“My patients are like family. That’s one of the joys of working in a specialty unit. I know all my patients, and I love getting to know them. I love being able to help them through their tough journey by trying to make things a little easier.
I’m a Nursing Unit Assistant in the Oncology unit. I make sure everything runs smoothly. I book appointments for patients, and I make sure the unit has what it needs to function – every day is packed full because my job is the hub of the whole unit.
A lot of people don’t understand my job, but it’s a great job that is a vital part of the Oncology clinic. People think I’m a receptionist, but that’s not even close. We run the unit, book appointments, process doctor’s orders, and help the doctors and nurses with whatever they need.
Unit Clerks are the heart and soul of most units. Without us, units wouldn’t run, and patients would have a harder time accessing all their appointments. We book labs, tests and transports – basically, any appointment required to access care.
People still need their treatment and care during COVID, so we haven’t really slowed down. I had a two-week gap between my son’s day care closing and finding a solution – so I had to take some time off work while I figured it out.
That was extremely challenging, as there wasn’t clear information at first, and trying to figure out how to take care of my son while making sure that our clinic was going to be okay without me being there was stressful. In the end, I loved spending that time with my son, but I also really missed work and looked forward to going back.
I feel that COVID has taught us about what’s important in life. Family is number one. You need to make sure vulnerable people are safe and taken care of in whatever way possible, whether it’s a family member or your patients or your children. You do what you need to do to make sure everyone’s okay, healthy and safe.”
- Nicole, Nursing Unit Assistant (Unit Clerk), part of the health care team