Healthcare Assistance Certificate

Learning outcomes

• Define a Healthcare Assistant
• Describe the healthcare team
• List the qualities of a good HCA
• Explain scope of practice

Topics

1. History and evolution of healthcare assistance
2. Healthcare delivery system: Nigeria vs Canada / UK / USA
3. The healthcare team: doctor, nurse, HCA, physiotherapist
4. Role, duties and boundaries of the HCA: what to do and what not to do
5. Qualities, ethics and professional appearance
6. Work settings and career progression

Assessment

Oral Q&A, group presentation

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate therapeutic communication
• Perform an SBAR handover
• Document objectively

Topics

1. Types of communication: verbal, non-verbal, written
2. Therapeutic communication: active listening, empathy, open-ended questions
3. Barriers to communication: hearing loss, language, pain, dementia, culture
4. Communicating with difficult patients and angry families
5. SBAR & ISBAR handover tool
6. Documentation principles: objective vs subjective, late entry, incident report
7. Confidentiality: PHIPA, HIPAA and social-media ethics
8. Professionalism, time management and boundaries

Practical

Role play of 3 scenarios, SBAR handover practice, writing ADL notes

Assessment

Role-play assessment, documentation exercise

Learning outcomes

• Explain the chain of infection
• Demonstrate 100% competency in hand hygiene and PPE donning and doffing

Topics

1. Microbiology basics: bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoa
2. Chain of infection: the six links
3. How to break the chain at each link
4. Modes of transmission: contact, droplet, airborne, vehicle, vector
5. Hand hygiene: 5 moments (WHO) and the 6-step technique
6. Personal protective equipment: donning and doffing order
7. Isolation precautions: contact, droplet, airborne
8. Cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation and bleach dilution
9. Waste segregation and colour coding
10. Healthcare-associated infections (HAI): CAUTI and SSI

Practical

Hand wash with glow-gel UV test, PPE return demonstration, blood-spill cleaning, waste segregation, mask fit check

Assessment

OSCE: hand hygiene (10 steps) and PPE (15 steps) must score 100% to pass

Learning outcomes

• Accurately measure temperature, pulse, respiration, BP, pain and SpO₂
• Report red flags immediately

Topics

1. Vital signs: definition and importance
2. Temperature: normal range, fever, hypothermia, thermometer types
3. Pulse: normal 60–100 bpm, tachycardia, bradycardia, sites
4. Respiration: normal 12–20 per minute
5. Blood pressure: normal, hypertension, hypotension, cuff size and position
6. Pain: the 5th vital sign, PQRST assessment, 0–10 scale, FLACC
7. Oxygen saturation: normal 95–100%, signs of hypoxia
8. Red flags: when to report immediately
9. Documentation of vital signs and early warning scores

Practical

Manual and digital BP, pain assessment role play, vital-signs chart documentation

Assessment

Practical exam: complete vital signs on 3 people independently

Learning outcomes

• Provide dignified personal care while maintaining privacy and safety

Topics

1. ADL definition: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, feeding
2. Dignity, privacy, consent and cultural sensitivity
3. Bed bath and perineal care
4. Oral care and denture care
5. Hair, nail and foot care, including diabetic precautions
6. Dressing and undressing: weak side first
7. Toileting: bedpan, urinal, commode, incontinence care
8. Feeding: upright position, dysphagia signs, pocketing check
9. Bed making: occupied and unoccupied

Practical

Bed bath with draping, perineal care on doll, oral & denture care, dressing a hemiplegic patient simulation, feeding techniques, bed-making competition

Assessment

OSCE: bed bath, perineal care and feeding

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate safe transfer techniques using a gait belt and assistive devices

Topics

1. Body mechanics and ergonomics to prevent back injury
2. The gait belt: why we never lift under the armpits
3. Types of transfers: bed to chair, chair to toilet, bed to stretcher, one and two person, mechanical lift
4. Assistive devices: wheelchair, walker, cane
5. Log rolling for spinal precautions
6. Fall-risk assessment and prevention: Morse Fall Scale
7. What to do when a patient falls

Practical

Bed to chair with gait belt, slide sheet, wheelchair safety checks, walker use, log rolling, fall scenario simulation

Assessment

Practical demonstration: safe transfer

Learning outcomes

• Provide nutritional support
• Maintain elimination records
• Prevent pressure ulcers

Topics

1. Nutrition: balanced diet, food groups, therapeutic diets
2. Hydration: fluid requirements and signs of dehydration
3. Intake and output (I&O) charting
4. Dysphagia: thickened liquids and NPO
5. Elimination: normal vs abnormal urine and stool
6. Urinary catheter care
7. Enema: HCA role and bedpan cleaning
8. Skin anatomy and pressure-ulcer stages 1–4, Braden Scale
9. Pressure-ulcer prevention: reposition every 2 hours

Practical

Therapeutic diet tray, thickened fluids, I&O documentation, catheter care, Braden scoring, repositioning with pillows

Assessment

Written assignment: meal plan for a diabetic patient

Learning outcomes

• Provide care for clients with stroke, dementia and diabetes
• Manage challenging behaviours safely

Topics

1. Stroke: types, FAST assessment, care of a hemiplegic patient
2. Dementia: types, stages, sundowning, wandering, hallucinations
3. Delirium vs dementia vs depression
4. Diabetes: hypoglycaemia vs hyperglycaemia and foot care
5. Hypertension, COPD, asthma, arthritis, Parkinson’s and heart failure basics
6. Mental health: anxiety and depression in the elderly
7. Challenging behaviours and de-escalation techniques
8. Self-care for the HCA: burnout prevention

Practical

Care planning for stroke and dementia, de-escalation role play, communicating with an aphasic patient, diabetic foot check

Assessment

Case study analysis: 4 cases

Learning outcomes

• Respond to emergencies
• Perform CPR correctly

Topics

1. Emergency response: how to call for help and stay with the patient
2. Choking: adult, child, infant, Heimlich manoeuvre
3. Falls: immediate actions and assessment
4. Seizures: what to do and what never to do
5. Fainting, bleeding and burns first aid
6. Shock and anaphylaxis: signs
7. Recovery position
8. CPR: adult, child, infant, 30 compressions to 2 breaths, AED use
9. First aid box contents

Practical

CERTIFICATION DAY: Heimlich on manikin, recovery position, CPR 30:2 on adult and infant manikins, AED use, bandaging, bleeding control

Assessment

OSCE: CPR, choking and recovery position must score 100%

Learning outcomes

• Assist with medications safely
• Provide end-of-life comfort
• Prepare for the international job market

Topics

1. Medication forms, routes and the 5 rights + 3 checks
2. Drug classifications and side effects
3. HCA role: assist, remind, observe, document, never administer independently
4. MAR chart reading, abbreviations, storage and controlled drugs
5. Common medication mistakes
6. Palliative and end-of-life care, last offices, grief support
7. International pathway: Canada, UK and USA, recruitment agencies, avoiding scams, IELTS tips, résumé and interview preparation
8. Job placement and alumni network

Practical

Reading a MAR, assisting with inhaler and eye drops, last offices procedure, résumé workshop, mock interview, applying to 3 international agencies live

Assessment

Résumé & interview mock, MAR reading test