Program Overview
The Personal Support Worker program prepares graduates with the 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-centred and client-directed care based on ethical principles, sensitive to diverse client and family values, beliefs and needs, and follow the direction of the care plan.
Program Highlights
- A condensed schedule that allows you to graduate with a full PSW credential in six months
- A paid work placement in the final three months of the program
Admission Requirements
OSSD with the majority of courses at the College (C), University (U), University/College (M) or Open (O) level qualify for admission to this program.
Mature students - See Admission Procedures for details.
Courses
The curriculum below is for incoming students:
Semester 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
|
PSW164
|
Professionalism & Crosscultural Communication |
4
|
|
PSW117
|
Anatomy & Physiology For The Personal Support Worker |
3
|
|
PSW168
|
Pathophysiology For The Personal Support Worker |
3
|
|
PSW159
|
Skills Management & Safety Promotion |
4
|
|
PSW169
|
Practicum 1 - Lab |
4
|
|
PSW208
|
Mental Health & Dementia, Studies |
2
|
|
PSW209
|
Family Studies & Community Care |
2
|
|
PSW201
|
Restorative & Pallative Care |
2
|
|
PSW204
|
Pharmacology For The Personal Support Worker |
2
|
|
PSW206
|
Career Development |
1
|
|
PSW269
|
Practicum II - Clinical |
8
|
|
PSW219
|
Preceptorship In Long Term Care |
6
|
|
PSW218
|
Preceptorship In Community |
6
|
Placement Requirements
This is to make you aware that, although a COVID-19 vaccination is not required to attend St. Clair College, all of our clinical placement sites are requiring students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to be eligible to attend. Students who are not fully vaccinated cannot be provided with a clinical placement for their program and therefore will not be able to complete their programs. Please be advised that COVID-19 booster shots and/or other requirements may become mandatory for clinical placement, however, they are not currently required.
If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, please contact our St. Clair College Health Centre at 519-972-2727 ext. 4484 (in Windsor) or 519-354-9100 ext. 3729 (in Chatham).
Field/Clinical Placements
- 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
Health/Clinical Placement Requirements
Mandatory Medical Requirements - Section A
- Entering Students Preplacement Form
- This medical form can be taken to your personal healthcare provider to complete. This medical clearance may take up to 2 months to complete so please make an appointment to start the process as soon as possible. When the medical form is completed you must make an appointment with the St. Clair College Health Centre (519-972-2380) to have the medical form reviewed and cleared to receive your "Passport to Health". The Registrar’s office will only accept your "Passport to Health" from the St. Clair College Health Centre as evidence that you have met the mandatory medical requirements.
- Preplacement Guidelines
Mandatory Non-Medical Requirements - Section B (All ORIGINAL documents must be provided for clearance)
- Current CPR BLS with AED (annual renewal is required regardless of the expiry date on the card)
- Please note the CPR must be for Health Care Providers (HCP) and must include Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training or it will not meet the requirements for clinical. Recertification must be annually completed despite what the CPR card may have as a recertification date.
- Standard First Aid
- N95 Mask Fit Testing (completed every two years)
- Vulnerable Sector Police Check (annual) AND Photo ID required with birthdate (e.g. Driver's License)
- The Vulnerable Sector Police Check must be done within 6 months of starting clinical placement. To avoid having to have the police check repeated for the winter semester, it is suggested that students apply for the clearance the first week in August but no later than that. The results can take up to 6 weeks to arrive so don't wait to apply for it.
- Annual Police Clearance Requirements
Program Physical Demands Analysis
Program Vocational Learning Outcomes
Personal Support Worker (Ontario College Certificate) (MTCU Code 41469)
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 inter-professional care/service team.
- 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.
- 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.