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Personal Support Worker
As a personal support worker, you provide essential care and support to seniors, persons with disabilities or convalescent individuals. Learn to assist with personal hygiene, mobility needs, nutrition, and medications. Gain hands-on training on campus in infection control, household management, and compassionate care practices.
Credential
Diploma
Duration
43 weeks
Practicum
7 weeks
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Employment Opportunities
- Personal Aide
- Family Caregiver
- Home Support Worker
- Health Care Assistant
- Live-In Caregiver
- Personal Care Aide
- Geriatric Health Aide
What You Could Earn
Up to $45,385
Benefits
Our Personal Support Worker course is eligible for student aid funding; other options available.
Industry-experienced instructors bring firsthand knowledge from actual roles in their fields.
Study on campus in Calgary or Edmonton in our personal support worker labs for hands-on healthcare experience. Our fully equipped labs offer immersive learning with hospital beds and state-of-the-art equipment.
Certifications in CPR and First Aid prepare you to handle emergencies and provide immediate, lifesaving care with confidence and competence.
Gain real-world experience and healthcare support training through practicum placements in care environments.
Benefit from lifetime access to our Career Services department for job search assistance and career advice.
Develop skills in care planning, symptom management, effective communication, and self-care to prevent compassion fatigue.
We provide the tools you need to succeed in your program, including a new laptop you keep.
Personal Support Worker Diploma: Overview
Sundance College’s Personal Support Worker (PSW) program provides a comprehensive, career-focused and hands-on educational experience at our Calgary or Edmonton campuses designed to prepare you to become a compassionate and competent PSW with a rewarding career in healthcare.
Our program prepares you for this rewarding career by providing a strong foundation through courses in safety and mobility, personal hygiene, household management, nutrition, restorative care, medication assistance, and mental health support.
You will receive training in person-centred care including assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) and supporting the emotional and social needs of clients.
You will also gain knowledge in specialized areas like palliative care, mental health support, and care for individuals with chronic and acute conditions.
Our program also includes a 7-week practicum or practical work experience in a hospital or outpatient setting like a long-term care facility or a hospice. providing real-world experience in a healthcare setting.
Program Overview: Personal Support Worker
Learn about Sundance College’s Personal Support Worker diploma program and how it prepares students for career success as a care worker or personal aide.
Is a career as a Personal Support Worker right for you?
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Core
PSW Foundations
This course lays the solid foundation for your career as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) in Canada. With a focus on Canada’s multicultural population, you will learn the essential role and responsibilities of a PSW, offering insight into the care that clients require.
You will explore the Canadian healthcare system, relevant legislation, ethics, and interpersonal communication. By gaining these foundational skills, you will be equipped to provide compassionate client-centred care, improving quality of life for your patients.
Safety and Mobility
Gain essential knowledge and practical skills for ensuring the safety and enhancing the mobility of clients under your care. You will learn critical competencies required for effective support work, focusing on safe and respectful handling, moving, and positioning of clients.
These skills will enable you to provide high-quality care and support, ensuring the physical well-being and comfort of those you assist.
Body Systems
Explore human anatomy and medical terminology, essential for excelling in the healthcare field. To excel in your field, this course emphasizes the importance of understanding the human body’s systems, structures, and the medical language that describes them. Explore each system’s anatomy and physiology, so you can support the physical well-being of your clients.
Assisting the Dying Person
Learn compassionate care for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. Through practical strategies and real-life scenarios, you will develop skills in palliative care, effective communication, and culturally safe practices.
This course covers advanced care planning, symptom management in the final stages, and self-care to prevent compassion fatigue.
Understand the importance of your role in the healthcare team and gain the confidence and competence needed to support the dying and their families with empathy and professionalism.
Assisting the Family & Growth and Development
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to support individuals and families across various life stages.
Explore principles of growth and development from infancy to aging adulthood and learn key developmental theories like Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and Erikson’s developmental stages.
Understand practical applications of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, preparing you to provide comprehensive care and support to vulnerable population groups.
Assisting with Medications
Acquire essential skills and knowledge for effectively assisting with medications within medical and care settings.
Through the combination of theoretical and practical application, you will delve into the intricacies of oxygen therapy and medication management, grounded in Canadian healthcare practices, enhancing your ability to provide safe and effective care.
Assisting with Personal Hygiene
Learn to provide exceptional care focused on hygiene and infection control. Gain hands-on skills in assisting clients with bathing, showering, and personal grooming, ensuring their comfort, and dignity while adhering to safety protocols to prevent accidents or injuries.
Students will address the essential practices of personal hygiene management, with an emphasis on the observation necessary to report changes or concerns in a client’s condition, ensuring their overall well-being.
Household Management, Nutrition, and Hydration
This course integrates theoretical knowledge with hands-on practical skills, preparing you to provide comprehensive care in household management, nutrition, and hydration while prioritizing client comfort, well-being, and safety. Explore the significance of comfort, pain management, and home management while gaining practical skills in cleaning, laundry, and handling clients’ money. Emphasis is placed on promoting a safe, comfortable, and hygienic environment for clients while supporting their nutritional needs and hydration.
Care Planning, Restorative Care, and Working in the Community
Learn the essential skills and knowledge required in care planning, restorative care, and community settings. You will learn to differentiate between rehabilitative and restorative care, understanding their respective goals and the holistic approach involved in rehabilitation. The role of therapy, training, and the family in the rehabilitation process will be explored alongside the benefits of both rehabilitation and restorative care.
Cognitive and Mental Health Issues & Brain Injuries
Develop an understanding of mental health and cognitive issues, including the impact of brain injuries. Learn responsive behaviours to provide support to individuals and families facing cognitive impairments such as disorientation, delirium, and dementia.
This course blends theoretical knowledge with PSW practical training and skills to help you navigate the complexities of mental health disorders and their effects.
Health Conditions
Gain an understanding of a wide range of health conditions affecting various bodily systems.
Learn to provide empathetic and effective care to individuals with complex health issues, including communicable diseases and conditions related to the integumentary, musculoskeletal, neurological, and endocrine systems.
Learn to recognize common alterations in functioning health and about the management of cancers, fractures, amputations, and sensory impairments, as well as hearing and vision impairments, along with strategies to support clients with speech and language disorders.
CPR, First Aid, WHMIS and FOIP
This course provides students with hands-on training in first aid. Topics include medical/legal aspects, spinal injuries, environmental emergencies, bone and joint injuries, abdominal and chest injuries, burns and respiratory emergencies and much more.
Foundation
Becoming a Master Student
This course helps students make the transition to post-secondary education and teaches them how to make the most of their chosen career education path as they prepare for the workforce. Topics include learning styles, goal setting, note-taking, and testing.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Learn the necessary proper speaking skills to deliver effective and professional oral presentations. Understand how to design effective visual aids and what to do before, during, and after a presentation by developing essential professional communication skills.
Microsoft Outlook
Learn the file management, editing, formatting, and printing functions essential in every workplace using Microsoft Outlook.
Microsoft Word
Learn how to create, format, and manipulate Microsoft Word documents through practical hands-on training.
Career Management
Work hands-on to build the opportunity-finding skills needed in today’s job market. You will learn essential skills needed to be successful throughout the entire job application process and how to achieve gainful employment. You will plan, write, and complete a resume; search for employment; and develop your presentation skills.
Practicum
Your diploma program includes a 7-week practicum in a hospital or outpatient setting like a long-term care facility or a hospice.
Admissions Steps
Whether you're just starting to explore or are ready to take the next step, we're here to help you navigate your journey. Get all the information you need to make an informed decision about your future.
Admissions RequirementsConnect with anAdmissions Advisor
Find Out What Our Students
Say About Us
Great Experience! Instructors were very supportive, and the course, materials, and any staff member that I had to contact were terrific! My experience with Sundance College has been the greatest.
Amanda C.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a personal support worker?
A personal support worker (PSW) is a trained healthcare professional who provides essential care and assisted living support to individuals, especially the elderly and disabled, their homes or in hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices, palliative care facilities, assisted living retirement homes, and other settings.
As part of the personal support worker job description, PSWs assist with personal hygiene, mobility, nutrition, and medications, focusing on improving physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
They are skilled in infection control, household management, and palliative care, ensuring clients’ comfort and quality of life. PSWs should hold certifications in Standard First Aid and CPR.
What does a personal support worker do?
Personal support workers provide essential care and support to individuals and families in healthcare settings. PSWs assist with personal hygiene, mobility needs, nutrition, and medications, ensuring physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
They provide disability and elder care services, help with activities of daily living, manage household tasks, and use their compassionate care skills to improve quality of life.
To learn more about what personal support workers do, read our blog, ‘What Exactly Does a Personal Support Worker Do?’.
How much does a PSW make in Canada?
The salary of a personal support worker in Canada varies depending on factors such as location (province, city), experience, and employer. On average, PSWs in Canada can earn up to $45,385 a year.
What is the benefit of taking my Personal Support Worker diploma at a campus location rather than online?
Choosing to take your Personal Support Worker diploma on campus provides the advantage of essential hands-on training and direct interaction with instructors and peers. This immersive learning experience allows you to practice skills in real-world scenarios, utilize advanced lab facilities, and receive immediate feedback, ensuring you are well-prepared for the demands of the profession. This face-to-face environment is particularly beneficial for mastering the practical aspects of personal support work.
Is PSW a certificate or a diploma?
The Personal Support Worker program is a diploma program. When compared to a certificate, a PSW diploma program provides a more comprehensive curriculum and caregiver training, with enhanced practical PSW education.
How do I become a personal support worker in Canada?
To become a personal support worker in Canada, you will need to complete a training program at a recognized college. The PSW program should include a combination of in-class instruction and practical training. Sundance College’s PSW program is available to both domestic and international students. Follow our step-by-step guide and learn everything you need to know about becoming a PSW: ‘A Career of Caring: A Guide to Becoming a Personal Support Worker’.
What jobs can I expect to get once I graduate from the PSW program?
Graduates of our PSW program can pursue careers as personal care aides, home care assistants, senior care assistants, home support workers, health care assistants, geriatric health aides, and more. These roles are in high demand in healthcare settings like long-term care facilities, home healthcare agencies, and hospices.
Do you have other questions about our diploma programs or need guidance?
If you need more information about our programs, admissions requirements, financial aid, or practicum experiences, our admissions advisors are ready to assist you. Connect with a professional today to get the support and information you need to make informed decisions about your education and career path.