Work in the health care sector

Health care support workers are supervised by registered nurses or other regulated health care professionals. They provide a variety of critical non-clinical, care supports to patients and residents in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities or acute care settings.

Typical duties may include:

• Participating as a key 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 are paid at the grid 11 level of the Hospital and Hospital Employees’ Union 2022-25 facilities and community health services collective agreements.

Health care assistants are members of the health care team who provide personal care in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes, long-term 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.

Common duties may 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
• Using mechanical aides (e.g. specialty beds, lifts, wheelchairs and stretchers) to transport patients
• Assisting 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 $50,054. 

Visit Choose2Care to find out more about being a health care assistant, what they do, and the qualities that help make someone a good fit.

Submit your expression of interest.

If you receive and accept an offer of employment from an employer, work and/or training will begin as soon as possible.

Entry requirements

Education

• English 10, or equivalency:
  • English language competency requirements are established by the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry
  • Assessment criteria is different for people whose first language is English and those whose first language is not English
  • Some post-secondary institutions (PDF,175KB) may have higher education requirements. Tuition-free upgrading may be available

If English is not your first language, English Language Learning courses are available.

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain relationships with clients, residents and co-workers
• Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position
• Ability to operate related equipment

Background checks

You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to participate in HCAP and will need to undergo a vulnerable sector criminal record check as part of the hiring process.

By Order of the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), all health care workers in public health care facilities are required to report their COVID-19 and influenza immunization status, as well as their immunity to other critical vaccine-preventable diseases.

Applicants to the program should be prepared to provide their immunization status or exemption to employers during the application process.

All individuals hired into the HCAP must complete a provincially standardized orientation and onboarding program. You will be paid for your time and one-time funding is available for pre-requisite course fees. 

When you complete the orientation, you will begin work as a health care support worker. Your employer might require further employer-specific training at your worksite.

While working, you will get the opportunity to learn more about the team, duties, setting and clients that make up the sector.

After your work placement as a health care support worker, you will begin a full-time health care assistant education program at a post-secondary institution:

• Only employees who successfully complete the health care assistant orientation will be eligible to work as health care support workers
• The program is delivered as a partnership between your employer and a post-secondary institution. The training is expected to last approximately one year and is offered to you at no expense

During this time, you will be paid a weekly educational stipend while attending full-time classes or participating in clinical training as part of the education program. The stipend is equivalent to the amount paid when employed as a full-time health care support worker. 

Upon completion of the education program, you will earn a recognized post-secondary certificate and are eligible to register as a health care assistant

Once registered as a health care assistant, you are required to complete a 12-month return of service.

If you do not accept employment or complete the 12-month return of service, you must pay back the educational stipend and other education costs.

Health care assistants can work throughout B.C. in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities, provide community home support and contribute to care that is delivered in acute care hospital settings.