Health Care Assistant Certificate
The Health Care Assistant (HCA) program is designed to provide students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively as front-line care-givers and respected members of the healthcare team. Under the direction and supervision of a health professional, graduates provide person-centred care aimed at promoting and maintaining the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being of clients. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to work in a variety of practice settings including home support, assisted living, residential/complex care, special care units, other home and community care settings, and acute care.
Students can begin their health career education at NLC by completing HCA program in 33-36 weeks. Upon completion of a minimum of 600 hours of work experience as a Heath Care Assistant, graduates can bridge into the Access to Practical Nursing Diploma program, where after an additional 16 months of study they will graduate with their Diploma in Practical Nursing.
Campus Information
Dawson Creek
The City of Dawson Creek, or the Mile Zero City, is the starting point on the world famous Alaska Highway, and is the largest centre in the Peace River South region.
Fort St. John
The City of Fort St. John is known as the Energetic City, because of its location in the heart of the oil and gas industry in northeastern B.C. Fort St. John is located at Mile 47 of the Alaska Highway, has a population of approximately 18,000, and serves a drawing area of about 60,000 people.
Intakes
- Feb
- Sep
Application Processing Time in Days: 20
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
Health care assistants work in a variety of practice settings including home support, assisted living, residential/complex care, special care units, other home and community care settings, and acute care.
PSW Opportunity
If your program was less than 8 months
- You aren’t eligible for a PGWP.
If your program was more than 8 months but less than 2 years
- We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for up to the same length as your study program.
For example, if you completed a 9-month program, we may give you a work permit for up to 9 months.
If your program was 2 years or more
- We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for 3 years.
If you completed more than 1 program
- You may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program.
Each of the programs you completed -
- must be PGWP-eligible and at least 8 months in length
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
The following admission requirements reflect provincial standards mandated by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry.
Complete all requirements:
- Secondary school requirement
- Grade 10 completion, or equivalent, or mature student status.
- English requirement
- Applicants who have been educated in an English-speaking environment (a country with English language systems/institutions) for a minimum of seven years or applicants who have been educated in an English-speaking environment for four consecutive years at the secondary or post-secondary level, one of the following:
- English 10 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent
- ENGL 030new window with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent
- Applicants who have been educated in an English-speaking environment (a country with English language systems/institutions) for a minimum of seven years or applicants who have been educated in an English-speaking environment for four consecutive years at the secondary or post-secondary level, one of the following:
If course requirements are over 10 years old or absent, complete:
- all language sections on the Canadian Adult Achievement Test (Vocabulary, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Language) with a minimum score of 10.9 on each section
- the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) with a total score of at least 20 and an essay level of 4 (24/40).
- For all other applicants, one of the following:
- Canadian Language Benchmark Placement Test (CLB PT) within the previous six months with minimum scores of Listening 7, Speaking 7, Reading 6, and Writing 6
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) within the last two years. IBT only. Overall score of 76 with no score lower than 20 in Speaking and Listening and no score lower than 18 in Reading and Writing
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic or General within the last two years. Overall score of 6 with a minimum of 6 in Speaking and Listening, and no score lower than 5.5 in Reading and Writing
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General within the last two years with minimum scores of Speaking and Listening 7 and Reading and Writing 6
- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) within the last two years. Overall Score of 60 with no section less than 50.
- Math requirement
One of the following:- Mathematics 10 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent
- MATH 030new window with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent.
- If the course requirement is over ten years old or uncompleted, complete the CAAT exam numeracy section (Number Operations and Problem Solving) with a minimum score of 10.9
- Science requirement
?One of the following:- Science 10 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent
- SCIE 030new window with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent
- If the course requirements are over ten years old or uncompleted, complete the CAAT exam science section with a minimum score of 10.9
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Under Graduate Diploma or Certificate
- Duration: 01 Year 04 Month
-
Total Tuition Fee:
10473 CAD
Average Cost of Living: 22895 CAD /year
Application Fee: 100 CAD
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