Health Care Assistant – Certificate

Program Details

Length: 26 weeks (16 weeks theory, 10 weeks practice)

Total Credits: 37

Intake Terms: Fall, Winter

Campus: Trail

Cost: Approximate program cost

Student Loans: This program is eligible for student loans

Credential Received

Certificate in Health Care Assistant

Overview

Program Summary

Are you interested in becoming a front-line health care worker and assisting clients with their personal care, nutrition and mobility? Our program will support you in developing the confidence, knowledge and skills required to provide safe care and contribute to the physical, emotional and social well-being of clients in a variety of health care settings.

As a graduate, you will be a respected member of the health care team and work under the direction and supervision of a health professional.

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 providers and be a respected member of the health care team in both community and facility settings. 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/residents. Graduates of the program are eligible to apply for registration with the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry.

The HCA Program is 26 weeks in total. During the first 16 weeks, students complete theory and lab courses during face-to-face classes on the Trail Campus and online, followed by the completion of 270 hours of practice in residential and community care settings during the final ten weeks of the program.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Provide person-centred care and assistance that recognizes and respects the uniqueness of each individual client
Use an informed problem-solving approach to provide care and assistance that promotes physical, psychological, social, cognitive and spiritual well-being of clients and families
Provide care and assistance for clients experiencing complex health challenges
Provide care and assistance for clients experiencing cognitive and/or mental health challenges
Interact with other members of the health care team in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals
Communicate clearly, accurately and in sensitive ways with clients and families within a variety of community and facility contexts
Provide personal care and assistance in a safe, competent and organized manner
Recognize and respond to own self-development, learning and health enhancement needs
Perform the care provider role in a reflective, responsible, accountable and professional manner

Program Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

English at the Grade 10 level with a minimum of 67% or equivalent
Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to demonstrate proficiency in English as outlined by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry. Standardized proficiency assessments and required scores in all four language skills areas (speaking, listening, reading and writing) are outlined at: http://www.cachwr.bc.ca/Educators.aspx

Additional Requirements

Applicants are required to complete the College Readiness Tool (CRT) in reading, writing and mathematics.
Three personal references and an applicant information questionnaire serve to provide evidence of the personal characteristics required by the program. Such references should be supplied by counsellors, employers, instructors or supervisors. References from friends and relatives are not acceptable for this purpose.
Criminal record check (CRC) clearance letter received by the Ministry of Justice. Selkirk College will not seek practice placements for students whose CRC is adjudicated and deemed unacceptable for working with vulnerable clients.
Individuals entering the HCA Program are advised that they must meet the requirements for immunization established for health care workers by the British Columbia Ministry of Health prior to entering clinical practice settings.
Students require basic computer skills, including knowledge of the internet, accessing online information, email and word processing.
Applicants are required to have current certification in a First Aid course that includes CPR-C and FoodSafe Level 1.

Graduation and Promotion

Promotion to Term 2 requires satisfactory completion of all theory and lab courses in Term 1 with a “C” or greater and a minimum GPA of 2.00.

Program Courses

Term 1

Code	Title	Credits	Total Hours
HCA101	Health and Healing: Concepts for Practice	5.00	70
HCA102	Health Care Assistant: Introduction to Practice	2.00	30
HCA103	Health 1: Interpersonal Communications	3.00	50
HCA104	Health 2: Lifestyle and Choices	2.00	30
HCA105	Healing 1: Caring for Individuals Experiencing Common Health Challenges	8.00	115
HCA106	Healing 2: Caring for Individuals Experiencing Cognitive or Mental Challenges	4.00	60
HCA107	Healing 3: Personal Care and Assistance	5.00	120

Term 2

Code	Title	Credits	Total Hours
HCA108	Practice Experience in Home Support and Assisted Living	2.00	60
HCA109	Practice Experience in Multi-Level/Complex Care	6.00	210

Additional Program Policies

Effective Term: Fall

Delivery Year: 2024

Effective Year: 2024

Advanced Standing:

A. ADVANCE OR TRANSFER CREDIT AND PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT

1. A student may obtain credit for a maximum of 75% of program requirements by Transfer Credit, Advanced Placement, Prior Learning Assessment or combination thereof. See Policy 8614: Advanced Standing – Course Challenge, PLA, and Transfer Credit.

Re-Entry Instructions:

1. Students in good standing who are required to withdraw for personal or compassionate reasons may apply for re-entry the next time the program is offered; admission is subject to seat availability.

2. Students must complete the entire program within 24 calendar months of initial entry. Re-entry applicants who cannot meet this deadline will not be readmitted.

3. Returning students who have completed HCA 107 will be required to successfully complete a Directed Study course prior to commencing HCA 108 & HCA 109. The Directed Study will be developed by the Program Coordinator, instructor, and student to address identified learning needs.

a) The associated tuition fee for the Directed Study course is determined by the Registrar’s Office.

Assessment:

1. Grading

Standard Academic and Career Grading Table for HCA 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 107; Competency Based Grading Table for HCA 108 and 109.

A passing grade of 60% is required for all theory and lab courses. In HCA 107, students must also demonstrate competence in psychomotor skills to obtain credit and be eligible for promotion to Semester 2.

To receive credit in HCA 108 and HCA 109, students must demonstrate competence in the program outcomes identified on page 1 of this document and complete a minimum of 270 hours of practice.

Grading Table: Other

Types of Assessments:

1. Types of Assessments

a) Assignments: may include written papers, small group projects and presentations, debate, case study, online discussions/forums, psychomotor skill testing.

b) Examinations: may include online and paper quizzes and tests, assessment of competence in practice.

c) All course assignments must be completed to achieve a passing grade.

d) The Practice Appraisal Form (PAF) is used to provide formal feedback and based on performance criteria. Student performance is assessed as satisfactory, needs improvement, or unsatisfactory.

2. Supplemental Assessment(s)

a) Requests for supplemental assessments must be received within 48 hours of the posting of marks.

b) Supplemental assessments are offered at the discretion of the instructor in consultation with the Program Coordinator and/or School Chair.

c) Students must have maintained an average grade of 60% or better in the course.

d) The result of the supplemental assessment cannot exceed 60% and is used in calculation of the final grade.

e) Supplemental assessments must be written within seven calendar days of the final examination schedule.

Program Specific Regulations:

A. PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Students in the Health Care Assistant program shall:

1. acknowledge that Indigenous specific racism and colonialism exist and that students will integrate trauma-informed practice and work towards reconciliation of Indigenous health and wellness. (See also In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous- specific Racism and Discrimination in BC Health Care, 2020).

2. conduct themselves in an informed way to be inclusive, culturally safe, and always striving towards cultural humility. (See also Selkirk College Policy 6040: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity

Attendance:

A. ATTENDANCE

1. Attendance in all classes is critical for successful achievement of program outcomes. Students are responsible for informing the instructor if they are unable to attend (due to illness or unavoidable absence). Students may be required to provide a doctor’s certificate or other documentation to substantiate the absence.

2. Students absent from an HCA class, for any reason, are responsible for the work they have missed. They must make up assignments as required.

3. Absence from more than 2 classes, for any reason, may prevent the student from being able to meet the required learning outcomes for that course. Failure to consistently attend classes will result in documented follow up with the student to resolve and may result in removal from the course if not resolved.

4. A student who must be absent from a practice or simulated learning experience is responsible for notifying the practice agency and instructor at least one hour prior to the scheduled time of the experience.

The School of Health and Human Services cannot undertake to provide substitute or "make up" learning experiences in HCA courses when students have been absent, for any reason.

Other regulations:

A. REQUIRED WITHDRAWAL (See Selkirk College Policy 3400 Student Code of Conduct)

1. Breaches in confidentiality are grounds for dismissal from the HCA program.

2. Students who compromise the safety of clients in practice courses will be required to withdraw from the HCA program.