Unit Clerk

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Medical Secretaries (1243) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Medical Secretaries (B213) 
• 2011 NOC: Medical administrative assistants (1243) 

Unit clerks are responsible for maintaining an orderly nursing station and assisting nursing staff by:

• assembling standard forms for patient charts
• routinely checking patient discharge documents for omissions and signatures, and distributing admission and discharge forms and charts to the appropriate departments
• transcribing physicians' instructions by recording information on requisition forms, consent forms, chart forms and computerized systems
• transcribing medication, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, dietary and treatment orders
• co-ordinating and scheduling patient tests and treatments with internal departments and external centres, arranging for patient transportation and contacting patients to advise them of admission, discharge and appointment dates
• greeting, screening and directing visitors, and distributing flowers, mail and packages
• answering the telephone, relaying messages and transferring calls
• preparing and submitting health care billings for procedures, treatments and services on behalf of physicians
• performing other administrative and clerical functions such as word processing and formatting, preparing staff time sheets, updating patient census and room lists, filing documents and cards, and requisitioning office and patient care supplies.

Unit clerks generally work day and evening shifts in hospitals and other health care facilities but may be required to work rotating shifts that include weekends and nights on some wards. They may work four, eight, 10 or 12 hour shifts. Hours are being extended with changes in health care delivery and staff utilization patterns.

Ongoing exposure to the emotional stress that illness or injury causes patients and their families can be stressful for unit clerks. They work in very busy environments, continually interacting with other people.

Unit clerks are routinely required to lift items weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Unit clerks need the following characteristics:

• good organizational and time management skills
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English including fluency in medical terminology
• good at multi-tasking
• the ability to work efficiently despite frequent interruptions
• the ability to pay close attention to detail and maintain a high level of accuracy
• emotional maturity and the ability to handle stress
• the ability to maintain patient confidentiality
• good interpersonal skills especially the ability to effectively manage difficult behaviours sometimes exhibited by people in distress
• the ability to work with minimal supervision as well as in a team environment.

They should enjoy working with people, operating computer and related equipment, and compiling information.

Unit clerks are employed in:

• hospitals
• continuing care facilities
• rehabilitation institutions
• physician's offices
• diagnostic medical imaging offices
• medical clinics
• dental offices.

Full time job openings for unit clerks are sometimes filled by other hospital employees such as part-time unit clerks or licensed practical nurses.

Applicants for employment are required to undergo a police security clearance.

In large organizations, experienced unit clerks may advance to clerical co-ordinator positions or move into other clerical and administrative support occupations.

Unit clerks are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 1243: Medical secretaries. In Alberta, 88% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF) industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 2,400 Albertans are employed in the Medical secretaries occupational group. This group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.9% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 94 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As unit clerks form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for unit clerks.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) website: www.aupe.org

Canadian Union of Public Employee (CUPE) website: www.cupe.ca

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website: www.hsaa.ca

For more information on career planning, education and jobs call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-644-9992 or 780-644-9992 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.