What is HCAP?

HCAP is a provincial program that provides a path for applicants with no health care experience to get hired and receive paid health care assistant training as part of their employment. HCAP is building bridges, from education to employment, by reducing the financial cost for program participants. This initiative also supports the increased need for additional staff in long-term care, assisted living, and home and community care settings.

Learn more about the HCAP program from the Government of B.C.

Role Descriptions

All successful program applicants must start as a health care support worker before advancing to a health care assistant position.

Health Care Support Worker (HCSW)

As an HCSW, you will work under the direction of a Registered Nurse or another regulated healthcare professional and perform a variety of non-direct and/or non-clinical healthcare supports to clients and families in home settings in accordance with the established care plan and safety requirements.  

Typical duties include:

• Participating as an integral member of a health care delivery team
• Establishing a caring relationship with clients, residents and families
• Providing support and assistance with mealtime activities
• Providing support and assistance in carrying out activities
• Performing housekeeping duties
• Greeting and directing visitors
• Restocking supplies
• Completing and maintaining relevant records

Health care support workers earn $22.32 an hour.

Health Care Assistant (HCA)

Health care assistants are members of the health care team who provide personal care in a variety of health care settings including acute care hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes, residential care and community care.

They are supervised by registered nurses or other regulated health care professionals and follow established care plans to provide personal care such as bathing, grooming, dressing, assisting with meals and oral hygiene.

Other duties include:

• Helping in the delivery of nursing care, including taking temperature, pulse and respiration readings
• Documenting information on a patient’s chart
• Responding to call bells/alarms in hospital settings
• Observing and monitoring patient progress, symptoms and behavioural changes and reporting significant observations
• Utilizing mechanical aides (specialty beds, lifts, wheelchairs and stretchers) to transport patients
• Providing assistance with positioning, lifting and/or transferring patients using established lifting/safety techniques
• Maintaining a clean and safe environment for patients and staff

On average, health care assistants earn an annual provincial salary of $45,883.

What’s Next?

If HCAP sounds like a good fit for you, start your application today with submitting an expression of interest to the Health Care Access Program.

Following your expression of interest, your name and contact information will be shared with employers, including Louis Brier Home and Hospital, recruiting for health care support worker positions in your preferred region or community.