Certificate in General Duty Assistance (CGDA)

The General Duty Assistant (GDA) programme is a brief, skill-based training course that aims to create a pool of qualified workers that hospitals and healthcare institutions can use to assist nurses, doctors, and other healthcare team members in providing patients with high-quality care. This programme focuses on developing the abilities needed to offer assistance by carrying out non-clinical tasks or engaging in activities that have been prescribed by the healthcare team members. Every healthcare facility, regardless of size, requires GDAs to carry out and manage non-clinical operations (e.g. patient sample transportation, documentation, infection control and cleanliness). The GDAs can advance to take similar roles like home health aides, nursing assistants, and assistants, or they can advance vertically by assuming greater responsibility after gaining enough experience, such as GDA supervisor, floor supervisor, etc. The program's goal is to prepare students to demonstrate skills in patient positions and the use of assistive devices, prepare patient care units, transport patients, handle samples, drugs, and linens, use equipment, and maintain it. It also aims to prepare students to demonstrate skills in general hygiene and grooming, bathing procedures, feeding patients, and taking care of their urination needs.