Joyce Summers
After 30 years working as a nurse, Joyce Summers has seen and experienced a lot in the field of healthcare.
She brings those experiences to the classroom at Collin College, where she teaches the Health Unit Clerk course.
Summers earned her associates degree from the University of Albuquerque and her bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Excelsior College. Since 1979, she's worked as a nurse in a number of positions in New Mexico and Texas including her current position as a psychiatric nurse at the Medical Center of McKinney. Also, she spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as an army nurse.
"I am able to illustrate real-life situations through stories from 30 years of nursing experiences and doing the job of health unit clerk as part of my job as RN," Summers said. "I bring enthusiasm to the classroom. I am able to answer questions from personal knowledge and skills. Also, because I am a listener and learning from the students too, I am flexible and able to change my teaching methods to meet the needs of the students.
A health unit clerk performs a wide range of non-clinical patient care duties in the hospital setting, coordinating activities of patients, physicians, nursing staff, hospital departments, and visitors, and everything else that keeps a nursing unit running smoothly. The Health Unit Clerk Training at Collin College includes 128 hours of classroom time and 80 additional hours of clinical work at hospitals in the area.
"Most of the students have never worked in the healthcare field. Using different teaching methods: PowerPoint presentations, lectures, skills practice, group discussions, computer activities, white board exercises, lots of repetition and other teaching techniques make the time fly by. Sharing relevant experiences too makes the class interesting and fun," Summers said.
Because I am a listener and learning from the students too, I am flexible and able to change my teaching methods to meet the needs of the students.
