Personal Support Worker

3 Best Practices For Assisting Patients With Hygiene After Personal Support Worker Training

November 25, 2022

Assisting clients with hygiene after Personal Support Worker (PSW) training is a critical part of the daily tasks in this role. However, it can be one of the most challenging aspects of the job. This is because the skin is sensitive and easily aggravated, which means extra care and empathy are needed. 

At Medix College, we offer quality training in mental health issues, abuse and neglect, as well as brain injuries, health conditions, body systems, and more through our Personal Support Worker training program. This training will help you to ensure your client is always comfortable, clean, and dignified. Remember, your clients will typically need extra attention and the safest care. Continue reading to learn three best practices for assisting clients with hygiene when you become a Personal Support Worker.

1. Always Remember That Safety Comes First 

Injuries and illnesses can cause patients to lose sensation or have limited mobility or control over their bodies. This can make hygiene challenging, and clients may need help with things that many people take for granted, like putting on a shirt or taking a shower. 

If a patient has limited mobility, they likely need help with transfers to and from the toilet and tub. It’s important to check your organization’s policies and practices to see what is recommended. If you have any doubts or concerns, then someone else should assist. 

Individuals with Personal Support Worker training know it’s important to ensure your clients feel safe and comfortable at all times. This can be achieved by practicing open communication with your client about their preferences and limitations. You’ll also want to make sure their room is safe by keeping the floors dry to avoid slipping, installing non-skid mats in the shower or bathtub, and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. If available, a movable shower head with a hose is especially helpful for patients who need assistance rinsing themselves.

After personal support worker training, students will understand how to properly care for their clients’ personal hygiene.

2. How To Assist Patients with Bathing and Nail Care 

PSWs that have completed their training know that before bringing the client to bathe, it’s important to gather all the things they will need first, such as a towel, loofah, soaps, shampoos, etc. Communicate with your client about their preferences. For example, some people like to enter the bath before it’s full of water. If your patient prefers that, regulate the water temperature to ensure it’s not too hot and not too cold. 

Always assume modesty is a concern and cover your client’s sensitive areas. Assist in washing as needed, being sure to communicate what you need to do before helping the client. After their bath, make your client feels safe by guiding them out of the shower/tub with a towel ready to cover them up. This method has two purposes. First, if they slip, you’re ready with a towel to catch them. And second, having a towel ready will help keep their modesty covered and keep them warm.

Next, look at the client’s nails. A good PSW knows that nail beds can tell us a lot about a person’s health. If your client has diabetes, for example, you will want to be aware of every cut or scratch to be able to catch an infection early on. Watch for signs of irritation or infection. Note and report any swelling, thick or brittle nails, changes in nail texture, colour, exquisite tenderness, or foot ulcers. Those holding a Personal Support Worker diploma know to check their fingers and toenails often!

3. Be Respectful in Your Personal Support Worker Career

It’s important to remember having help with personal hygiene can be uncomfortable or embarrassing for some. Effectively trained PSWs know to be respectful and conscious of their client’s feelings. Remember to be sensitive to each situation and always approach with your client’s dignity and comfort at top of your mind. Ask how they would prefer to be helped and allow them as much independence as you think is safe. You can also re-enforce to your client that you won’t let them get hurt and you intend to help.

PSWs know the importance of respecting their client’s emotions and how to be sensitive to their needs.

In our PSW Foundations course, students learn concepts of lifestyle, needs, culture, beliefs/values, independence, interdependence, autonomy, and more. Through this course, students will fully understand their variety of clients and how to be respectful of their needs. 

Clients should receive continuous monitoring for proper hygiene. With the Medix PSW program, students will learn all the best practices for assisting patients with personal hygiene. Patient safety, bathing and nail care, as well as being respectful, are all equally important and will be second nature to an experienced PSW. 

This career is incredibly rewarding since taking care of vulnerable people is a really important task, and you are, no doubt, following this path because you know that it feels good to help those who need it!

 

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Personal Support Worker

4 Ways to Provide Excellent Service After Personal Support Worker Training

October 21, 2022

Personal support workers play an important role in their clients’ lives. They perform a variety of tasks that help people lead happier, healthier lives by assisting with medical guidance, day-to-day hygiene, housekeeping, meal prepping, and more. Your main objective as a personal support worker is to help clients with the tasks involved in daily living. You might be drawn to this rewarding field if you want to pursue a career in healthcare that allows you to have a direct impact on the lives of clients. Keep reading to find out how you can go above and beyond after your PSW training!

1. Focus on Improving Your Clients’ Standard of Living 

As a personal support worker, in addition to your everyday duties–like reminding clients to take their medications and making them breakfast–you should always focus on ways you can improve their standard of living. How can you ensure that you’re prioritizing your clients’ satisfaction and well-being? If you’re seeking a career in personal support work, you’re likely a caring, compassionate person. Use your ability to intuit other people’s emotions and your communication skills to discern what would make life better for your client on each given day, and focus on that.

2. Rapport-Building Should Be a Priority After Personal Support Worker Training

One lesser-known duty you should expect to fulfill after personal support worker training is providing building rapport. Particularly when you’re working with clients who have limited mobility and are dealing with social isolation, you’ll likely be one of the few people that they interact with each day. It’s important that you provide enough social interaction, mental stimulation, and enjoyment for them.

Companionship will be a crucial part of your role after personal support worker training.

Providing good company and rapport involves gaining a client’s trust, listening to them without judgment, joining them in their favourite activities, and providing entertainment. After training, be sure to take the time to get to know your client as a person. What’s their favourite TV show? How can you make them laugh? Seeking the answers to those questions and acting on them can help you go above and beyond in your job.

3. Stay Flexible to Meet a Variety of Needs 

As a personal support worker, each client will have different needs. In addition, each day will require you to use different skills. It’s completely normal to experience a bit of anxiety when plans change or unexpected curveballs come your way. Practicing your adaptability will make it easier to meet your client’s needs. There are several strategies you can use to increase your flexibility at work. 

Practicing stress-management techniques can help you to make decisions with a clear mind. Making sure you’re well rested in between your shifts is a great way to remain calm on the job–even on the busiest days. At the same time, developing a varied skill set in personal support worker courses and getting practice in our hands-on labs will give you the confidence you’ll need to feel ready for anything. 

After personal support worker courses, being adaptable will go a long way.

4. Be a Team Player to Maintain Positive Working Relationships With Colleagues 

As a personal support worker, you’ll be required to collaborate with other professionals in order to deliver the best possible care to your client. For example, you may need to implement care plans put in place by doctors and nurses, so your ability to work well with others is a huge asset. In training, you’ll have the opportunity to practice your communication skills, teamwork skills, and all of the practical competencies you’ll need to provide excellent service as a personal support worker. 

 

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Personal Support Worker

Government funded training program brings more PSWs into local workforce

August 15, 2022

The Ontario government is making it easier to pursue a career as a Personal Support Worker (PSW). They’re now offering new funding to Private Career Colleges, allowing eligible students who are enrolling to receive financial support that covers tuition, books, and other mandatory fees. These new government-funded grants essentially allow students the opportunity to become Personal Support Workers through free education.

To better support residents living in smaller Ontario communities, Medix College, a private career college that’s been operating for over 50 years, has redeveloped its PSW program, making it more accessible. Their 27-week PSW program now runs online, making it easier for residents living in smaller communities outside the GTA to access.

Although Medix has three campuses within the GTA, they recognized a growing need to better support residents living in more rural areas. Mike Parker, the Business Development Manager at Medix, highlights this by stating: “We saw there was a greater need in rural areas outside the GTA, and the program was not being implemented there.”

To make the program as accessible as possible, Medix redesigned its original PSW program to match the needs of its market. However, to ensure that students receive practical training, there is a 4-Day Bootcamp component where students

can practice their learning in a simulated environment. Medix ensures its program maximizes access through online learning while still incorporating hands-on training in a way that benefits students.

What makes the new government-funded PSW program unique is that it offers paid placement opportunities for students enrolled. Now through the provincial funding, there is the opportunity for students to receive an hourly wage while undergoing their placement. Making it easier for individuals to continue their education without having to worry about managing an internship alongside work.

To better support healthcare and long-term care homes in rural areas, Medix offers local placement opportunities for residents in smaller communities. Students taking the program online are not expected to find placements in the GTA. Instead, there will be internship opportunities available in local regions. Some of these areas include Keswick, St. Catherines, Ottawa, and Newmarket areas.

The investment towards Personal Support Workers aims to support long-term care homes by meeting their staffing demands. It also aims to help build a stronger and more unified healthcare system.

Additionally, Medix strives to support the need for Personal Support Workers by providing residents of Ontario access to training. The government-funded program will continue until September 30th. To learn more about this unique PSW program visit https://medixcollege.ca/challengefund/.

 

 

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Personal Support Worker

How to Work With Client Conflict After Personal Support Worker Training

August 05, 2022

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Personal support workers are with their clients through thick and thin, helping them to work through age-related disabilities or debilitating medical conditions. Being able to provide care and assistance to those clients is an extremely rewarding experience. But as with any healthcare profession, there are challenges in supporting others who are in a difficult situation. 

You may encounter clients who resist your help, are extremely frustrated, or have trouble processing their condition. Many clients will also be on medications that alter their behaviour or emotional state. In those cases, your approach to the client will be important in diffusing conflict and helping your client to achieve a better quality of life. Here are some ways to handle difficult situations with your client as a personal support worker.

Patience Is Key

Patience should always be central to your approach as a personal support worker. However, when working through a difficult period with your client, patience is more important than ever. After completing your PSW course, remember that a client’s behaviour towards you isn’t personal. They may be dealing with challenges such as lack of mobility, the death of their loved ones, or chronic pain. In that case, it’s your job to act as a calm and compassionate presence in their lives. 

Rather than getting frustrated with a client, focus on communicating with empathy. Acknowledge their situation, listen to their complaints and be open about how you can help. By adopting the right approach, you encourage your clients to reciprocate and develop a more productive way to work through conflict. 

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Communicate with empathy after your personal support worker courses

Communicate With Family & Staff

It may be the case that your client needs additional support or resources to improve their current situation. In that case, it might be time to discuss the problem with family members or other staff members. Often, caring for a client requires a whole team of people, and it’s important to recognize the limits of your abilities as a PSW. 

During personal support worker training, you will learn how to work alongside other members of care and services teams, such as a Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse or Social Service Workers. Maintaining open lines of communication with family and staff can give you better insights into a client’s behaviour and help you arrive at more effective solutions to conflict.

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Be sure to communicate with the family of your clients

Know When to Set Boundaries After Personal Support Worker Training

While the client is your priority, you also need to look out for your own well-being in order to perform your job to the best of your ability. No personal support worker deserves to be abused or mistreated by their client. Knowing where to draw the line for reasonable behaviour is key to building a more productive relationship for both you and the client. 

As a PSW, focus on communicating clear boundaries with your clients. If a client is lashing out or resisting your help, explain how you are trying to help. Don’t be afraid to remove yourself from the situation and make it clear that you will not engage with them until they improve their response.

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Personal Support Worker

Ready for a Career Change? 4 Reasons to Pursue Personal Support Worker Training

June 03, 2022

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A career as a personal support worker (PSW) is among the most rewarding one can pursue. That’s because those working in this role have a hand in changing the lives of others in one way or another. PSWs are responsible for caring for the elderly, people who are ill or are recovering from illness, or those who may need help performing daily tasks. Those embarking on this rewarding career path can look forward to working in settings, such as: long-term care facilities, health centres, hospitals, clients’ homes and private care facilities–to name a few.

If you’re considering a career change and gain joy from helping others, personal support work might be right for you. Discover four reasons to pursue personal support worker training.

1. You’ll Be Career-Ready in Just 32 Weeks

Starting a new career can oftentimes be stressful–especially if you’re already working part-time or full-time or if you have a family to care for. Going back to school for training can be hard to fit into your already packed schedule, which is why you’ll likely be interested in a quick path that will best prepare you for new career success.

At Medix College, you can complete our personal support worker training program in just 32 weeks. This includes theory, consisting of 12 modules, along with off-site externship placements totalling 310 hours. The externships will give you the chance to exercise all of the skills you learned during the theory part of the program, providing you with the practical hands-on skills you need to be career-ready upon completing the program.

2. You’ll Feel Good About the Work That You Are Doing

Working as a PSW can be extremely rewarding. In this role, you will care for others, helping them with their daily tasks, their mobility, and keeping them safe. Those who choose PSW careers tend to have a particular set of key qualities including patience, kindness, and empathy. They also find immense joy in helping others. These qualities are critical in this role. If you’re a people person in search of a career that will enable you to feel good about the work that you do each day, personal support work could be the perfect fit. 

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You can feel good about making a positive difference in the lives of others after PSW courses

3. You Will Positively Impact The Lives of Others

Another reason to begin a PSW course is to make a difference in the lives of others. Whether you work with the elderly assisting with daily tasks and personal hygiene, work with people who are ill, or perhaps those who have been subjected to abuse and neglect, you will be helping and positively impacting each and every one of their lives.

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As a Personal Support Worker, you will help clients with daily activities

It can be challenging for someone to realize that they are no longer able to perform daily tasks, but PSWs are there to help them through by assisting with things like bathing, eating, and enjoying activities. While PSWs are always there to lend a helping hand, something that’s often overlooked is that they also offer up a listening ear. Sometimes, a good listener is all it takes to turn someone’s day right around. Once you become a PSW, you’ll be there to do just that for those who need you.

During your training, you’ll take courses like Assisting with Personal Hygiene and Assisting the Family/Growth and Development, here, you will gain a better understanding of how much a PSW actually does in way of helping their clients. In certain cases, PSWs can impact the lives of not just a single client, but an entire family, as well.

4. Opportunities Abound After Personal Support Worker Courses

One concern that many people have when contemplating the decision to pursue a new career is whether their investment of both time and money will pay off. Questions such as, “Will I land a job upon completing the program?” is a fair question. Since the demand for the role you’re considering may be unknown, employers may require candidates to have some work experience before they are hired. Or, you’re simply unsure of the opportunities that will be available to you. 

At Medix College, students gain that valuable and sought-after experience through their externship placements, where they put the skills they’ve learned to use in selected facilities. What’s more, as our population ages and PSWs grow more and more in demand, there will be ample opportunities available to you after graduation. You will be poised to find work in a variety of different settings in both the private and public sectors.

And with a good personal support worker program, you’ll be ready to tackle your new career in no time!

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Personal Support Worker

3 Rewarding Scenarios You Might Encounter After Personal Support Worker Training

April 08, 2022

For an aspiring personal support worker, your passion for providing assistance to others who are aging, chronically ill, or experiencing some kind of disability can propel you to have a successful and rewarding career. It’s a career that can drive you to work in long-term care facilities, supportive housing, and home care facilities.

At Medix College, you’ll get hands-on training and develop the skills necessary to start a satisfying career providing care and assistance to others. You’ll learn meal preparation, household management, assistance with daily living activities and errands, administering medications and much more. Read on to learn about the rewarding scenarios you might encounter in your career!

1. Make Meaningful Connections With Clients After Personal Support Worker Training

When you work as a personal support worker, you may not notice it at first, but the care and support you offer others can make a huge difference in their lives. As you work in the field, you’re not just offering support on a one-off basis; you become an indispensable part of their lives and spend meaningful time with them. Your work after personal support worker training will embody compassion. As you spend time with them and assist them with daily tasks, you’ll build a connection with both the clients and their families, who may come to you for emotional support. Knowing that you’re creating a positive environment for them and their loved ones can be a highly rewarding experience once you become a personal support worker. 

After your personal support worker training, you’ll make a difference in people’s lives

2. Provide Restorative Care To Help Clients Gain Independence 

When you work as a personal support worker after your PSW course, you may deal with clients who no longer need long-term rehabilitation, but need your help and support to regain their independence. It’ll be your responsibility to build trust with your clients and guide them when it comes to rebuilding their functional abilities and strengthening their stamina at manageable levels. The work that you do with your clients will focus on their long-term goals and how they can sustain their health and wellness moving forward. This encourages your clients to feel more independent as they’re able to progress at a manageable pace, feel in control of their own lives and enjoy a better quality of life. 

When you provide restorative care, you help your clients regain their independence

3. Help Your Clients Live Comfortably Through Household Management

As a personal support worker, you’ll bring joy to your clients and their families by giving them the support they need to live comfortably inside their own homes. Clients may face difficulties in managing daily activities inside their homes, and that can affect their mood and wellbeing. 

When you provide household management, you’re not just helping with meal preparation, washing, and house-cleaning. You’re also bringing a sense of relief and comfort to your clients’ lives. Your assistance in ensuring that clients’ houses are taken care of can help to improve their quality of life, as well as their mental and physical wellbeing. Your household management support encourages them to focus on regaining their health and independence, bringing rewarding results for both you and your clients

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Why Having a Sense of Humour Is Important After Personal Support Worker Training

March 25, 2022

The role of a personal support worker can be challenging. Responsible for providing various forms of support and care to seniors, as well as clients who are ill or have a disability, these professionals must ensure the happiness and wellbeing of those they work with while performing a number of other duties. Personal support workers often work in long-term care facilities, palliative care, clients’ homes or similar environments–where their work is essential in keeping residents healthy and their needs accommodated for. 

If you’re considering training to become a personal support worker, it’s important to understand the difficulties that often accompany this kind of work. As a personal support worker, having a sense of humour can help you to better navigate the obstacles that come with the job–while making your clients happier and improving your relationships with them. Below, discover more about why having a sense of humour is so important in personal support work.

Humour Makes the Challenges of Personal Support Work Easier

If you have a sense of humour and enjoy caring for others, you’re likely to succeed in personal support worker training. Personal support work can be a challenging field. For many clients, ageing can bring upon feelings of frustration and loss, due to factors such as health issues, reduced mobility, the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia, financial trouble or even the death of a family member. As a personal support worker, you may encounter situations in which clients express frustration over small things or have difficulty remembering something. A sense of humour–combined with your incredible compassion–will help you see that these expressions are often connected to deeper feelings that have nothing to do with you. A client who is upset about the lunch menu, for example, might simply be processing their feelings about their loss of autonomy, or their inability to cook their own meals. In challenging situations, having a sense of humour will help to alleviate the stress of a conflict, in addition to reducing the emotional toll the situation causes you. 

With the use of humour, you can overcome challenges more easily after a PSW course

Humour Is Important for the Health of Clients

You’ve probably heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine.” In fact, laughter has been shown to have many health benefits, many of which are especially important for individuals who are ageing or have disabilities. According to the studies of Lee S. Berk, DrPhd, laughter has the ability to boost endorphins and serotonin, while lowering cortisol. This means that laughter has the ability to reduce pain and alleviate depressive thoughts, while reducing stress which might increase one’s risk of disease or blood pressure. For those who may be living in long-term care homes, isolated from their loved ones or dealing with chronic illness, laughter is an important part of coping with feelings of sadness and loss, and a key part of leading a happier life. If you have the capability to make others laugh, you’ll be great at enriching the lives of those you work with after personal support worker courses.

Laughter can help seniors and those with disabilities lead happier, healthier lives

Build Better Relationships with Clients After Personal Support Worker Training

When it comes to personal support work, the quality of your relationships with the clients you care for is one of the most important aspects of your job. When you and your client can share a joke or a laugh, it’s likely that you’ll be able to form a closer, more beneficial relationship. For example, if you’re helping a senior client with a personal hygiene-related task, being able to laugh together about a potentially embarrassing moment will improve your relationship rather than hinder it. When you have good relationships with your clients, you’ll be able to provide a higher level of care, enhancing your clients’ quality of life, improving your success and leading to a more rewarding career. If you’re ready to help someone else laugh and feel supported and cared for, becoming a personal support worker might be right for you.

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3 Ways You’ll Impact the Lives of Your Clients After Personal Support Worker Training

January 28, 2022

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A personal support worker (PSW) is an individual with a diverse set of skills who offers support and assistance to those who are aging, chronically ill, and may have physical or mental disabilities. If you’re considering a career as a PSW, you’ll be playing a vital role in helping clients and their families with tasks that require assistance. Whether you work in long-term care homes, a client’s home, or hospitals, your qualifications and professionalism will help you impact the lives of your clients and offer them a better quality of life.

At Medix College, we offer high quality training in care planning, restorative care and documentation, health conditions, and much more, all of which will help you make a difference for your clients.

Read on to learn three ways you can impact the lives of your clients as a PSW.

1.   Treating Your Clients with Respect and Dignity After Your PSW Course

Many vulnerable clients are hesitant to ask for help from others when they should–often because they may hesitate to allow themselves to be subject to a stranger’s care. They tend to dread having their private lives disrupted and feeling uncomfortable in their own homes or personal spaces. For these reasons, it’s important for a personal support worker to always put clients at ease when interacting with them. 

After completing your PSW course, you’ll develop effective soft skills which will allow you to communicate clearly and compassionately with clients. You’ll be able to handle difficult situations, while maintaining the ability to treat clients with the respect and dignity they deserve. By listening carefully to a client’s concerns or wishes and respecting their privacy, their lives will be impacted for the better.

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After your PSW course, treating your clients with respect and dignity will positively impact their lives

2.   Assist Your Clients with Daily Activities

A PSW can make a major positive contribution in the lives of their clients by assisting them with their daily activities. Many ill, elderly, individuals with disabilities have a very difficult time performing their daily tasks with ease and maintaining a proper standard of living. Your support in cleaning, cooking, grooming, and carrying out other necessary tasks will have a major impact in improving their living conditions and their well-being. Your personal support worker training will give you the hands-on experience you need to assist clients with meal preparation, household management, personal hygiene, and much more.

3.   Your Assistance Encourages Independence

When a PSW provides clients with care and assistance in daily activities, they also provide something that is extremely valuable to their clients; their independence or the feeling of autonomy. Many clients don’t want to feel like they are a burden on any of their loved ones, and therefore, become reluctant to ask for help.

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With your care and support, you’ll empower clients to be independent and go places without feeling like a burden on loved ones

With your care and support, you will empower your clients to regain a certain level of independence by doing tasks and running errands without the need to ask loved ones. Your assistance will offer them the ability to go on with their daily lives with the joy, comfort, and confidence they desire and deserve.

When you enroll at Medix College and start building the skills for a fulfilling career as a PSW, you will soon change people’s lives for the better.

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Why Your Skills Will be In-Demand in 2022 After Personal Support Worker Training

December 23, 2021

A personal support worker is someone who assists people who cannot perform daily tasks on their own. This could be someone who has either mental or physical disabilities, someone who is ill, or more commonly, elderly. These tasks often include bathing and eating. At times, a personal support worker may also perform certain medical procedures under supervision at the request of a doctor or nurse. There is currently a shortage of PSWs which has created a need for qualified, professional, and caring workers in the field. Let’s take a look at how you can apply your skills to fill the current demand in the healthcare sector.

PSW Courses Will Give You The Skills to Succeed

Through a PSW course, you’ll gain all the necessary skills to become a successful personal support worker. Some courses are conducted in a regular classroom setting, while others are led in a lab. The regular courses include PSW Foundations, where you’ll learn about changes that come with age, Assisting With Personal Hygiene, which teaches you how to assist with common conditions, and Hospice And Palliative Care, where you’ll learn how to identify an individual’s needs.

The lab-style classes offer a more hands-on experience. These classes cover meal preparation, how to assist someone with basic hygiene tasks such as bathing, administering medication, bedside and personal care, and how to increase comfort. No matter the task, communicating clearly and compassionately in each situation is an essential part of the work.

Those in PSW courses will get the chance to put their skills and knowledge into practice with externships in a workplace environment, where they’ll work under the direct supervision of a clinical instructor at a long-term care facility.

Personal support worker courses teach skills that will help you offer the best care to your clients

Support for Canada’s Older Population

The Canadian Census showed that there were more people who were 65 and older than there were children in 2016. This is partially due to the baby boom between the years 1946 and 1964. That generation is now growing older. Essentially, we will have more elderly people who may need assistance in the next coming years than we currently have. This means there’ll be a need for more personal care workers who can offer compassionate and professional service to these people. A career as a personal support worker can be extremely rewarding, as they play a major role in optimizing their clients’ well-being and sense of self-governance. With the right training through personal support worker courses, this could be you.

Canada’s aging population will require more PSWs in the near future

A Shortage of Healthcare Workers

Just like most industries, those in health care, including personal support workers, took a major hit during the pandemic. Many people were forced to make major life adjustments, including changes to their work situation. If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that our health care workers are an extremely valuable and indispensable part of our society. Long-term care facilities, hospitals, and private homes all need good personal support workers to join their teams. With a shortage of qualified workers, these places are unable to provide the quality of care that their clients deserve. By training as a personal support worker, you can play a part in supporting both clients and the wider healthcare industry.

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Why Practical Experience Is Critical During Your Personal Support Worker Training

November 12, 2021

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A career as a personal support worker will provide a rewarding experience in the workplace every day. After your training, you’ll get to choose from a number of job opportunities, having the skills needed to work in long-term care facilities, supportive housing, home care, adult day care, and palliative care. 

Providing care, support, and assistance to clients who are aging, chronically ill, or have a mental/physical disability is an important role in society. Making an impact with these clients and their families becomes a fulfilling journey for all parties involved. In order to become comfortable providing essential services for these patients, you will need practical experience to fully understand the extent of care provided to them. During your course, you will have the option to participate in cross disciplinary learning opportunities with other members of the care and service team. Read on to discover why this practical experience is so important.

Find Specializations You Enjoy

Obtaining hands-on experience while completing your personal support worker training can give you a better idea of the type of work environment you most enjoy. The only way to really know whether or not you like a certain job placement is to try it out, and practical experience allows you to do just that.

Completing a program that provides two externships will open your eyes to what two different types of work placements entail. Having the opportunity to experience extensive time in each placement gives you a complete look at what your role would be like in each one. You may find that you loved the first placement, and would like to pursue job openings in the same specialization after you complete your training. Alternatively, you may realize that you don’t particularly enjoy a certain placement, encouraging you to keep your options open for a different type of role.

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Practical experience can help you determine where you’d enjoy working long term

Increase Your Validity After Your PSW Course

When hiring a personal support worker, employers generally want to know that the job candidate has relevant experience to help them excel in the workplace. Practical experience gives you the chance to improve your skills, making it easier to display your perfect fit for the role in an interview.

During the first hand lab experience you’ll gain in your PSW course, you will develop skills that will easily translate to a job placement after your program. In these labs you’ll get comfortable with common PSW tasks such as meal preparation, household management, medication administration, mobility assistance, and overall making sure patients of all ages and backgrounds feel comfortable and safe. These are only a few of the many practical skills you will be able to bring to a new job following your course.

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Getting hands on experience throughout your training will prepare you to work with many types of clients

Build a Network of Connections in Your Field

Working in these externships can help you build important connections in your field. These connections may be able to assist you in learning about job opportunities or even in providing letters of recommendation from your time working together. Externships are an incredible way to build a professional web of connections in different areas of the personal support worker community.

Building a network in your field will also give you supportive working relationships as you accumulate contacts across the workforce. Having colleagues you can relate to, socialize with, and lean on for support is a great way to foster long term happiness in your career. Don’t wait until you get hired somewhere – instead start building these relationships during your externships to find even more value in these educational opportunities.

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