Program

Health Care Assisting (Certificate)

Currently, Douglas College is only accepting applications for the Health Care Assisting portion of the Health Care Support Work program via the BC Health Career Access program.  For those interested in Health Care Assisting please visit the Ministry's Health Care Access website and submit your expression of interest.

Please note that a temporary variance has been approved to allow English 10 with a C (or equivalent) to meet the English admission requirement for the program.

Program Update

The Program Guideline for Health Care Assisting has been updated! Effective September 2024, please review the updated information for up-to-date Admissions Requirements, Program Requirements, and course information. 

International Students are not eligible for this program.  Please see here for programs that International students can apply for:  International student programs | Douglas College

Faculty
Health Sciences
Department
Mental Health and Personal Support Work
Credits
35.00
Length of Program
Two semesters
Credential Type
Certificate
Campus
Coquitlam
Learning Format
Full-time
Admission Type
Limited Enrolment
Offered
Fall
Winter

Overview

Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide holistic care to people with diverse health needs with the Certificate in Health Care Assisting. You’ll learn how to assist people with grooming, support them in taking part in social and recreational activities, and help them maintain mobility. The general focus of this program is caring for clients with physical care needs and/or dementia. You'll also get multiple supervised practice experiences in health care settings.

Further education

With an additional semester of study you can earn a Certificate in Community Mental Health Work, which when combined with the Health Care Assisting Certificate, equips you with both physical and mental-health-care skills.

Become certified in health care

After you receive your credential, you can register with the B.C. Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry, which makes you eligible to work at publicly funded health care settings across the province.

Job opportunities

Surveys show that 94 percent of our Health Care Assisting graduates are working in the field after graduation. (Source: B.C. Student Outcomes).

NOTE: International students are not currently eligible for this program. For more information, contact Douglas College International.

NOTE: A temporary variance has been approved to allow use of English 10 with a C (or equivalent) to meet the program admission requirements. 

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:

Academic Admission Requirements:

  • Evidence of meeting the HCA Program Entry English Language Competency Requirements

 

HCA Program Entry English Language Competency Requirements:

Applicants who provide evidence of three (3) years of full-time instruction in English* must also provide proof of one (1) of the following: Applicants who cannot provide evidence of three years of full-time instruction in English* are required to provide proof of one (1) of the following standard proficiency tests from an authorized assessment agency:
  • English 11 with a minimum grade of a "C" or approved equivalent
  • Completion of college courses determined to be equivalent to Grade 11 English (or higher) by post-secondary institutions. A minimum of C grade is acceptable
  • ACCUPLACER Next Generation Tests Results: Reading 254, Writing 240 and Writeplacer 4
  • Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) or CLBPT Remote. Test in the last year. Listening 8, Speaking 8, Reading 7 and Writing 7
  • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP General or CELPIP Online). Test in the last two years. Listening 8, Speaking 8, Reading 7 and Writing 7
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic, IELTS General or IELTS Academic Online). Test in the last two years. Overall score of 6 with no level lower than 6, Speaking 6, Listening 6, Reading 6, Writing 6
  • Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL or CAEL Online). Test in the last two years. Overall Score of 60 with no level less than 50
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition). Test in the last two years. Overall score of 80 with no score lower than 22 in Speaking and Listening and no score lower than 20 in Reading and Writing

     

*Defined as three (3) years of full-time secondary and/or post-secondary education at a recognized institution on the list of Approved English-Speaking Countries (see below). Secondary education will be considered starting from grade 8. English as a Second Language (ESL) courses will not be considered.

Countries with English language systems/ intuitions where English is a primary, official language and the language used for education

American Samoa
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Dominica

Falkland Islands
Fiji
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guam
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia

Malta
Mauritius
Montserrat
New Zealand
Nigeria
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore

South Africa
Tanzania
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caico Islands
Uganda
United Kingdom
United States of America
United States Virgin Islands
Zambia
Zimbabwe

 

Non-Academic Admission Requirements

  • Be 19 years of age by December 31st of the year you enter the program.
  • A Criminal Record Check (CRC) from the Criminal Records Review Program including clearance to work with vulnerable adults. Details will be provided at the time the applicant is offered admission to the program. All costs related to the CRC are the responsibility of the applicant.
  • Admission Interview: Applicants may be required to participate in an interview with the Program Coordinator for the purposes of providing additional information and/or academic advising.
  • Information session strongly recommended.

 

Prerequisites for Practice Education

  • Immunization: A current record of immunizations must be provided. Applicants must obtain all immunizations mandated by the Health Authorities or Public Health orders to be permitted access to clinical sites. This is a prerequisite for clinical and practicum courses in the HCA Program. All costs related to required immunizations and/or testing are responsibility of the applicant.
  • FoodSafe Level 1 Certificate or equivalent.

  • First Aid Certification.

  • CPR Level “C” Certificate or “Basic Life Support (BLS)” Certificate.

  • Completion of Student Practice Education Core Orientation (SPECO).

  • LearningHub modules.

Cost

Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more. 

For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts. 

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Curriculum Framework

  • Successful completion of 35.00 credits
  • A minimum of 50% (17.5 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College.
  • Minimum grades are required, as follows:
    • C+ in all MHPS credit courses or equivalents
    • Mastery in all clinical practice and preceptorship courses
  • In good academic standing
  • Time limit to complete the program graduation requirements: 4 years. Any courses completed outside of that time limit will not be usable. Students may seek the permission of the Department/ Program to complete a credential outside the approved time limits

Course Requirements:

Course Number

Course Title

Credits

Semester 1

MHPS 1110

Concepts for Practice

3.00

MHPS 1120

Lifestyle and Introduction to Practice

3.00

MHPS 1130

Interpersonal Communications

3.00

MHPS 1140

Common Health Challenges I

3.00

MHPS 1150

Personal Care & Assistance I

4.50

MHPS 1160

Applied Practice Experience I

2.00

Semester 2

MHPS 1170

Common Health Challenges II

3.00

MHPS 1180

Cognitive and Mental Health Challenges

3.00

MHPS 1190

Personal Care & Assistance II

3.00

MHPS 1200

Applied Practice Experience II

3.75

MHPS 1300

Applied Practice Experience III

3.75

Total Credits

35.00

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

FAQs

English Proficiency Requirements

For entry English 10 with a C (or equivalent) to meet the program admission requirements for entry to the HCA program.

More Information

Personal traits which help a student succeed in this program include:
Sensitivity to the needs of others
Ability to problem-solve effectively in a limited time span
Ability to manage time effectively and handle responsibility
Ability to perform basic home management and cooking skills
Ability to speak confidently with people of all ages
Ability to develop self-awareness
Ability to be self-directed in their own learning
Ability to be flexible

Special academic requirements

These requirements apply to all program options. See individual program options for additional program requirements.

  • Standard First Aid and CPR Level C certificate is required prior to first clinical placement.

Health Region On-line Orientation (Student Practice Education Core Orientation) completion is required prior to first clinical placement.  Information will be provided during program orientation.

NOTE: A driver’s license allowing unaccompanied vehicle operation and access to a vehicle are strongly recommended to insure the required one-week clinical placement in Home Support.

Career Pathways

Health care assistants work in homes, care facilities, assisted living facilities and a variety of settings.

Career opportunities include:

  • Activity Aide/Recreation Therapy Aide
  • Attendant for Persons with Disability
  • Family Caregiver
  • Health Care Assistant/Aide
  • Home Support Worker
  • Housekeeping Aide
  • Nurses Aides/Orderlies, Patient Service Associate
  • Patient Care Aide
  • Personal Home Care Aide
  • Senior Care Assistant