Requirements
Practical Nursing Access for Health Care Assistants
Admission requirements
When you apply you'll need:
- grade 12 graduation or equivalent;
- to submit proof of a letter grade of “C+” or higher in English 12 or TPC 12 or assessment;
- to submit proof of a letter grade of “C+” or higher in Math 10 or MATH 034 or assessment;
- to submit proof of a letter grade of “C+” or higher in Biology 12 or BIOL 080 or BIOL 100.
- Submit proof of a Health Care Assistant
or Resident Care
Attendant certificate from a British Columbia
public college* **; - Submit proof (such as an employer letter of reference) of 850 hours of satisfactory RCA/HCA work experience within the last five years.
*Note that Long Term Care Aid or Continuing Care Assistant graduates will first need to upgrade their certificates to RCA/HCA level.
**If your credential is NOT from a BC public post-secondary institution, you need to have your credential & competency assessed for equivalency to Camosun College's HCA program.
We strongly recommend you have basic computer literacy including experience with keyboarding and email skills prior to entering the program.
Participation requirements
- You'll be required to attend an orientation on the first day of class;
- A TB test is compulsory. TB testing must be done within 3 months of the practicum start and you must provide documentation of this prior to the start of the first clinical placement. Hepatitis B and flu vaccinations are highly recommended and are available at local health clinics or through a physician;
- You must have a Criminal Record Check done prior to the Practicum. Any Criminal Record Checks done outside of the College will NOT be accepted and will result in additional cost to the student. The process of applying for the appropriate Criminal Record Checks will be explained during your Program orientation period (usually within the first 2 weeks). The College will then supply you with a reference number for the check to be done and will advise you on which forms to complete. See official document.
- Current Standard First Aid with CPR
Level C is required prior to the first
clinical placement. The student will
be responsible for the cost of this certification.
First Aid, CPR Information, Standard First Aid and CPR Level C can be obtained from St. John Ambulance, Red Cross, HeartSafe and community and recreation centres.
The work environment in which you'll be employed requires demanding lifting and moving techniques and extensive hand washing. If you have back, neck, or arm injury or serious skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis or latex allergy you should consider carefully before making an application to this program.
Clinical placements and a preceptorship are mandatory components of this program. Clinical placements include day and evening shifts, and if necessary, may include weekends. Clinical placements and the preceptorship are arranged at local agencies.
Completion requirements
All theory courses must be passed with a minimum 65% (“C+”) to progress into clinical placement. All clinical placements must be passed to progress into the next semester, into the final preceptorship and to obtain a certificate in Practical Nursing.
Upon completion of the program, you’ll be eligible to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam, required for licensure in BC.
