Registration Information for Canadian-licensed LPNs, RNs, and RPNs

Are you a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or registered psychiatric nurse licensed to practice in Canada? To be eligible to work as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in any publicly funded health care setting in BC, applicants must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.  

Application Requirements:

Canadian Nursing Licence

As a Canadian-trained or Canadian-licensed LPN, RN, or RPN you need to supply official proof of your current (or recently expired) LPN /RN/RPN nursing licence. This proof should show your status and registration number. Proof of payment is also sufficient.

Note: If you are not licensed to practise in BC, you will need to supply a resume outlining your experience working as a licensed LPN, RN, or RPN in Canada within the past five years. Your resume should be combined with your nursing licence and uploaded in the same file.

Proof of training from your Educational Institution(s)

You will need to provide information about your health care education and training, and supply one of these accepted documents:

• Certificate/Diploma/Degree
• Official transcript

* Nursing program must be approved by a Canadian nursing regulatory body.

If the name on your documents does not match the name on your application, please upload official proof of your name change:

• Marriage Certificate
• Certificate of Name Change

For information on how to apply for a legal change of name, refer to the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.

Registration Information for Graduates of a Canadian HCA Program (outside of BC)

Are you a graduate of an HCA program in Canada (or HCA equivalent)? To be eligible to work as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in any publicly funded health care setting in BC, applicants must be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.

There are two pathways to registration for Graduates of Health Care Assistant (HCA) Programs* in Canada: the Expedited Pathway and the HCA Competency Assessment Pathway. Please review the requirements for each pathway to determine the one most suitable for you before you click ‘Apply’.

 *Examples of Program Names in other Canadian provinces and territories: Health Care Aide (Alberta and Manitoba), Continuing Care Assistant (Saskatchewan), Personal Support Worker (Ontario, New Brunswick and Northwest Territories), Home and Continuing Care Worker (Nunavut), Continuing Care Assistant (Nova Scotia), Resident Care Worker (PEI), Home Support Worker / Personal Care Attendant (Newfoundland & Labrador). 

Notification of Temporary Changes to Expedited Pathway​

Expedited Pathway:

To qualify for this pathway, you must meet the requirements of Category 1 or Category 2 below:

Category 1:

For applicants who, in addition to their Canadian HCA Program credential, can provide proof of recent HCA work experience (1,125 practice hours in the last 3 years or 450 practice hours in the last year) in a Canadian province or territory, and obtain a satisfactory HCA Nurse Manager Competency Reference Form (a satisfactory reference will indicate that all competencies have been met) from a recent nurse supervisor who has supervised the applicant within the last three years.

OR 

Category 2:

For applicants who graduated from a Canadian HCA education program in the last two years, who do not have enough practice hours to qualify for Category 1, and can obtain a satisfactory HCA Clinical Instructor Competency Reference Form from their clinical instructor (nurse who supervised and evaluated them during clinical practice). A satisfactory competency reference is one that indicates all competencies have been met.

DISCLAIMER: At any time in the process, should you choose to take the HCA Competency Assessment, this pathway is available as an option.

HCA Competency Assessment Pathway:

For applicants who do not meet the requirements of the Expedited Pathway

OR

For applicants who choose the Competency Assessment Pathway over the Expedited Pathway.

Registration Information for Graduates of an HCA Program in BC

Are you a graduate of an HCA program in BC? To be eligible to work as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in any publicly funded health care setting in BC, applicants must be registered with BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry.

Application Requirements:

Proof of training from your Educational Institution(s)

You will need to provide information about your HCA education and training in BC, and supply one of these accepted documents:

• Certificate
• Official transcript
• Official letter of completion from your educational institution

If the name on your documents does not match the name on your application, please upload official proof of your name change:

• Marriage Certificate
• Certificate of Name Change

For information on how to apply for a legal change of name, refer to the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.