Patient Attendant (Health Care Assistant) Training

Patient Attendant Certificate Overview

Health care Assistant training is designed to equip an individual with competencies required to participate in provision of health services support in a hospital set up, home-based care, or other care-giving environment.

Health care assistants (nurse aides) work with various kinds of patients and persons, including:

  • Older adults: Patient attendants often work with older adults who need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating. They may also provide companionship and help with medication management.
  • People with disabilities: Patient attendants work with people with a variety of disabilities, including physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. They may provide assistance with mobility, communication, and personal care. For instance, working with children with disabilities to provide assistance with even their educational needs.
  • People with chronic illnesses: Patient attendants help people with chronic illnesses manage their conditions and maintain their independence. They may provide assistance with medication administration, wound care, and symptom management.
  • People with mental health conditions: Patient attendants work with people with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. They may provide support and encouragement, help with medication management, and monitor for signs of worsening symptoms.
  • Terminally ill patients: Patient attendants provide palliative care to terminally ill patients, focusing on comfort and quality of life. They may provide assistance with pain management, personal care, and emotional support.

Health Patient Attendant Course Details

On successful completion of the course, the patient attendant (health care aide) will be skilled in:

  • Assisting clients/patients in their homes, community, or clinic setting.
  • Preventing nosocomial infections
  • Providing patient care services to the patients
  • Ensuring patient safety
  • Taking vital signs and maintaining its records in the medical chart
  • Communicating the patient’s needs to effective channels
  • Feeding the patient and ensuring that their dietary needs are met
  • Assisting patients to use medical devices and equipment as required
  • Providing support to patients who need assistance for walking or standing
  • Assisting in the transportation of the patient.
  • Helping with daily life chores like bathing and dressing
  • Overseeing the administration of medication
  • Changing the position of the patient to prevent bedsores

Some of the Core units covered include:

    • First Aid Services 
    • Infection prevention and control 
    • Medical Legal and Ethics
    • Basic Pharmacology 
    • Basic Physiotherapy
    • Mental Health (psychosocial health support)
    • Basic Hospital Procedures (Facility Organization, Housekeeping, Store, Catering, etc.)
    • Common Diseases
    • Medical Terminologies
    • Outpatient and Inpatient Supportive Services
    • Mortuary Techniques

Course Details

An individual entering this course should have any of the following minimum requirements:

  1. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Certificate (D- and above)        

This course is designed to take 6 months of coursework and clinical practice, followed by 2 months of industrial attachment.

Students who scored D- (D Minus) in their KCSE are advised to choose the shorter 4-month Patient Attendant Course, and then advance to the 6 month course later on if they do choose. You will still be required to do 2 months of attachment. 

There will be:

  1. Continuous internal assessments coordinated by BCTI
  2. After completion of the course, you will also sit for TVET-CDACC exams. 

You must undergo an industrial attachment for a period of 2/3 months in a recognized hospital.

There are two options for advancing in your career as a nursing assistant after completing our patient attendant course:

1. Sit for TVET-CDACC Examination

Students planning to get a practicing license as Healthcare Support Assistants (HSA) in Kenya can sit for the TVET-CDACC Examination for Health Services Support (HSS as follows):

  • D- (D minus) students will sit for HSS Level IV examination 
  • D plain (and above) students will sit for HSS Level V examination. 

If you have studied caregiver course in other institutions that are not registered, and wish to sit for your TVET exams, we can schedule online remedial classes to help you prepare adequately. Please contact us for more information. 

PLEASE NOTE:

  1. TVET Exams come at an additional cost of between KShs 1,000 and 2,000 per paper (There are 8 papers for the 4 month course, and 15 papers for the 6 month course). The actual cost will be communicated by the examining body when they open candidate registration. 
  2. Exams are held 3 times a year: March, July, and November. 
  3. For students with 16 exam papers, you can only sit for a maximum of 8 of them per exam session. So, if you sit for 8 papers in March, the earliest you can sit for the next batch of 7/8 is in July. 
  4. Becoming licensed as a Healthcare Support Assistant involves certain costs, including an initial 10k for registration with KHPOA (Kenya Health Professionals Oversight Authority), and an annual fee of 5000 to renew your license. 

2. Become a Caregiver Abroad 

Our BCTI certificate is internationally recognized! This is good news for students looking to work in foreign countries like Canada (LMIA jobs for foreigners). Some of our students have used our certificate to gain employment as health care assistants in neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania, and other countries, including the Gulf Region. 

Many of our students hope to travel overseas to work as nurse aides or caregivers in the developed countries, especially the UK, US, Australia, and Germany. That said, upon arriving in these countries, you will have to enroll in a short caregiver course to satisfy the specific requirements of that country. Since these requirements are unique for each country, at BCTI, we give you a solid foundation and impart you with the skills needed to start working immediately you get there, as you do any other additional training required. 

In addition, you may need to learn the national language for the country that you plan on going to work. Like German or Japanese. For English speaking nations, you may need to take some language tests as needed. 

We will continue to partner with the agents who facilitate employment and travel to these countries to assist our students in attaining their career goals. 

But we believe that home is best, and the local market is increasingly embracing the role of caregivers, especially to help improve the standard of living for the elderly. 

If successfully completed, the candidate will be awarded a certificate by Beta Care Training Institute. 

Upon passing TVET- CDACC Exam, you will also be awarded a TVET certificate

You can then proceed to apply for a Healthcare Support Assistant License on the E-Citizen platform. 

9,000 per month or 27k per Trimester. This includes

  • Bed and mattress
  • 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and supper)
  • 2 teas (10 am and 4 pm)
  • Free WiFi
  • Hot showers 
  • Good security

Your application will not be processed before the payment is received.

The 1,000/- registration fee should be paid by Direct Deposit to:

  • Bank: Co-operative Bank
  • Branch: Githunguri
  • Account name: Beta Care Training Institute
  • Account no: 1192538722900

You can also pay via Lipa na M-Pesa; Paybill

  • Business number: 400222
  • Account number: 7229#ID No

Career guidance and job placement assistance 

We understand that launching a career in healthcare can be exciting, but also come with questions. That’s why we offer career guidance and job placement assistance – locally and abroad – to empower our patient attendant (healthcare assistant) students every step of the way:

Career Guidance:

  • Explore your career options: identify your strengths and interests, and set achievable goals.
  • Resume and cover letter design: Learn how to craft compelling application materials that showcase your skills and experience to potential employers.
  • Interview preparation: Gain confidence and practice your communication skills through mock interviews and feedback sessions.

Job Placement Assistance:

  • Access to job networks featuring healthcare assistant positions
  • Gain valuable hands-on experience through internship placements at healthcare facilities
  • Link you to job agents sending patient attendants to Gulf, Japan, Australia, US…

With our guidance and support, you’ll be well-prepared to impress employers and stand out from the competition.

Reporting Date for next Intake

January 2025

Please call 0708177909 for more information. 

FAQ - Healthcare Support Assistant Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose our 6-month program?

If you have a D plain and above, and wish to work in Kenya as a patient attendant, then doing our 6-month course is the best path to becoming a licensed healthcare support assistant (HSA). After completing our course, you only need to sit for the TVET CDACC exams and then pay for the license.

Why do I need an HSA License?

All health workers in government hospitals need a license, including patient attendants. A license will make you eligible to apply for jobs in county and sub-county health facilities.

Can I still work as a PA without a license?

Yes. Many private and mission hospitals, as well as senior care facilities and even private individuals, hire nurse aides all the time, within the country and across borders, without asking for a license. As a learning institution, we want to keep you informed. We also won't force you to sit for the TVET CDACC exams to get your license. You can proceed with that at your own discretion.

Why choose our 4-month program?

This program will also give you the skills you need to work as a nurse assistant in all kinds of settings. The only difference? You won't qualify for the HSA license unless you take extra classes provided in the 6-month program.

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