Start Dates & Ontario Colleges Program Codes:
- Fall Start (September) Full-Time: 0630
- Winter Start (January) Full-Time: 0620
CIP Code: 51.2602 (PGWP eligible)
Empowering Care: Be the Heart of Healthcare
Embark on a rewarding career in healthcare with Confederation College's Personal Support Worker (PSW) program. This comprehensive one-year program prepares you to provide essential care and support to individuals across various healthcare settings. As a PSW, you'll play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life for clients, working closely with them in their homes, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and community care settings.
Our recently updated curriculum reflects the evolving role of PSWs in the healthcare field. You'll gain hands-on experience through in-person courses, labs, and clinical placements, ensuring you're well-prepared for the demands of this vital profession. With the increasing demand for PSWs across various healthcare sectors, graduates enjoy excellent job prospects and opportunities for career growth.
Note: Both domestic and international students are welcome to apply but must reside in Thunder Bay or surrounding regional campuses.
Top Highlights
- High Demand: PSWs are in high demand across various healthcare settings, offering excellent job prospects.
- Hands-On Experience: Gain practical skills through in-person courses, labs, and clinical placements.
- Comprehensive Training: Learn to provide care for clients across the lifespan, including palliative and end-of-life care.
- Interprofessional Collaboration: Develop skills to work effectively as part of a healthcare team.
- Career Versatility: Prepare for roles in long-term care, home care, hospitals, and community settings.
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- 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.
- 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 interprofessional care/service team.
- participate as a member of the interprofessional 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.
- provide client-centred 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.
- establish and maintain helping relationships with clients and their families reflecting open communication, professional boundaries, employer’s policies and adhering to confidentiality and privacy legislation.
- 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.
- 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.
- assist clients across the lifespan with routine activities of daily living by applying basic knowledge of growth and development, common alterations in functioning, disease prevention, health promotion and maintenance, rehabilitation and restorative care.
- assist clients with medication in keeping with the direction of the plan of care/service plan and under the direction and monitoring of a regulated health professional or most accountable person and in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer’s policies.
- assist with household management tasks and instrumental activities of daily living in accordance with the plan of care/service plan and considering the preferences, comfort and safety of clients, families and significant others.
- assist clients who are caring for dependent individuals considering client and family choices, professional boundaries and the direction of the plan of care/service plan.
- identify and report situations of neglect, and potential, alleged or witnessed/actual incidents of abuse, and respond in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer’s policies and procedures.
- assist in the provision of culturally relevant palliative and end-of-life care to clients experiencing life threatening illness and to their families and significant others, from diagnosis through death and bereavement, and in accordance with clients’ choices and the plan of care/service plan.
- use identified approaches and best practices to support positive and safe behaviour in clients experiencing cognitive impairment, mental health challenges and/or responsive behaviours.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Succeed in the Personal Support Worker program if you are:
- Compassionate: Genuinely care about improving the well-being of others.
- Patient: Able to work calmly and effectively with individuals who may have physical or cognitive challenges.
- Physically Fit: Capable of assisting clients with mobility and daily living activities.
- A Strong Communicator: Skilled at interacting with clients, families, and healthcare team members.
- Adaptable: Comfortable working in various settings and handling diverse client needs.
Graduates of the Personal Support Worker program can find employment in various settings, including:
- Long-Term Care Facilities
- Home Care Agencies
- Hospitals (Acute Care)
- Retirement Homes
- Assisted Living Facilities
- Community Care Organizations
- Hospices
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