12 weeks
Healthcare Assistance
Personal care, safe transfers, infection control and dignity-first practice.
In-person Course details
Health & Community Care
Practical Nursing
A step beyond care assistance and toward clinical practice. You will take and interpret observations, understand common medications and treatments, document accurately, and learn when a change in a patient matters and who to escalate it to.
- Duration
- 12 weeks (3 months)
- Delivery
- In-person training
- Format
- Training and workshop style
- Study load
- 20 hours per week
- Class size
- 14 learners maximum
- Award
- CTC Certificate of Completion
- Visa route
- Visitor Visa
- Campus
- Nanaimo, British Columbia
What you will be able to do
By the end of the twelve weeks you will have demonstrated each of these practically, under supervision, in our workshops.
- Take a full set of observations and interpret them
- Recognise a deteriorating patient and escalate correctly
- Document care accurately and hand over clearly
- Support safe medication administration under supervision
Course structure
Twelve weeks, running Monday to Friday at 20 hours per week. Roughly seventy percent of contact time is practical work.
- 1Week 1–2 — Scope of practice, ethics, consent and confidentiality
- 2Week 3–4 — Anatomy, physiology and clinical terminology
- 3Week 5–6 — Vital signs, early warning scores and interpreting change
- 4Week 7–8 — Medication awareness, routes, safety checks and recording
- 5Week 9–10 — Wound care, infection control and specimen handling
- 6Week 11–12 — Care planning, documentation, handover and simulated ward days
Where it can lead
This is entry-level vocational training. It is designed to make you employable in supporting and assistant roles, and to give you a credible starting point for an apprenticeship or further certification.
Practical nurse assistantClinical care assistantWard support workerCare home senior carer
Entry requirements
- Minimum age 18 at the start of the intake
- Secondary school certificate or equivalent work experience
- Conversational English (CLB 4 / IELTS 4.5 equivalent) — no test certificate required
- A valid passport with at least 6 months validity beyond the intake end date
- Physically able to assist with patient handling
No documents are required to apply. We may ask to see your passport and qualification certificates during enrolment, after your place is confirmed.
How to apply
The full process takes around ten weeks from application to arrival. Here are the first four steps.
- 1
Submit application
YouComplete the online application form with your personal details, qualification, and the subject area and course you would like to study. No documents need to be uploaded.
15 minutes
- 2
Application review
CTCThe CTC admissions team reviews your application against the entry requirements for your chosen course and confirms seat availability for your intended intake.
3–5 working days
- 3
Receive invitation letter
CTCSuccessful applicants receive an official invitation letter by email, confirming the course, intake dates, delivery mode and fees. This letter supports your visitor visa application.
Within 2 working days of a decision
- 4
Pay CAD 150 admission fee
YouPay the one-off admission fee to confirm your place. Your seat is held for the intake named on your invitation letter.
Within 14 days of the invitation letter
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Ready to start Practical Nursing?
Twelve weeks, in person, on the tools. Submit your application in about fifteen minutes — no documents to upload.
12 weeks · In-person training · Study permit not required — attend on a visitor visa