Personal Support Worker

The Personal Support Worker program prepares graduates to provide supportive care to individuals across their lifespan. Students will learn to assist individuals with their activities of daily living, including those with cognitive impairment, physical disability, and mental health challenges.

Career Responsibilities

The program includes clinical placements that will allow students to participate in supervised practices in both community settings and nursing homes. Clinical placements provide students with an opportunity to practice their new skills in a real-life work setting. While on placement, students gain experience in a wider range of support worker skills. The Personal Support Worker program will equip the student with the following knowledge, skills and responsibilities:

Provide personal care and companionship.
Assist with all activities of daily living including bathing, toileting, dressing, mobility and feeding.
Assist client to walk, support at bedside, support client’s independence regarding medications.
Perform light housekeeping and cleaning.
Recognize and report changes in a client’s behavior/condition.
Provides informal counseling, as needed.
Work within the role in a variety of settings in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer policies and procedures.
Act responsibly, be accountable and understand the skills and knowledge boundaries of the role.
Participate as a member of the care team and maintain collaborative working relationships when providing care in work settings.
Provide ethical and sensitive client-centered and client-directed care following the care/service plan.
Establish and maintain helping relationships that reflect open communication and professionalism while respecting privacy and confidentiality legislation.
Identify, report, and document relevant client information using assessment and communication in accordance with legislation and employer policies.
Promote and maintain a safe and comfortable environment to clients and their families in accordance with legislation, policies, and procedures.
Assist clients across the lifespan with routine activities of daily living.
Assist clients with medication in keeping with the care/service plan, the support worker role, applicable legislation, and employer policies.
Assist with household management tasks and instrumental activities of daily living in keeping with the care/service plan.
Assist clients who are caring for dependent individuals in keeping with the care/service plan and the needs of the clients and their families.
Identify and report situations of potential, alleged, or witnessed neglect and abuse in accordance with legislation and employer policies and procedures.
Assist in providing palliative and end of life care to clients and their families in accordance with client autonomy and the care/service plan.
Support clients experiencing cognitive impairment or mental health challenges.
Apply knowledge of the structure and function of all human body systems.

Career Opportunities

Rewarding career opportunities can be found in a variety of care settings including:

Community homes
Retirement homes
Long-term care homes
Hospitals

Admission Requirements

Mississauga Career Centre has specific admission requirements. Some courses have additional requirements. The Personal Support Worker has the following requirements:

Ontario secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, and mature student status
All potential students seeking admission into PSW program must pass a literacy test
Learn Software Testing and Automation basics from a professional trainer from your own desk.
Medical Certificate (Immunization Form) is required indicating that the student has up-to-date immunization
CPR & First Aid Certificates – Students must complete STANDARD FIRST AID and BASIC RESCUER CPR prior to clinical placement
Police check of Criminal Record – Must be produced within 30 days of starting school

Apply

Textbooks & Resource(s):

Mosby’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker – Sorrentino, Remmert, Wilk & Newmaster, 4th Canadian Edition, ISBN 978-1-77172-043-4 (Elsevier)
Integrating a Palliative Approach: Essentials for Personal Support Workers: Text & Workbook Package – Katherine Murray, 2014, ISBN 9781926923048 & 9781926923055 (Life and Death Matters)
Medication Problem A.C.T.I.O.N. Plan: A Resource Guide for Home Support Workers – Canadian Pharmacists Association (available free as PDF online at www.pharmacists.ca, or for a fee as hard copy from NACC) All students must have a Skills Passbook for the purpose of evaluation and grading of clinical placement.

- Students are encouraged to become familiar with the contents of the Passbook early in the program so that they understand the purpose of the Passbook and the skills on which they will be evaluated.
- NACC PSW Program Passbooks, will be sold in class by instructor for $10.00

Student Assistance

Students may be eligible to get help paying for the training from government programs such as:

Second Career – funding to cover program costs and living expenses for unemployed and laid-off workers.
Workplace Safety Insurance Board – funding to cover program costs for injured workers.
Ontario Works – funding to cover program costs for recipients of Ontario Works
Aboriginal Bands – funding to cover program costs for band members
Employers can apply for funding to help pay for employee training through the Canada-Ontario Jobs Grant.

Or visit our financial assistance page for more resources.

Career Responsibilities

Career Opportunities

Admission Requirements

Textbooks & Resource(s):

Student Assistance

Admissions Office Info