Friday, December 28, 2012

Personal Support Worker Program Offers Vital Practical Experience

With a career such as that of a Personal Support Worker, which includes hands-on work with clients, the program one attends to earn a credential that will allow him to work in the field should have a practical focus. Centennial College’s Personal Support Worker program offers just that thanks to its courses and an extensive 15-week field experience.


As a result of the Personal Support Worker program, graduates are able to: act within the personal support worker role, under supervision, and by following care/service plans and established policies and procedures; participate as members of the care service teams in both community and institutional settings; collaborate and report observations to appropriate health care team members in an ongoing, timely manner and document this information promptly; support clients’ personal and home management care requirements and preferences by following care service plans and established policies and procedures; demonstrate effective oral, written and nonverbal communication techniques; and assist in the promotion and maintenance of a safe and caring environment for clients, their families, self and others.


Thanks to the range of skills students learn in the Personal Support Worker program, the certificate that is earned is recognized by The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities as well as community agencies and clinical settings. The skills also see students adapt to a variety of settings, such as in the home, schools, community residential facilities, nursing homes or chronic care facilities.


But how do students go from novices to professionals by the time they graduate from the two semesters worth of Personal Support Worker courses? First and foremost, students of the offering will find that the focus is on the full range of home and health related services required by the elderly, clients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, cognitive impairment and also clients recovering from acute illnesses. At the same time, courses strive to reflect the latest practices and policies in the field, and include: Foundations of Personal Support, Developmental Stages & Alterations in Health, Foundations of Mental Health, Clients in Palliative Care and more.


Helping them to master these different Personal Support Worker program topics is Morningside Campus, which is Centennial College’s most technologically advanced location and boasts clinical and laboratory settings. Another way that students apply what they learn is through a Personal Support Worker program field placement during which they work with teams in long-term care institutions, the community and at in-home settings. The 15-week placement makes up half of the total program hours.


Those wishing to apply to the Personal Support Worker program must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, applicants must have finished the compulsory English 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent and can prove English proficiency.

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