Information on this page is outdated. Please review RECENT NEWS ITEM POSTED HERE: Temporary Emergency Registration (TER) for Nursing Students ends January 31, 2024 – CareAide BC (cachwr.bc.ca).
June 14, 2022
As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry (The Registry) will continue to send emails directly to those impacted by updates and to those applicants with questions. All updates and announcements will be consolidated on this webpage; please check back on a regular basis for updated information.
TEMP registrants who have not yet met nursing coursework requirements for full registration as HCAs will be provided with an opportunity to transition to full HCA registration through a time-limited alternate process.
The alternate process must be initiated by TEMP registrants themselves and, as part of the alternate process, their employers have a role. When the public health emergency is declared over, detailed information about this alternate transition process will be published on this webpage and information will also be emailed to all TEMP registrants.
The alternate process will cease to exist 30 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency is declared over, at which time regular application requirements for nursing students will be in effect.
Interim Registration Measures and Updates for Educators
The Registry is aware that COVID-19 has further increased the demand for Health Care Assistants (HCAs).
The Registry’s top priority at the time is to process applications and register HCAs.
To remove barriers during this challenging time, the Registry has implemented a number of interim measures to support registration.
The Registry will:
- Accept unofficial transcripts temporarily (subject to full verification at a later date)
Online application here.
Please see further information Specific Updates for BC HCA Program Education Programs.
Important Note: BC HCA program graduate applicants must provide evidence of program completion. Incomplete transcripts indicating the HCA program is still in progress are not accepted. Transcripts must show final grades assigned for all required HCA courses. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
The Registry will:
- Accept unofficial transcripts, temporarily (subject to full verification at a later date)
- Waive the character reference letter requirement (students may attach the mandatory post secondary competency reference letter twice).
See Appendix 1 Nursing Student Programs – Coursework for Full HCA Registration.
Temporary Emergency Registration – Nursing Students
Temporary Emergency Registration will be automatically extended as long as the public health emergency related to COVID-19 remains in effect. When the public health emergency related to COVID-19 is declared over, the registration of nursing students holding Temporary Emergency Registration will automatically expire after 30 days.
For nursing program students who do not meet established coursework criteria for full registration, temporary registration will be possible for nursing students who apply online and provide evidence of successful completion of a minimum of one semester of foundational nursing coursework, with:
- Completion of a nursing skills course (including personal care skills lab practice and assessment)
- Supervised clinical experience in long term care and/or acute care setting (subject to program competency verification)
- A Nursing Program Administrator (e.g., Coordinator, Assistant Dean, Dean) must provide students with a competency reference letter that follows the Student Competency Letter Template.
Online application here.
IMPORTANT: To transition from temporary registration status to full registration status, you must provide evidence of completion of nursing program coursework as per Appendix 1 Nursing Student Programs – Coursework. Please send to register@cachwr.bc.ca or send a message with attached documentation in your online Registry account.
Specific Updates for BC Health Care Assistant Education Programs
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve, the Registry is aware of and is monitoring the impact on Health Care Assistant (HCA) education programs, faculty and students, and we want to extend our support as needed.
Update – September 3, 2021
The Registry has implemented a Temporary Framework for Remote HCA Program Compliance Reassessment for recognized HCA programs. Use of this temporary framework has been extended until further notice due to COVID-19.
In response to the Provincial Health Officer’s directive to educational institutions, health authorities and/or practice education placement sites, HCA programs may be required to move to virtual instruction or to cancel classes, labs and/or student practice placements.
Recognized HCA programs are asked to be in contact with the Registry regarding any changes to program delivery, including but not limited to the following:
- Remote learning (e.g. moving to offer courses online or via videoconference, etc.)
- Practice education placements (e.g., interrupted or cancelled placements, etc.)
- One time funded programs (e.g., delayed or interrupted, etc.)
- Temporary program suspensions (e.g. due to closure of a campus, etc.)
- Delays and/or cancellations to regularly scheduled program intakes
HCA programs will be responsible for documenting modifications made to programs during the pandemic emergency period, including changes in access to practice education placements and alternate methods of course delivery. The Registry may request reporting on these adjustments as part of the education program review process or as verification that new graduates have met requirements for registration.
Modification to address these extenuating circumstances are permitted in the short term for the duration of the pandemic only and not precedent-setting or to become permanent changes to the program.
In the event that the pandemic continues long term, additional requirements may be set.
The Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) may set additional requirements.
For more information or to report changes to your program, please email Education@cachwr.bc.ca.
For further reference, please view:
COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus – Provincial Health Officer Orders and Notices
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
*Original news article publish date: April 6th, 2021