PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Personal Support Worker program prepares graduates with knowledge and skills to provide compassionate, safe and supportive care to individuals across their lifespan including clients experiencing cognitive impairment, physical disability, age and mental health challenges. Students will develop assessment and communications skills in order to identify and document pertinent information about their client’s health status. Students will learn to provide client-centered and client-directed care based on ethical principles, sensitive to diverse client and family values, beliefs and needs, and follow the direction of care plan.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Work placement.

Practical hands-on training in well-equipped simulation labs.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

There are excellent employment opportunities in nursing homes, with homecare agencies, in rest homes, retirement homes, community living and other government agencies. Some opportunities also exist in the non-profit sector including the Alzheimer Society. There is also the potential for employment in retail homecare services.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Program Physical Demands Analysis: H932 / K933

Student clinical placements are assigned. Student personal requests for placement cannot be accommodated

Windsor students may be placed anywhere in Windsor and Essex County

Chatham students may be placed anywhere in Chatham and Kent County

Clinical placement schedules may include shifts on days, afternoons, weekends and holidays throughout the program based on clinical need and agency availability

Students are responsible for their own travel and costs to clinical placements

Students are responsible for the cost of scrub uniforms/footwear and other incidentals as required

Program Vocational Learning Outcomes

Personal Support Worker (Ontario College Certificate) (MTCU Code 41469)

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Work within the personal support worker role in community, retirement homes, long-term care homes and/or hospital care settings in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer’s job description, policies, procedures and guidelines.

2. Act responsibly and be accountable for own actions while recognizing the boundaries of knowledge and skills within the personal support worker role that require collaboration with the clients, families, supervisors and/or other members of the inter-professional care/service team.

3. Participate as a member of the inter-professional care/service team and maintain collaborative working relationships in the provision of supportive care in community, retirement homes, long-term care homes and/or hospital care settings.

4. Provide client-centered and client-directed care that is based on ethical principles, sensitive to diverse client and family values, beliefs and needs, and which follows the direction of the plan of care/service plan.

5. Establish and maintain helping relationships with clients and their families reflecting open communication, professional boundaries, and employer’s policies and adhering to confidentiality and privacy legislation.

6. Identify relevant client information using basic assessment and communication skills and report and document findings in accordance with the requirements of employer policies and procedures and all applicable legislation.

7. Promote and maintain a safe and comfortable environment for clients, their families, self and others including the implementation of infection prevention and control measures and emergency first aid procedures that are in keeping with the plan of care/service plan, employer policies and procedures, and all applicable legislation.