Health Care Aide

Workplace Education

Are you currently working as a health care aide, or in an equivalent care-giving position, and want to become certified? The Workplace Education option is offered throughout Alberta in partnership with health-care employers. It can be taken over twelve months, allowing you to study at home and have your skills assessed by a NorQuest College trained tutor at your worksite.

In this partnership NorQuest College provides:

• course materials using the 2019 Alberta health care aide provincial curriculum
• HCA tutor orientation and support
• accredited health care aide certification

The health-care employer (agency) provides a sufficient number of tutors who:

• collaborate with students for registration
• supervise students during exams or designate a proctor who oversees exams with students. The program has a total of six online exams (one exam in each theory course)
• evaluate clinical skills
• mentor and support student learning and growth
• collaborate with NorQuest College to help the students progress through the program

Upon successful completion of the NorQuest courses, each student must pass the Alberta Health Care Aide Provincial Exam before receiving their health care aide certification.

Program delivery

Health Care Aide Workplace Education students learn the course content through self-study of the learner materials, and progress through the program according to a schedule that begins at the first of a month and continues for 12 consecutive months. Assessment of theory is evaluated through scheduled online course exams. Assessment of clinical skills is evaluated by the registered tutor.

Program costs

See Costs and courses for details.

There are additional costs for:

• textbooks. Books can be purchased through the NorQuest College bookstore, The Core
• the Alberta HCA Provincial Exam

Program expectations

The employer must provide sufficient equipment for evaluation of all skills in the program. Tutors will evaluate students by observing performance of all the clinical skills, using proper equipment and techniques, in each course. Where possible, skills should be performed on a client. Simulations may also be used for any skills that are not available to be performed during client care.

• Tutors are employees of the agency and must be currently licensed nurses - RNs, LPNs or RPNs. Tutors attend an orientation that prepares them to follow NorQuest College guidelines when facilitating the students through the program. Tutors and supervisors sign a declaration on the student’s application form to confirm that NorQuest policies and procedures will be followed for each student in the program.
• Students must be working in the role of a health care aide or similar and be employees of the agency. To become a Workplace delivery student, you must apply to NorQuest College through ApplyAlberta and choose the Health Care Aide Workplace option.

NorQuest College Health Care Aide Workplace Education staff assist by monitoring the program and are available to orient and support tutors, as well as answer questions from students. Staff are also available to assist managers and tutors to organize implementation of the Health Care Aide Workplace Education delivery at new partner worksites.

Email HCA.Workplace@NorQuest.ca or call 780.644.6400 for further information about the Workplace Education delivery.