Renal Dialysis Technician Short Certificate is a certificate in Health Sciences programme offered by Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 8 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 6,194 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 8 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 6,194 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This VCC Continuing Studies short certificate trains students to operate and troubleshoot dialysis equipment and support the care of patients with kidney disorders. It runs full-time over eight weeks and is built from two required courses: RENL 1001, a theory course delivered through classroom instruction, group discussion, case studies and simulation, and RENL 1002, a clinical course completed through practicum placements in hospital and community dialysis units, including early-morning and evening shifts, post-clinical conferences and reflective journaling. Coursework covers dialysis machine preparation, maintenance and troubleshooting, work within inter-professional healthcare teams, infection control and safety protocols, patient care duties, and clinical documentation to agency standards. Admission requires Grade 12 graduation or equivalent, English 12 and Biology 12 at a C+ minimum (or VCC equivalents), completion of Medical Terminology and Interpersonal Communication Skills courses, a Criminal Record Check, and TB screening and immunization records once accepted. VCC positions the certificate against renal technician workforce needs identified by regional Health Authorities, suiting students aiming for clinical support roles in dialysis care. At the time this page was reviewed, VCC listed the waitlist as full and applications closed, with wait times of up to three years.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires Grade 12 graduation or equivalent, Biology 12 with a 'C+' (or VCC BIOL 0983/0993 with a 'C+', or equivalent), OACP 1108 Medical Terminology 1 (or equivalent, within the last five years), and MSKL 1104 Interpersonal Communication Skills – Health (or equivalent). English proficiency is met by English Studies 12 with a minimum 'C+' grade, or an equivalent English Language Proficiency assessment at the same level. A Criminal Record Check is required before practicum; a result flagging risk to vulnerable populations bars completion of practicum and graduation. Before placement, students must submit a negative TB skin test (or, if positive, a negative TB chest x-ray) and a completed immunization record covering diphtheria/tetanus, polio, MMR, hepatitis B, influenza, chicken pox and COVID-19; some of these are strongly recommended rather than mandatory outside practicum sites.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through EducationPlannerBC. VCC publishes each programme's own application window, term by term, on its When to Apply page rather than one college-wide date: windows open roughly six to twenty months before the term starts and close on a stated date, though popular programmes can close earlier once seats fill, since places generally go to eligible applicants in the order their application is completed. International applicants use the International Applicant option on EducationPlannerBC; VCC opens international applications on 1 February of the previous year for Winter entry, 1 June for Spring/Summer, and 1 October for Fall, with no fixed closing date — applications continue until roughly three to four months before the term begins or until it fills, so admission is effectively rolling for international applicants. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
