The following stories are from some of the Graduates of the Career Designs Inc. Private Vocational School, Health Care Aide Program. In their words, they have related their experiences and feelings regarding Career Designs and their Health Care Aide Program.

After being a British trained Nanny, working in Canada for 19 years as a Nanny, I decided it was time for a change. I knew I wanted to continue working with people so I thought about a Nursing career. Not sure of which avenue to take I thought that the paper may have some information that would help me in my search. I came across an ad for "Personal Care Attendant training" and intrigued by this I phoned the number and spoke with Tracy from Career Designs Private Vocational School. We talked at length about the Course Outline, Finances and expectations, etc. With this information in hand I thought this would be a good career and choice of schools to go with, as I could still work part-time and make ends meet, study at home and end up working with people, which were all important factors.

I set up a meeting at Tracy's office where I successfully completed the entrance exam. We talked at length about everything involved in the Program and I decided that this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up and I signed up to take the Course.

The Curriculum was well layed out and very easy to follow. Learning a certain amount of modules within a given timeframe, as dictated by the course Map, broke the course up into into very manageable sections. With Lab days included, it kept the Practical skills up to date, a neccessity in this course. Along the way we shared many laughs which made Lab days both fun and exciting.

If you have what it takes to become a PCA/HCA, compassionate, caring, sensitive, understanding and a good sense of humour, then come to Career Designs and get on the right track for a worthwhile and rewarding career in the Health Care field.

Are you caught in a dead end job? A job that you just don't even want to get up and go to? I know I was. I had been a Meat Cutter for 5 years and dreaded going to work every morning. I decided I needed to make a change in my work life so I did some voluteer work in a hospital setting, working with geriatric residents. I thought wow, I really like working with people, like making a difference and putting a smile on people's faces, a nursing career is what I want. I got on the internet and looked up Nursing and found the Personal Care Attendant course and thought that would be a good stepping-stone to see if I liked doing it or not. I came across Career Designs Private Vocational School and thought they had a well organized, professional web page. Since I was not living in Calgary I also liked the fact that school days were not every day and picked the phone and called. Right from the start I was put at ease with my decision. The staff were excellent right from the start, helping me with financing, to making me feel like I had made the right decision for ME.

When I started the course I couldn't believe the size of the class, it was small, meaning there would be a lot of Student/Teacher help. The Telephone Tutorial phone line, available to answer any of my questions with a friendly voice was great. The course is so well written that I did not need to call often, but it was reassuring to know that there was someone to talk to if I had any questions. In the Lab we shared a lot of laughs taking the tension away.

I couldn't believe how fast the Practicum part of the course came along. When it was time to go to the hospital I knew what I had to do, but not yet having done it on a real patient I was nervous. With the help of the angelic teacher at Career Designs, helping me out, putting my nerves to rest, I soon knew what I was doing and doing it well.

When I walked into Career Designs I was a shy, quiet person, with low self-esteem and, when I walked out, I had a positive self image. I had learned how to communicate. I made life-long friends in the short time I was at school, thank you Career Designs for having such a positive impact on my life. During my Community Practicum I was using a wide variety of the skills I had learned during the Course, from doing Personal Care to administering medications. With the superb Medication Administration program at Career Designs I had the knowledge and confidence to administer medications. I was putting smiles on my residents faces every day. Listening to the residents talk about the "good ole days" I learned a lot about each and every one of them. With them telling me that they loved me, I knew that I had made the right decision and was so happy that I could make such a positive difference in their lives.

I recently decided to move to Calgary and I am now working in a Personal Care Home. It so happens to be the same Facility that I did my Community Practicum in during my PCA/HCA training. The facility has presented a different set of challenges and necessary skills, including again, Medication Administration.

I strongly recommend you call Career Designs Private Vocational School today and make that first step to a new, exciting career. You will never regret it. And in closing, I still have the support and help of the staff at Career Designs when I need it, even now, a year after graduation.

I completed the HCA program with Career Designs Private Vocational School, in July, 2003. I decided to take the Health Care Aide Training Program as a stepping stone or introduction into nursing to see if this was the career path I wanted to pursue. Immediately following my graduation I obtained a part-time position working at the Foothills hospital, working in the emergency department and I also began working as a HCA for a group of private Personal Care Homes ( formerly known as group homes ) in the North West of Calgary.

After securing my employment as a HCA, I was able to challenge the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program through Norquest College in Edmonton. I completed the LPN program through correspondence ( home study ), which is exactly how I did my HCA course and was therefore, very familiar with the format of study, workshop and practicum days. I was able to complete my LPN and received my LPN license 10 months after I graduated from the HCA course. I was able to successfully challenge the LPN program because of the excellent skills, training and knowledge that I received through my training with Career Designs. I am now currently taking courses toward my BN in nursing.

Since completing my LPN program I have moved into the role of Manager of the Personal Care Homes that I was employed at in the capacity of HCA. In my role as Manager of the Personal Care homes I have established a working relationship with Career Designs and now eagerly accept the Career Designs Students to allow them our facilities for a portion of their "Group Home" practicum in addition to their excellent 3 week Hospital practicum. In addition, I actively recruit the HCA's who have graduated from Career Designs, Health Care Aide Program. I also remain on a "casual" working basis with the Foothills hospital.

I strongly believe that the training I received and skills I acquired from Career Designs enabled me to complete my LPN and land my current job. There was an instructor on-site with the students at all times throughout the 3-week hospital practicum, which is very valuable to their students and just one of the reasons I picked Career Designs for my training. They have exceptional Lab and Classroom time and should you have any questions while studying at home, there is always a qualified instructor available by phone. Their Health Care Aide Program ensures that when you complete your training, you will have the knowledge and skills to do you job efficiently, with confidence and professionalism, ethics and a genuine caring for each and every one of your clients.

The small class size offered helps to establish strong relationships with your fellow classmates as well as the instructors, who always instructed with humor and positive thinking. Having an abundance of Lab time and supplies to become familiar with the skills you have learned will mean you are able to step into any job with confidence and impress your employer from the first day forward. I must add that having the telephone tutorial available throughout the program is an excellent feature, should the need arise. I will say the Curriculum is straight forward, well written and with the classroom instruction made the telephone calls almost unnecessary. However, it's comforting to know, should you need additional help, it's available, with a simple phone call, there's a friendly voice to answer your questions.

Even after graduation from the Career Designs Program, I had continued support from the instructors, to help me with every aspect of my new career. As a manager of 7 Personal Care homes in Calgary, I am more comfortable hiring a Career Designs trained HCA than from any other school in Calgary. Having first hand knowledge of the program, I am assured that graduates seeking employment will have the required skills and knowledge to complete the job effectively, thoroughly and with the caring that every client should expect and deserve.

I can highly recommend Career Designs Health Care Aide Program, call them today and take your first step towards a new and exciting career. I did and couldn't be happier. It's a great learning experience and a time of personal growth.

To date I have hired several graduates from the Career Designs program and have established a great working relationship with the school and it's staff. I look forward to our continued relationship and future grads of the Health Care Aide Program offered at Career Designs.

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a caregiver. All my family and friends thought I should be in the health care field of some sort but I always had an excuse for not taking the Health Care Aide course. This was from mostly my own insecurities and the fear of taking that first step, fear of failure and the commitment of going back to school, something I didn't care for the first time around. After moving to Alberta from the East Coast, I found I had too much time on my hands but didn't want to take just any job, but one that I felt passion for and one that gave me personal satisfaction. I decided, it was time to take a HCA course.

After looking into a lot of different schools, I decided to take the program through Career Designs, Private Vocational School. Little did I know but the Career Designs HCA Course would be one of the best things I could ever do for myself.

When I contacted Career Designs and spoke directly to an instructor I was immediately put at ease. I really liked the idea of the small class size and the one on one time that this allows with the instructors and the reassurance they always offer. To compliment the Home Study aspect a telephone tutorial number is available, so if you have any questions, you can call to " get help with your dilemma". By the end of the course and the 3-week hospital practicum, you feel so proud and confident in yourself that it changes your whole way of thinking about life and how grateful you are to be able to help out society and not sweat the small stuff.

The curriculum, although challenging, is very good. I found it comprehensive with a lot of material to learn. The classroom instruction was excellent. The instructor was very knowledgeable and always took the time to explain everything and answer all questions. I also liked the fact that the program uses the Holistic approach..BODY, MIND and SPIRIT. The instructors used a lot of humor which puts the students at ease during all phases of the program.

The lab time was great, with lots of supplies for practicing your skills and plenty of time to practice. Instruction in this area was also excellent and learning made fun and believe me there was lots of laughter while we learned.

I loved my 3-week hospital practicum. Although a little nervous to start working with "real" residents, with the instructor by my side, guiding me, I realized quickly that I had learned the skills necessary to do the job before me, with confidence and care that each resident deserves. I must add that the standards of the Career Designs course are very high both with the delivery of care and the professionalism that we, as caregivers must demonstrate always. The caring part, for me, comes naturally.

Professionalism and ethics were constantly reinforced throughout the program, including student conduct, hands on care and being a team player. The instructors were always professional with every student and yet could always smile and have fun. It's obvious the instructors love what they do. The personal growth I have experienced and the self-esteem that I now have, I can only attribute to the knowledge I have gained and the instruction I received. I have also learned how to be a patient advocate.

I graduated from my HCA course on December 16, 2004 and following graduation I went back east to visit family. I returned home to Calgary on January 1, 2005 and applied for work with a Personal Care Home. By January 18, 2005 I was working and love my career. Being a HCA presents a different challenge every day. From the skills and knowledge I acquired from Career Designs and the HCA program I am well prepared and qualified to deal with the problems as they present.

I had always felt that I wanted to help others in some way or another, such a rewarding feeling. At the time I wasn't sure if nursing was the way to go. I saw an ad in the paper for a Private Vocational School called "Career Designs" to study and become a Health Care Aide (Nursing Attendant). I thought this might be the perfect way to get my foot in the door and see if I should continue on into Nursing. I called immediately.

The constant support, small class size, abundant lab time and experienced instructors had me hooked. Throughout the program I had a lot of fun, created wonderful memories and developed many valuable skills. This program is challenging, fast paced and consistent. With the small class size you always have support and a complete understanding of how to complete the tasks and use your skills. This course has a Home Study component which really worked well for me, by teaching me to be organized and prepared for class. I could read through and highlight important parts of each module and then challenge myself by completing the self-test at the end of each module. This will show you where your strengths and weaknesses are. There is always someone available to answer any questions you might have should the need arise.

Career Designs and the instructors have very high expectations, 80% is a passing grade! That seemed high too me at first, but I came to understand throughout the program and the practicum how necessary it was since I would be dealing with human life.

The first day of Practicum I was very nervous and realized that now I would be working with real patients. After the first few days I began to relax and realize the positive impact I was having on someone else's life. My confidence slowly began to grow and the Practicum became one of the best experiences of my life. The support is constantly there and the instructors always have faith in you.

When you graduate you will have no problem joining the workforce and using all of the skills you have learned. Well trained Health Care Aides are in very high demand. I graduated on May 14th and applied for work with Carewest the following Monday and by that Thursday ( 3 days later ) I had secured the job. I started work on June 6th at the Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre which was the facility where I had done part of my practicum. I definitely plan to continue on into nursing. This is such a rewarding career. You come home from work realizing that you made a difference in someone's life, even if you just made them smile.

The Health Care Aide program is short in length and will go by very fast. In that time you will learn a lot, and believe me, you will be a different person from when you started to when you graduate. It's amazing, you will be a care giver, If you are thinking about becoming a Health Care Aide, Career Designs is definitely the way to go, its nothing but a positive environment.

Nursing was a career path I chose later in life. I have a thriving home business that I wanted to continue and a family life but needed more on a personal level. After contacting Career Designs my search was over. The instructor was inspiring, knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. My journey with Career Designs was challenging, rewarding and made me want to learn even more. The materials were comprehensive and the home-study allowed me to continue with my other activities. Throughout the whole course there was a focus on professionalism, ethics and competency. The lab time was invaluable and we were always kept up-to-date with new things in the industry. The three-week hospital practicum allowed us to practice all the new skills we had learned under the guidance of capable and encouraging instructors. At the end of the course I was hired by the same facility I did my practicum at and find my work very rewarding.

Almost immediately after graduating from Career Designs I enrolled in the part-time Licensed Practical Nurse program offered by Bow Valley College and am currently in my last semester. From the onset I have constantly been amazed by how much my experience at Career Designs had prepared me for this course. I believe from talking with other Personal Care Attendants that took their HCA training elsewhere that I received the best foundation and most comprehensive training available. Career Designs gave me pride in my profession as well as a desire to adhere to the highest standards.

On a personal note, I want to say that I felt a need to contact Career Designs and share my thoughts and gratitude so they would know what a positive impact they have made in my life. It was only after I contacted Career Designs that I was asked to wrote my story.