Study health and wellbeing

Programme highlights

Are you passionate about caring for or helping other people? Do you enjoy talking to people and assisting them with their everyday activities of daily living?

This dynamic programme will ensure you are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to work effectively within a variety of healthcare organisations and community settings as a proficient healthcare assistant. These roles are very rewarding and enable you to give back to our communities, and provide help to those who need it while providing a career for life.

As a healthcare assistant, you are part of a team that provides holistic, person-centred care primarily in an inpatient (hospital) setting. You will assist your clients to complete their activities of daily living including showering, meal assistance and moving/handling. A healthcare assistant ensures the provision of quality care essential to recovery under the direction and delegation of the registered nurse.

You will get the opportunity to learn, develop and practice hands-on clinical skills such as vital signs, bed making, bed bathing, showering, maintaining oral hygiene needs, and assisting people with meals. Throughout the course there is a strong emphasis on communication and observational skills as these are an essential skill required of a healthcare assistant.

This programme includes a minimum of 100 hours of work experience. This takes place after the completion of the theory in the final weeks of the programme. You will undertake a placement in either a hospital or a residential care facility to consolidate your learning, clinical skills and knowledge.

Other programme information:

• VCA checking. When you apply for this programme you will need to undergo police vetting and VCA checking. This means you must provide two character references that attest to your suitability to work in a mental health or community support work setting
• Uniform. Your uniform will be a white polo shirt, black pants and black trainers/shoes. You will be required to supply these items.
• You may be required to complete literacy and numeracy assessments as part of this programme.

If you are Māori or Pasifika, find out how you could be supported on your MIT journey with Te Ara Oranga.

_{Please note: Although the Government vaccine mandate for health and disability workers ended on 11:59pm 26 September 2022, some employers can still require workers to be vaccinated due to their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Placement is a compulsory component of MIT’s healthcare programmes. To go on placement in this sector, students will need to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to MIT. Students that hold a medical exemption that prevents them from being vaccinated are permitted to work in the healthcare sector, but will have limited placement opportunities in that sector. Students that are not vaccinated, or that do not wish to share their vaccination status with MIT, may not be able to go on placement in the healthcare sector. If you hold a medical exemption, or if you are unable or unwilling to provide proof of vaccination to MIT, your placement opportunities will accordingly be limited and MIT cannot guarantee availability with placement providers.  If this applies to you, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your options.}

Entry requirements

Give yourself credit with Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Did you know you can use the knowledge and experience you already have to your advantage?

Your previous work experience and on-the-job skills, volunteering, professional development, and other providers’ qualifications can be recognised as prior learning, matched against credits in our courses, and put towards your qualification – potentially saving you money and possibly helping you to complete your qualification faster Learn more.

Programme structure

You will need to complete the below five courses from your strand (70 credits):

Healthcare assistant strand

Do you want to study a single course, without enrolling into the full programme?

Courses within some of our programmes may be offered as an individual Certificate of Proficiency (COP). Programme entry requirements and course fees apply. For more information, please speak to our friendly Ask Me! team.

Further training or study

• New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4) with strands in Community Healthwork, Mental Health and Addiction Support
• New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4) Nursing Studies

Career opportunities

Graduates of the health assistance strand may be employed as healthcare assistants in a range of contexts including acute care, primary care, aged residential care and therapeutic programmes.

Graduates of the support work strand may be employed in a range of roles supporting people in the community including disability, ACC support work, in home support roles. For potential salaries visit careers.govt.nz.