Personal Support Worker Program Provides Practical Application of Theory
If you are interested in leading a life of service through your career, you may want to consider attending Centennial College's Personal Support Worker program, which prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and assistance to allow individuals to lead active and fulfilled lives in both the community and institutions.
Thanks to this training, graduates find employment under the direction of a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse with clients who include elderly, clients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, cognitive impairment and also clients recovering from acute illnesses. The Personal Support Work program grads work with clients in their homes, residential facilities or long-term care institutions and community support agencies, assisting with activities of daily living, according to a care plan. According to Ontario Network for Internationally Trained Professionals, in the course of remaking the health care system in Canada, Personal Support Workers are reported to be in growing demand.
Among the day-to-day duties of Personal Support Worker program grads are responsibilities such as: acting within the personal support worker role, under supervision, and by following care/service plans and established policies and procedures; participating as member of the care service teams in both community and institutional settings; collaborating and reporting observations to appropriate health care team members in an ongoing, timely manner and documenting this information promptly; supporting the client's personal and home management care requirements and preferences by following care service plans and established policies and procedures; demonstrating effective oral, written and nonverbal communication techniques; and assisting in the promotion and maintenance of a safe and caring environment for clients, their families, self and others.
In order to prepare students for all of these tasks in just two semesters, the Personal Support Worker program is focused on the full range of home- and health-related services required by a variety of clients. As such, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, as well as community agencies and clinical settings recognize the certificate that is earned by students.
Through training that reflects the latest practices and policies in the field, students learn about anatomy, foundations of personal support, developmental stages and alterations in health, personal support communication, foundations of mental health, supporting clients in palliative care and more. Students of the Personal Support Worker program also benefit from small group instruction in clinical and laboratory settings. To round out on-campus training, apply what they have learned in-school, network and absorb knowledge from practicing professionals, students spend more than half of the total program hours in a field placement. During this experience, they work with teams in long-term care institutions, the community and at in-home settings.
Those interested in attending the Personal Support Worker course in Toronto must have finished at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, they must have finished the compulsory English 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent and can prove English proficiency.
