Personal Support Worker

Acute Care for Personal Support Worker

This provides you with the additional knowledge and skills you need to support clients in the acute care hospital setting. You will learn to assist the health care team with measuring height, weight and vital signs, heat and cold applications, meeting client oxygen needs, physical examinations, peri-operative care, medications and enteral nutrition, IV therapy. You will also learn urinary and fecal elimination and wound care.

Career Management

Our Career Management program introduces students to the strategies and components of an effective job search, including self-marketing and awareness, skills inventory, job search tools and the job market. The Career Management course is delivered by our on-campus Career Services Team who are there throughout the job search to assist and mentor students towards achieving their ultimate goal of employment in their field of study. Our Team of Career Services Professionals maintain relationships in their communities with key employers and organizations that recognize the value Eastern College graduates have to offer. The skills learned throughout Career Management at Eastern College will continue to serve students in their job search as they navigate their new careers.

Student Success Strategies

In this orientation module, emphasis is placed on thinking about achieving success from Day One. This module stresses the importance of developing non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic, and career success. This includes understanding learning styles and honing practical study skills, such as memory, reading, note-and test-taking techniques. Personal exercises will focus on teamwork, decision making and problem solving skills, setting SMART goals and maintaining a positive attitude; techniques for managing change, stress and conflict will also be explored.

Abuse and Neglect

This module introduces students to the concepts of violence and abuse, including its possible signs, and the appropriate actions and legal requirements if abuse is suspected. Personal beliefs and attitudes about family violence and abuse are examined, as is the concept of worker abuse of the client and, abuse of the worker. PSW will learn to recognize both indicators and causes, and the requirements of legislation, employer policy, and provisions of the service contract or support plan.

Body Systems

This module will introduce the student to the basics of anatomy and physiology. Students will gain an understanding of human body systems in order to apply that knowledge in their daily work as a Personal Support Worker. These body systems are the musculoskeletal, digestive, urinary, integumentary, reproductive, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine. Common disorders and age-related changes for each body system will also be covered.

Care Planning, Restorative Care, documentation, Working in the Community

This module identifies the support provided through the care plan or service contract to the client to relearn or regain routine abilities. They will understand its significance, and the rights of the client as a receiver of support and the purpose, methods, and persons involved in its creation. Student will also be introduced to working in the community health care environment, providing support to patients and families in communities, conducted in accordance with employer guidelines.

Cognitive and Mental Health Issues and Brain Injuries

This module introduces students to common psychiatric conditions such as affective disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, cognitive impairment, and brain injury. The possibility of multiple conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression will be discussed along with the role of the family caregiver and the importance of observation, documentation, and reporting in order to recognize changes in behaviour that can be related to psychiatric conditions or an increased risk of suicide.

CPR and First Aid

Upon successful completion of this course, students will achieve the Standard Level First Aid and Healthcare Provider (BLS-Basic Life Support) Level CPR. Participants are guided to fully understand responsive behaviours in order to be able to respond effectively and appropriately in a workplace setting. Upon successful completion of this course, students will achieve the Standard Level First Aid and Healthcare Provider (BLS-Basic Life Support) Level CPR.

Assisting the Dying Person

In this module students learn about hospice, palliative and end-of-life care, the integration of a palliative approach to care, ways of being, communication and practical strategies to provide psychosocial support and physical comfort care for both the person and their family. This module addresses provincial palliative care competencies (2018-2020) including competencies for caring for First Nation, Inuit, Metis and urban Indigenous peoples.

Assisting the Family, Growth and Development

Students learn to understand family characteristics in terms of structure, functions, roles, lifestyles and relationships. The influence of cultural values, practices, religious beliefs as well as the effects of illness, stress, and disability on family relationships will be emphasized as central to the PSW’s ability to provide effective support. This module also explores the stages of growth and development throughout the life cycle and the role of the PSW in providing respite to families.

PSW Foundations

The introductory module provides an overview of the scope of responsibilities of PSWs in a variety of settings. Students will learn about client-centered versus client-directed care; and emphasizing the individuality of the client and his/her relationship with family, friends and others. Key topics include work relationships, stress and time management, interpersonal skills and communications, including conflict resolution and problem solving, and applicable legislation.

Gentle Persuasive Approaches in Dementia Care

Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) is a multi-disciplinary program designed for everyone who interacts with older adults in the workplace. Participants are guided to fully understand responsive behaviors in order to be able to respond effectively and appropriately in a workplace setting.

Health Conditions

Students are introduced to ongoing conditions and basic concepts of assistance, as well as the general effects on the person of common disabilities, conditions and diseases. Students will gain skill in the necessary techniques while focusing on the importance of providing support safely, effectively and comfortably. Concepts of maintenance, rehabilitation and restoration are discussed, as is the importance of the support team in providing assistance and training of these additional skills.

Assisting with Personal Hygiene

PSW’s assist clients with all activities or routines of daily living. Students will learn how to care for the ill, disabled, injured and/or confused client. Frailness, dignity and levels of dependence will be considered. Personal hygiene includes oral care, perineal care, bathing, grooming, dressing, bed making, shaving, hair care, and skin care. It includes mobility considerations and involves personal safety, self-esteem and dignity. The foundation of this module is humanistic health care.

Clinical Placement (Facility)

Clinical placement provides students with an opportunity to practice their new skills in a work setting. Students gain experience in a wider range of PSW skills, become more self-confidant, and may receive offers of employment from the placement site. They spend time working in a facility setting for 100 hours under the supervision of their instructor and under a preceptor provided by the host site for 100 hours. The instructor will be available by phone and email during the placement.

Clinical Placement (Community) 

Clinical placement provides students with an opportunity to practice their new skills in a work setting. While on placement, students gain experience in a wider range of PSW skills, become more self-confidant, and may receive offers of employment from the placement site. In this module the students will spend time working in a community setting under the supervision of a preceptor provided by the host site. The instructor will be available by phone and email at all times.

Assisting with Medications

Within the PSW scope of practice, students learn about medication administration versus assistance. They gain basic knowledge of the drugs used in the treatment of common diseases and disorders including use, classification, effects, and routes of administration. They identify purposes, required instruction, and cautions; and the importance of observation for both desired and undesired outcomes, as well as the procedures to be followed in the event of a concern or problem with medications.

Household Management, Nutrition and Hydration

Students will learn to assist the client with their nutritional needs, household activities, and household management according to client preferences, comfort and safety within employer guidelines as required. Nutritional needs include planning balanced menus, preparing shopping lists and shopping, safe handling of food, and storage and specific cooking techniques. The special dietary needs of certain clients and their cultural and religious preferences will all be addressed.

NACC PSW Exam 

In this module, students are prepared for writing the final NACC exam, through a comprehensive review of the two sets of Final Exam Evolve Questions, (approximately 319 questions). After the review session, they write the final NACC exam. Students must pass this final exam in order to work as a Personal Support Worker in the field.

Safety and Mobility

The second module covers safety as it relates to both the client and the worker. One of the fundamental activities of the PSW is that of assisting the client with routine activities of living. Students will learn about risks of unsafe equipment or settings and appropriate actions to take when unsafe situations are identified. Topics include infection control methods, body mechanics, and transferring and lifting techniques using equipment to increase safety and reduce client anxiety.