Article #24 in our series. A quick and simple PSW Program / Course Outline

PSW Program / Course Outline

One of the more frequent e-mail questions that we receive is: “What can I expect my PSW course to cover?”

While each course will vary slightly depending on the A) the type of school and B) the teacher , for the most part courses seem to cover roughly the same ground. All courses include a mandatory co-op. Aside from the co-op, let?s look at in class learning. For this we?ll reference a textbook supplement guide entitled: Training to be a Personal Support Worker

The textbook supplement highlights some of the key points of the course. It includes ten separate chapters. A brief look at the chapter headings should give prospective students an idea of what they will be encountering.

* Roles and Responsibilities of a personal support worker

* The Health Care Team

* Health Care in Canada

* Canadian Legislation and the personal support worker

* Work Settings

* Meal Preparation and Household Management

* Safety

* Optimal Care Planning and Support

* Assisting with Medications

* Reports and Documentation

Using the above list we can sum up the course outline of most personal support worker courses in the following paragraph.

Prospective students will learn to function as part of a health care team, working with clients that have a multitude of different ailments, including but not exclusive to aging, mental health, physical health and rehabilitation. Safety, for the employee and the clients, is a focus of any PSW course. The majority of safety issues is covered through legislation, internal reporting and safety techniques. The textbook version of personal care (and all that it encompasses) will be taught, although in practical terms each workplace determines its own version of personal care.

In a nutshell this is what incoming students can expect once their programs begin.