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Advanced Care Paramedic

Program Overview

Be a vital member of the health care team! The Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) program is an approved, two-year diploma program. The program is designed to prepare graduates with entry-level knowledge, skills, and critical thinking to provide safe, competent, compassionate, and professional Advanced Life Support. Graduates will leave prepared to write the provincial licensure exam and to meet the public and employer expectations for competent, ethical, and professional practice.

The theory portion of the program is delivered online and prepares students for the mandatory onsite lab seminars and practicums. The face-to-face components provide the students with instruction and guidance in applying theory to skill development and simulated practice in preparation for the ACP role. There are 10 face-to-face onsite, lab seminars in the first year and four onsite lab seminars in the second year. There are three practicums over the course of the program; intermediate ambulance, hospital, and advanced ambulance. Practicums provide students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills learnt to the provision of patient care in the clinical practice-setting while under the supervision of an experienced preceptor. Students are responsible to ensure they are able to attend all mandatory onsite lab seminars and practicum rotations over the course of the two years. Students are responsible for costs related to travel, including accommodations for the onsite sessions and practicums. Students must have reliable, high speed Internet access and a mobile device compatible with the College technology requirements, to effectively participate in the online portions of the program. Students are required to have a mobile tablet device with a minimum nine-inch screen that is compatible with Comptracker Software for competency tracking.

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Program Locations

Sep 05, 2023 - Jun 27, 2025 - Blended - Slave Lake; Sep 03, 2024 - Jun 26, 2026 - Blended - Slave Lake
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Program Year

2024-2025

Program Length:

68 Weeks

Program Type

Paramedic

Program Delivery

Full-time blended delivery. The program has online theory lectures, lab seminars, clinical placements, and field placements. The program is delivered using distributed learning technologies (Brightspace and Bongo) to support the theory portions of the program. The didactic theory is delivered to students as online synchronous classes using Collaborate. Students will have access to recordings of the synchronous lectures, asynchronous lecture recordings, discussion forums, online quizzes, course learning resources and learning activities through Brightspace.

There are onsite lab seminar weeks throughout the program. Students are required to attend and participate in each onsite week to be successful in the program. During the instructor led onsite lab seminars, students will review, practice and be evaluated on Advanced Care Paramedic skills as learned in the Advanced Care Paramedic Program.

BONGO: To learn more about Bongo and to experience using it, check out this guide: https://www.northernlakescollege.ca/public/download/files/220409

D2L/Brightspace: To learn more about D2L/Brightspace, check out this guide: https://www.northernlakescollege.ca/public/download/files/101449

ACP Year 1 Onsite Dates:

Orientation Onsite and Wilderness Survival course: August 26th - 30th
Onsite #1: September 16th - 20th
Onsite #2: October 15th - 18th
Onsite #3: November 12th - 15th
Onsite #4: December 2nd - 6th
Onsite #5: January 13th - 17th
Onsite #6: February 3rd - 7th
Onsite #7: March 3rd - 7th
Onsite #8: March 24th - 28th
Onsite #9: April 7th - 11th


ACP Year 2 Onsite Dates:

Onsite #1: September 30th - October 4th
Onsite #2: November 4th - 8th
Onsite #3: March 17th - 21st (online only, COPR exam prep)

Proof of PCP certificate and/or transcripts from the training institution.
• Copy of current CPR card, current CPR is required for access to the program practicums.
• Proof of valid Alberta Class 1, 2 or 4 Driver's License or equivalent.
• A Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check obtained within 90 days of providing proof to the program. The presence of an unclear CRC or Vulnerable Sector Check may disqualify a student from accessing a practicum placements required for program completion or from securing employment after graduation.
• Immunization Record completed in full, by a qualified health professional, showing immunization status is required for entry into practicum placements. Students who do not meet the immunization requirements for practicum placement are required to sign an Immunization Waiver to acknowledge that the lack of certain immunizations, may impact the student's ability to attend a practicum placement required to complete the program requirements.
• Core Computer Skills (word processing, slide shows, internet, email, etc.).
• Students need to be in good physical, emotional and mental health in order to meet the physical and psychological demands of the role. Students will demonstrate capacity to successfully meet the program standard in functional fitness, as part of the program completion requirements.
• Students are required to have a tablet device, with a screen no smaller than 9", compatible with CompTracker competency tracking software.
• In addition, students must have reliable, high speed Internet access and a computer device compatible with the College technology requirements.

• PCP Certificate from an institution in Alberta or current PCP registration with the Alberta College of Paramedics. Certificates from other provinces will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Biology 30 (60%) or BIOL0190 (60%) or the equivalent.
• English 30-1 (60%) or English 30-2 (70%) or ENGL0190 (60%) or an assessed English equivalency.
• Math 20-1 (50%) or Math 20-2 (60%) or MATH 0190 (60%) or the equivalent.
• Students must submit all official post-secondary transcripts upon application.

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