Health Care Assistant: introduction to practice (HLSC 600)

This course is designed to help participants understand the health care system and culture in British Columbia, and the role of the Health Care Assistant (HCA) in the province. This course will appeal to students who have come to BC from other parts of Canada, or other parts of the world, as well as native British Columbians who want to work as Health Care Assistants.

Please note: this course will not provide the qualifications necessary to receive a BC Care Aide Registry number.

For more information on becoming an HCA or for an assessment of existing skills and credentials, please visit the BC Care Aide website here. 

For information on the full Health Care Assistant program offered by Douglas College, please visit the program homepage here. 

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

• discuss the foundational concepts that are integral to Health Care Assistant practice;
• understand the health care system in Canada generally, and British Columbia specifically;
• discuss the roles and responsibilities of HCAs within the health care system in British Columbia;
• discuss strategies to support the effective functioning of the health care team;
• discuss the legal and ethical parameters of the HCA role and requirements for responsible and accountable practice;
• apply self-reflection and self-appraisal processes in order to recognize and respond to own self-development needs as a care provider; and

confidently conduct a job-search process.

$594.00

Textbook not included in tuition fee. Contact the Douglas College Bookstore for prices and ordering information. Purchase of a textbook is not required for this course.

An overview of Foundational Concepts

• Workplace Settings and Contexts
• Teamwork in Health Care Settings
• Legal and Ethical Issues
• Professional Approaches to Practice
• Self-Reflective Practice
• Employability Skills

Required reading will be provided within the course. Textbook readings will be from Wilk, M. J. (2021). Sorrentino’s Canadian textbook for the support worker (5^th Canadian ed.). Elsevier.

This is the textbook used by most Health Care Assistant programs at colleges throughout BC. If you wish to look at the whole textbook, it will be available at most public college libraries. We have retained the original page numbers to make it easier if you are looking at the textbook. The course pack pages will be presented in the module they apply to; you may also be directed to look back at earlier modules for readings.

As well as the textbook, there will be links to other documents and websites for you to read.

Interactive online course in Blackboard.

Due to the nature of an online delivery, the student will be expected be proficient in computer skills including email, adding attachments, navigating the internet etc. Resources for getting started with Blackboard are available online to help get the student comfortable in the Blackboard environment.

Grade will be assessed based on completion of:

• 3 discussion postings
• 4 activities/assignments
• 6 quizzes
• Final exam (65% required to pass exam)

Minimum grade to pass is C+ (65%).

Successful course completion proven with official transcript request.  

Registration is easy: simply call CE Registration at 604 527 5472 and quote the CRN (below) for the session you are interested in. Payment of the tuition fee must accompany registration.

Instructions on how to access your course materials will be emailed to you by the Program Assistant within five (5) business days prior to your chosen course start date.