:
I just began the online program since there was not anything in the Knoxville, TN area for HUC training. Go to: www.wecareonlineclasses.com
and click on your state and pick the HUC program. It costs $272.50 (which is very good price) and buy your book that you will need. Mine cost 65.00 from an Amazon bookstore. You can take your national cert exam when you are finished also.
Good Luck and let me know how you did !

so is it legit do you like it

I am Cindy at We Care Online. I would love to hear from you all that have had challenges getting employed after taking the HUC course we offer! We have had lots of folks finish up and get jobs through this course. Quite frankly, I was pretty surprised at your outcomes!

I'd like to know specifically why the class is not accepted - as we are approved by the Board of Regents (along with the HUC course.) Experience is definitely a BIG issue in the HUC field since the position is so busy. That's why the instructor suggests volunteering (shadowing) someone in the position for some clinical experience experience.

I appreciate your feedback!

I am a former Unit Secretary its been 11 yrs since I worked. I too have applied and been refused employment because of not recent experience. The Hospitals are wanting Nursing Assistants/Unit Clerks if you don't do both they don't want you.

Barb in Maryville, Tennessee said: That seems to be the case. I took the course, got nationally certified and not 1 response. I put in 30 applications at all different hospitals.

Covenant Health Careers has 3 job openings in Knoxville for HUCs... I'm thinking about taking the course and getting certified like you but, am wondering if it's a waste of money? Please let us all know when you get a job! Good luck!

Twaskismet in Knoxville, Tennessee said: Covenant Health Careers has 3 job openings in Knoxville for HUCs... I'm thinking about taking the course and getting certified like you but, am wondering if it's a waste of money? Please let us all know when you get a job! Good luck!

I never could land a job in HUC at any hospital. I am doing Accts Receivable now at another employer. Good Luck.

I was just hired by a very highly accredited hospital. I have admissions experience but no HUC experience but I was hired as a HUC and will be trained by the hospital. I am very excited for my new position and a little nervous too. I did apply for numerous positions over the last 3 years at local hospitals and finally received my first call for an interview and was hired. Don't give up and keep trying! Does anyone know if getting certified will raise the pay scale? They are starting me out at an excellent wage! I feel very fortunate.

Good luck. That is awesome!

Barb in Maryville, Tennessee said: That seems to be the case. I took the course, got nationally certified and not 1 response. I put in 30 applications at all different hospitals.

I was wondering how difficult the certification exam is. Did the wecareonline course prepare you enough for the exam?

everlenemc in Las Vegas, Nevada said: I have taken the HUC class and am certified. I have applied for 50+ jobs and no response . I am seeing you have to have a year experience in acute care. It seems like taking the class was a waste of my time. Can anyone give any suggestions in to where to appy for any jobs in Las Vegas,NV with 0-6 months experience as a HUC?

I was wondering how difficult the certification exam is. Did the wecareonline course prepare you enough for the exam?

Barb in Lake City, Tennessee said: You are right Kimberly. I did the exact same thing and GOT certified and they won't even ask me for an interview...
I wish I had known that first before spending all the money...

I was wondering how difficult the certification exam is. Did the wecareonline course prepare you enough for the exam?

I'm a certified CNA and I still haven't found a job. And now I'm thinking of going back to school to become a HUC. Is this job better than being a CNA? Has anyone done both? I think this job would be fine while I'm still in school to become an RN. I think this job even pays more than being a cna.

Marcia in Glendale, Arizona said: It took me 8 months to find a job after completing the HUC certificate from a community college. I know it's frustrating but keep trying. Some nurse managers will give you a chance and others will not without experience. I probably applied as many times as you did before I sent a resume and I got a call from a nurse manager the next morning. I am not in Las Vegas but it is the same here in Phoenix. I even thought of volunteering a few hours a week at one point just to get in the door.

Hi Marcia,
What school did you go to? Did you go to Gateway?

Yes, I went to Gateway. They have a really good program there. It has been about 5 years since I got my certificate but I learned a lot and I use it in my current position (non-HUC).

For those who have finish the HUC class. This is a tip. Apply at Nursing Homes or rehab clinics and also take an EKG course,or CNA class to be better employable.Hospitals want you to have a year or 2 experience in acute care. I hope this help.

evee43 in Las Vegas. I would like to talk to you about working as an HUC in Vegas. I don't know any other way to ta but on this forum. If you are willing to talk to me please let me know, I have some questions to ask you.