As the “Baby-Boomer” generation ages and as hospital stays get shorter, the need for Personal Support Workers (PSW) is increasing rapidly, making it one of the most sought-after of the health care professions.
In addition to shorter hospital stays and an aging population, seniors are staying
in their own homes longer, and with fewer and fewer in-home family caregivers
available (due in part to the trend towards dual-income households), there will
be no lack of opportunities for those choosing to pursue a career as a
Professional Support Worker.
Upon successful completion of Ican College’s Personal Support Worker Program the
graduate will be qualified to work in a multitude of areas, including:
Nursing homes
Chronic care facilities
Private contracts
Community living
Childcare support
Paramed
Red Cross
School assistants for challenged children
Olsten
Day-away programs
Alzheimer's programs
AExtended care facilities, and
Home day care
(Note:
the Personal Support Worker (PSW) program replaces Ican’s Health Care Aides and
Home Support Worker (HSW) program)
CURRICULUM
Professional Interpersonal/Soft Skills
Individuality of the Person and the Role of the Personal Suport Worker
Medical/Dental Terminology
Anatomy
Abuse
Safety
Techniques and Issues when Assisting the Mobility Impaired
Individuality OF THE Person and the role of the psw
Deals with respecting people
in general and more specifically the patient and their family. This module
focuses on the concept of a person’s/patient’s individuality, the differences
among people and accepting different values, cultures and beliefs. It covers the
idea of family relationship building and the concepts of interdependence and
independence. Also addressed is the clients right of self-determination.
In this module the various roles of the PSW are examined.
medical terminology
The student learns many of
the terms, names and descriptors used by the medical profession, as related to
specific conditions, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and physiotherapy.
Anatomy
The study of anatomy is the
study of the structural organization of living things.
That is to say, it is the study of “the
parts” of the human body/anatomy, their interrelation, and ultimately their
impact on the whole organism.
Students learn how the human
body works, and some of the forces affecting it, including the aging
process. What exactly happens to us as
we age?
The purpose being, an
understanding of human body and the aging process facilitates our understanding
of/and dealing with the patient’s needs, both young and old.
Abuse
Learn to recognize the
difference between an accident and abuse, along with an analysis of the ethical
and legal obligations involved.
Safety
Learn how to promote a safe
work environment, including universal precautions and to prepare incident
reports.
Techniques and Issues When Assisting THE MOBILITY IMPAIRED
The aspects of good body
mechanics when caring for patients is discussed and demonstrated. Specific
lifts, transferring techniques and the use of equipment are covered with an
emphasis on safety both for the PSW as well as the patient.
Household Management and Meal Preparation
This portion of the course
deals with nutrition and the preparation of nutritious menus, preparing
shopping lists, household management and handling and cooking of food. Also addressed are the special dietary concerns as related to infants, pregnancy, nursing mothers, diabetics and so on.
We also take a more in-depth
look at household duties such as laundry, proper use of washer/dryer,
dishwasher, and address acceptable methods of disinfection and related products.
Cognitive Impairment and Mental Health
The student is introduced to
some of the more “common” psychiatric conditions as well as teaching the
student to identify some of the changes in behaviour typically associated with
various psychiatric illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia and
suicide.
Students will also study
many of the issues related to cognitive impairment.
In addition, issues relating
to substance abuse, and dealing with the addict are investigated.
Providing Optimal Support/Care Planning
This portion of the course
teaches the student to be supportive and sensitive to the client’s need to
remain as independent as they can.
Assisting with Personal Hygiene
In this section the student
is taught to provide appropriate assistance as far as the patients hygienic
needs are concerned, while allowing the patient to remain as independent as
possible. Sensitivity, dignity and privacy are emphasized.
Assisting the Family
Here the student will become
aware of respite services, the role/supervision of PSW’s and routine child and
infant care. We address how the PSW’s
role affects their interactions with the patient’s family, and not just the
patient.
Assisting the person manage ONGOING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
The focus of this module is
to teach the PSW to function as part of a medical team. Whether the PSW is
dealing with a patient with an ongoing medical condition or the patient is an
accident victim, the goal is for the PSW to be able to provide the patient with
the most appropriate assistance possible.
Assistance with Medications
This module is a brief
introduction to pharmacology, where the student learns the purpose,
instructions and precautions related to medications. We address reading and
interpreting prescription containers, learn the proper way to administer eye,
ear and nose drops, as well as oral/topical medications.
Assisting THE TERMINALLY ILL person
We study the impact of a
terminal disease on the emotional well being of the patient and their family,
and will examine the issues dealing with providing support to both.
We will also provide
instruction on caring for the patient just prior to their death and what to do
when death actually occurs. Such issues as care of the body after death,
who must be contacted and any other mandatory procedures are covered.
FIRST AID & CPR
The student will receive
Level C Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario CPR training for children,
seniors and adults and obtain the St. John’s Ambulance Standard First Aid
certification.
Upon successful completion
of this phase of the program the student will be qualified to intervene in the
case of a heart attack, stroke or choking crisis, as well as administering more
conventional first aid.
INTERPERSONAL and Soft Skills
In this module we emphasize
positive relationships, fostering the ideas of empathy, respect, and
encouragement and heavy focus on clear communication.
Of particular concern is the
whole issue of confidentiality. Here,
the student is familiarized with the need for confidentiality. The student is also introduced to some effective methods for dealing with both time and stress management.
But there is more to it than just dealing with a patient!
Soft Skills are people
skills - how to deal with people but specifically in the workforce. Employers need people who can work together.
Teamwork is an essential component in today’s business world and employers are
looking for people that, in addition to the technical skills, can work together
as part of “the team.” There is almost
as big a demand for soft skills as there is for technical skills.
This module looks at some of
the major issues in dealing with people in the workplace. The topics examined include working in teams, groups and group dynamics, personalities and personality traits (and
some hints in how to deal with them) and effective listening.
Work Placement
Ican College’s Placement Officer will meet with each student
individually to discuss aspirations and personal interests, and a 8-week co-op
work placement will be arranged at the end of the 12 weeks class/lecture/lab
portion of the curriculum. This will be
broken up into a 5-week placement in a provincial institutional setting, such
as Villa Marconi, The Glebe Centre or The Veterans Home, then a 3 week
placement in one of our regular volunteers homes for an exposure to the
community setting.
