Health Care Assistant Diploma Program

Program Overview

The Health Care Assistant program at Stenberg College provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work as health care assistants in various settings, including hospitals, residential care facilities, and home support agencies. The program includes coursework in health and healing, interpersonal communication, personal care and assistance, and clinical practice. Graduates are eligible for registration with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry, allowing them to work in publicly funded health care settings in British Columbia.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Orientation Workshop:
Provides orientation to Stenberg College and the Health Care Assistant program. Covers student success skills, effective study habits, and Moodle navigation.
• Health and Healing: Concepts for Practice:
Introduces philosophical values and theoretical understandings for health care assistants. Focuses on caring, person-centered care, basic human needs, family, culture, diversity, and problem-solving.
• Clinical Prerequisite Certifications:
Includes industry-related training and certifications mandatory before beginning the Practice Education portion of the program.
• Health Care Assistant: Introduction to Practice:
Overviews the role of health care assistants in the British Columbia health care system. Introduces the health care team, student roles, self-reflective skills, and job-finding approaches.
• Health 1: Interpersonal Communications:
Develops self-awareness, understanding of others, and effective interpersonal communication skills for care-giving contexts. Emphasizes personal awareness, respect, and active listening.
• Health 2: Lifestyle and Choices:
Introduces a holistic concept of health and lifestyle. Explores challenges and resources impacting lifestyle choices, and a model for understanding health and healing.
• Healing 1: Caring for Individuals Experiencing Common Health Challenges:
Introduces students to the normal structure and function of the human body, as well as common health challenges related to each body system. Encourages person-centered practice, particularly in end-of-life care.
• Healing 2: Caring for Individuals Experiencing Cognitive or Mental Challenges:
Explores concepts and care-giving approaches for working with individuals with cognitive and mental challenges. Focuses on supporting clients with dementia, responsive behaviors, and person-centered intervention strategies.
• Healing 3: Personal Care and Assistance:
Teaches personal care and assistance skills within the scope of a health care assistant. Includes class and supervised laboratory experiences integrating theory to develop care-giver skills that promote comfort, safety, and independence.
• Clinical Placement in Multi-Level and/or Complex Care:
Provides supervised practice experience applying knowledge and skills with individuals in multi-level or complex care settings, including working with individuals with dementia.
• Preceptorship Placement Multi-Level/Complex:
A 2-week supervised preceptorship following the clinical placement. Students practice classroom learning and hands-on experience in a workplace setting, gaining expertise and confidence as health care assistants in a residential care facility.
• Home Support and/or Assisted Living Practicum:
Provides an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills with individuals and families in a community setting. Familiarizes students with the role of health care assistants in home support agencies and assisted living facilities.

Careers:

• Employment opportunities in:
• Hospitals and community agencies
• Residential, extended, and intermediate care facilities
• Home support agencies
• Adult care centers for seniors
• Assisted living residences
• Registration with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry, allowing graduates to work in publicly funded health care settings in British Columbia