FORT NELSON – Residents in the Fort Nelson region will have a special education and training opportunity starting in January 2014 at Northern Lights College.
A special intake of the College’s Health Care Assistant (HCA) program will be hosted at NLC’s Fort Nelson Campus, starting in January, and continuing through until early August 2014.
Students will undertake theory and lab sessions at the Fort Nelson Campus and the Fort Nelson Hospital for the first five months of the program until the end of May. For the final two months of the program, the program will shift primarily to Fort St. John, where students will complete clinical practica sessions at the Peace Villa Care Home adjacent to the new Fort St. John Hospital.
“We are extremely excited to be able to offer the Health Care Assistant program in Fort Nelson, for residents of the Northern Rockies region,” said Laurie Dolan, Fort Nelson campus administrator. “We know that when we are able to provide this type of training locally, it benefits not only our students but also our area residents who eventually will be assisted by our graduates.”
According to Dolan, cooperation from Christene Morey and Betty Asher at the Fort Nelson Hospital has been outstanding.
“This initiative would not have been possible without the support of our Northern Health partners. In fact, portions of the program will actually be situated on site, at the Fort Nelson Hospital,” Dolan said.
Students in the HCA program acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively as front-line caregivers in community and facility settings. Under the direction and supervision of a health professional, graduates provide person-centred care aimed at promoting and maintaining the physical, emotional, cognitive and social well being of clients/residents in home support, adult day care, assisted living, and complex care, including special care units.
A maximum of 10 seats are available. To gain conditional acceptance into the program, applicants must provide BC high school transcripts indicating they have completed Grade 10, with a minimum C in Grade 10 English, or successfully complete the Grade 10 English level of the Canadian Adult Achievement Test.
For applicants who currently do not meet these admission criteria, upgrading classes are available in the Fall semester through the Career and College Preparation department at the Fort Nelson Campus.
Upon conditional acceptance, students must then complete the following to gain confirmed acceptance:
• Current CPR (Basic Life Support) Level C with a Standard First Aid program (two days).
• Medical form completed by a physician, indicating applicant is of suitable physical and mental health.
• Proof of a negative TB screening test.
• Up-to-date immunizations including: Hep B series; Diptheria/Tetanus; Polio; Measles, Mumps, Rubella; Varicella, seasonal influenza and Pertussis
• B.C. FOODSAFE Level 1 Certificate.
• Clear Criminal Record Check.
The HCA program starts Jan. 6, 2014, and runs until Aug. 8. Regular tuition and fees, as outlined in the College’s Tuition and Fee Schedule, are applicable. Residence accommodation at the Fort St. John Campus will be provided at no additional cost to students during the clinical portion of the program in June and July. It is recommended that each student have a personal laptop for class and study purposes.
For more information, to start the enrolment process for HCA, or to register for upgrading courses, contact the Fort Nelson Campus at 250-774-2741. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-qualified basis. For more information on the program, check the NLC website at nlc.bc.ca.