Nursing Unit Assistant Certificate at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Canada is a certificate in Health Sciences programme. The programme runs for 7 months, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 5,504 per total (CAD 5,504 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 7 months
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,504 / total
International tuition: CAD 5,504 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This non-credit certificate prepares students for non-clinical administrative roles at nursing station communication centres, continuing care centres, and other medical facilities, covering tasks such as patient registration, transcribing physician orders, coordinating appointments, and maintaining patient charts. The program consists of six courses: an orientation and overview, interpersonal and employment skills, non-clinical pharmacology, procedures and observation, an observational practicum, and a final practicum. Coursework is delivered part-time online, combining self-paced asynchronous study with face-to-face sessions on Teams during evenings and weekends, while the practicum is completed full-time and in person. The program runs seven months starting each September, with a four-week full-time practicum at hospital facilities across Vancouver Island scheduled individually in the final month. Admission requires meeting VIU's general program requirements, completing Medical Terminology and Anatomy & Physiology within the past two years with at least 75%, a keyboarding speed of 30 words per minute or more, and basic computer literacy. It suits students seeking entry-level administrative support roles in hospital settings.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Vancouver Island University requires Nursing Unit Assistant Certificate applicants to have completed Medical Terminology and Anatomy & Physiology (OSME 002), or an equivalent recognised post-secondary course, within the two years before the programme start date, with a minimum grade of 75%; applicants whose course is older than two years may instead sit an assessment, provided they originally scored 75% or higher. Applicants also need a keyboarding speed of at least 30 words per minute, though some employers look for 40-50 wpm, and must demonstrate basic computer literacy through a completed introductory computer course or a letter describing their proficiency. No IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo or CAEL score is published for this programme. Before the practicum, students must pass a satisfactory criminal record check, complete an Immunization Requirements Form with a TB skin test report from within the previous 12 months, and submit an HSPnet Student Consent Form and an Island Health Confidentiality Form.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants: Fall 2026 applications are closed (extended deadline was 15 July 2026; the program's own Key Dates table lists Program Start as 8 September 2026); applications for the next Fall 2027 intake open 1 October 2026, with no closing date yet published. Not stated as open to international applicants.
