Health Care Aide

This program focuses on developing the core skills needed to care for individuals with various health care needs. Topics include personal care, assisting with mobility and nutrition, communication, assisting with medication delivery, and clinical skills.

You will learn in a combination of on-campus labs, online or in-class learning, and clinical instruction in continuing care, acute care, and community/home care settings. Clinical shifts may include days, evenings, nights, and/or weekends.

You will be required to travel to various locations in order to complete your clinical and practicum placements. Every effort is made to accommodate learners in clinical placements within the time frame of the program, however in rare instances there may be a delay in program completion until a clinical placement can be arranged.

The Health Care Aide Certificate is available in three delivery options:

• Full-time, on-campus study over an eight-month period.
• Part-Time, online and on-campus over a five term period.
• Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): you may be eligible to challenge the courses in the Health Care Aide (HCA) program if you have work experience as a health care aide or caregiver and wish to meet provincial health care aide certification requirements.

Due to the popularity of this program, we recommend you apply at least eight months prior to the program start date.