Healthcare Assistant (HCA)
The Healthcare Assistant (HCA) course is designed to equip students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills required to support patients in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, residential care, and community health services. This course is ideal for those passionate about caring for others and pursuing a rewarding career in the healthcare sector.
Our comprehensive curriculum blends theory with hands-on training, preparing students to provide compassionate, high-quality care while working alongside nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Career Pathways:
Graduates may work in hospitals, nursing homes, home care, or pursue further studies in nursing or allied health.
Program Outline:
Over the course of three months, students will engage in an in-depth classroom-based program designed to build essential knowledge and practical skills needed for a career as a Healthcare Assistant. Following the classroom-based training, students will undertake a three-month clinical attachment under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional in a hospital or a healthcare facility to gain real-world experience and become familiar with the day-to-day operations of a clinical environment.
Unit 1: The Fundaments Skills of Caregiving
Introduces the core principles and practices of caregiving, focusing on compassion, dignity, and respect. Students will learn essential skills such as assisting with daily activities, maintaining patient comfort, and supporting independence, forming the foundation for effective healthcare support
Unit 2: Communication Skills
Effective communication is vital in healthcare. This unit covers verbal, non-verbal, and written communication techniques used with patients, families, and healthcare teams. Students will develop active listening skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate with empathy and professionalism.
Unit 3: Anatomy and Physiology
This unit provides foundational understanding of the human body and its systems. Students will explore how the body functions, including the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous system - essential knowledgy for recognizing changes in a patient's health and providing informed care.
Unit 4: Dementia Care and Management
Focuses on understanding dementia and the challenges it presents. Students will learn how to provide compassionate, person-centered care, manage behavioral changes, and support individuals with dignity and respect throughtout the progression of the condition.
Unit 5: Drug Administration
Introduces the safe handling and administration of medications within a healthcare setting. Students will learn about common drug types, dosage calculation, proper storage, documentation, and the importance of following protocols to ensure patient safety and compliance with legal standards
Unit 6: Hospital Layout
This unit familiarizes students with the structure and flow of a typical hospital environment. It covers key departments, emergency access points, equipment zones, and patient care areas, helping students navigate healthcare facilities efficiently and understand how different units work together to deliver care.
Unit 7: Communicable Diseases
This unit explores the causes, transmission, and prevention of infectious diseases. Students will learn about common communicable illnesses, modes of spread, and the importance of infection control practives, including isolation procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage
Unit 8: Home Based Care
Prepares students to deliver quality care in a home setting. It covers adapting care plans to individual needs, promoting independence, maintaining a safe home environment, and providing emotional and physical support to clients outside of clinical facilities
Unit 9: Emergencies and First Aid
This unit equipsstudents with essential skills to respond effectively in medical emergencies. Topics includ ebasic first aid techniques, CPR, managing injuries, and recognizing signs of common emergencies to provide immediate care and support until professional help arrives
Unit 10: Basic Counselling
Introduces fundamental counselling skills to support patients emotionally and psychologically. Students learn active listening, empathy and techniques to porvide comfort and guidance, helping individuals cope with illness, stress and life changes
Unit 11: Diet and Nutrition
This unit covers the principles of healthy eating and nutrition tailored to patient care. Students will learn about dietary requirements, meal planning, special diets, and the role nutrition plays in recovery and maintaining overall health
Unit 12: Pysiotherapy
This unit introduces the basics of physiotherapy and its role in patient rehabilitation. Students will learn about common technoques to support mobility, relieve pain, and improve physical function, as well as how to assist patients with prescribed exercises saafely