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-givers and respected members of the healthcare team. Under the direction and supervision of a health professional, graduates provide person-centred care aimed at promoting and maintaining the physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual health and well-being of clients and families. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to work in a variety of practice settings including home support, assisted living, complex care, special care units, other home and community care settings, and acute care.

Students can begin their health career education at NLC by completing HCA program in 31-34 weeks. Upon completion of a minimum of 600 hours of work experience as a Heath Care Assistant, graduates can bridge into the Access to Practical Nursing Diploma program, where after an additional 16 months of study they will graduate with their Diploma in Practical Nursing.

Students in NLC’s HCA program have an average of 28 hours of classes, laboratories, and other learning activities per week. A comparable number of individual study hours is required. Further, in clinical learning situations, students will be in close contact with individuals who have a variety of health issues. For these reasons, students should be at a satisfactory level of physical and emotional health to ensure success in the program.