Certificate in Patient Attendant (Health Care Assistant) Course

Patient Attendant Qualifications

A certificate in health care assistant, also referred to as a caregiver, patient attendant, or nurse aide course in Kenya is designed to equip the student with competencies required to work with a wide range of patients and persons who require assistance with daily living activities or medical care. This includes elderly care, palliative care, dementia, disability care and support, etc. They may provide care in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and private homes.

Job Opportunities include:

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Nurse Aide
• Home health aide/ caregiver
• Personal care aide
• Hospital Patient Attendant / Health Care Assistant
• Rehabilitation center aide

Skill set for a Nurse Aide

At Beta Care Training Institute (BCTI), we offer you expert faculty, a comprehensive curriculum, hands-on training, and industry-relevant skills, all of which open you up to abundant career opportunities as a caregiver or health care assistant. On successful completion of our patient attendant course, you will be skilled in:

• Assisting clients/patients in their homes, community, or clinic setting.
• Cleaning and sanitizing patient areas 
• 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
• Assisting the elderly to function normally
• Providing support to patients who need assistance for walking or standing (mobility)
• Lifting patients into beds, wheelchairs, exam tables, etc. (transfer)
• Assisting in the transportation of the patient.
• Helping with personal care like bathing and dressing, and personal hygiene, like brushing teeth
• Overseeing the administration of medication
• Changing the position of bedridden patients to prevent bedsores
• Providing and emptying bedpans 
• Changing bed sheets and restocking rooms with necessary supplies

Patient Attendant Requirements in Kenya

Students who wish to study patient attendant with us should meet the following minimum requirements:

a. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Certificate (any grade)

b. Compassion and empathy for others

c. Strong communication and interpersonal skills

d. Patience and ability to work under pressure

e. Ability to perform basic physical tasks

Health Care Assistant Training in Kenya – Duration

At Beta Care Training Institute, we offer caregiver training for a period of 6 months, or an advanced class that goes for 1 year. The shorter duration (6 months) is recommended for students who scored below a D plain in their KCSE, which trains them as caregivers. For students who scored D plain and above, the 1-year course is preferable because it will expand the scope of your duties, while paving the way to becoming licensed as a Healthcare Support Assistant. 

1. Students who got below D plain in KCSE

You will undergo Patient Attendant Training for a period of 6 months, followed by 2 months of attachment. The 4 months of training includes classwork, practicals, and clinical rotation, after which we send you to our partner hospitals for your attachment. 

Some of the Core units covered include:

• First Aid Services 
• Infection prevention and control 
• Medical Legal and Ethics
• Special Needs Care
  
• Client Dietary Interventions
  
• Mental Health (psychosocial health support
• Outpatient and Inpatient Supportive Services (Housekeeping, Catering, etc.)

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2. Students who got D plain and above

This is our regular program. You will undergo Advanced Patient Attendant Training for a period of 1 year plus attachment. This includes classwork, practicals, and clinical rotation, after which we send you to partner hospitals for your attachment. 

Core units covered include:

• First Aid Services 
• Infection prevention and control 
• Medical Legal and Ethics
• Basic Pharmacology 
• Special Needs Care
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Mental Health (psychosocial health support)
• Basic Hospital Procedures (Facility Organization, Housekeeping, Store, Catering, etc.)
• Common Diseases
• Medical Terminologies
• Patient Care

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Industrial Attachment

You must undergo an industrial attachment for a period of 2-3 months in a recognized hospital. (We help our students get placement in our partner Level IV mission, private, and sub-county hospitals.) 

Examinations

There will be:

• Continuous internal assessments coordinated by BCTI
• Competence assessment (practical exams) at completion of each unit as coordinated by BCTI
• TVET CDACC Examinations (optional)

 

Career Advancement

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) and below students will sit for Caregiver 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 7 papers for the 6 month Caregiving course, and 19 papers for the 1-year Healthcare Services Support program). 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. You can only sit for 3 to 7 papers per exam session, depending on the units covered in that module. 
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. 
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Certification

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. 

Graduation

After successful completion of your coursework and attachment, you will be awarded with a certificate on graduation.

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.

Patient Attendant course fees in Kenya

Please request the fee structure through whatsapp for your planning…

Registration Fee:

Kshs. 1,000

Food and Accommodation for boarders

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

Our Intakes

January, May & September

Reporting Date for next Intake

May, 2025  Apply Now

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