Healthcare

Personal Support Worker

Aid the senior population and launch your new fulfilling career by training as a personal support worker. Plus, you may qualify for 75% free tuition for the Personal Support Worker program.*

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Type

Diploma

Duration

35 Weeks

Internship

9 Weeks

Program Outline

View Outline

Program Outline NB

About The Program

Experience a fulfilling career with hands-on learning. With an aging population and shorter hospital stays, the need for personal support workers in the healthcare industry is vital. The NACC Personal Support Worker 2022 program includes a combination of skills-lab training, 9-week field placement to equip graduates with skill and confidence entering the workforce.

*You may be eligible for 75% free tuition when you begin the program. Other costs such as transportation, living expenses, and childcare may also be covered. You must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen to qualify.

Choose from two learning options:

On-Campus
Hybrid

Career Opportunities

As a Personal Support Worker graduate, you will qualify for positions such as Home Care Agencies, Nursing Homes, Private Residences and Hospitals.

Employers Who Have Hired Eastern Grads

Ridgewood Addiction Services
Forest Dale Nursing Home
York Care Centre
Pine Grove Nursing Home
Eden Special Care Home
Alleira Living

Salary

99 %

Employment Rate*

$ 15

Average Wage/hr**

$ 18

High Wage/hr**

*Employment Rate based on 2022 contactable Eastern graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC Code: 4412, 3413 - **Wage data based on NOC Code 4412 and rounded down to the nearest dollar based on New Brunswick data. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Jan 2024.

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Available Learning Options

At Eastern College, you can choose the learning option that meets your needs. This program is currently available in:

In-Class

Instructor-led classes held in-person at one or more of our 4 campuses.

Personal Support Worker

Duration: 35 Weeks

Internship: 9 Weeks

Program Outline

Hybrid

Instructor-led classes on a set schedule held remotely on video over the Internet, with some courses delivered in-person at one of our 4 campuses.

Personal Support Worker

Duration: 35 Weeks

Internship: 9 Weeks

Program Outline

Program Details

The need for home support workers and personal care attendants is increasing as our population ages. A role in this rewarding field will see you providing support to clients and their families that need assistance; whether elderly, disabled, or recovering from a serious illness or injury. The Personal Support Program is available at our Saint John, Fredericton, and Moncton campus in New Brunswick, offering you practical, hands-on learning experiences.

As a Personal Support Worker, your job will be to assist individuals with their daily routines, including preparing meals and feeding, maintaining personal hygiene, running errands, monitoring medication and recovery, and informal counselling support. Studying to become a Personal Support Worker at Eastern College will provide you with the skills required to meet provincial standards, to help you find a job in your chosen field that much quicker. Choose from two learning options so that you can train for a career in healthcare in a way that suits your lifestyle and schedule. For those who prefer in-person learning and are near one of our campuses, you can study on-campus, and for those who prefer to study from the comfort of their own home, we also offer online remote classes. Both options offer a practicum, where you’ll apply what you’ve learned in real-world settings so that you graduate with the hands-on skills you need for a rewarding career as a Personal Support Worker.

Students enrolled in this program receive:

CPR (HCP–Healthcare Provider Level / BLS-Basic Life Support)/First Aid
National Association of Career Colleges Certificate for Personal Support Workers
Gentle Persuasive Approach Certificate

Course Listings: New Brunswick

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.

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.

Student Success Strategies

In this orientation module, you will focus on achieving success from day one. You will develop non-technical skills to enhance your personal, academic, and career success. You will explore learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. You will also enhance your 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. You will also explore techniques for managing change, stress, and conflict.

Admission Requirements

Student has Grade 12 or equivalent or meets criteria for Mature Student Status.
Mature students must be 19 years of age, pass a qualifying test, and provide a Letter of Intent OR resume that supports their skills and aptitudes to be successful in the program.
The approved qualifying test for this program is the Wonderlic test. A passing score for this program is 11.
Student must provide a current clear Canada wide Police Clearance of Criminal Record with
Vulnerable Sector screening within 45 days of the commencement of study.
Student must provide a Clear Medical Certificate within 45 days of the commencement of study.
If English is not a student’s first language, they must provide proof of English competency. English Language Proficiency Requirements are:
IELTS – Int’l English Language Testing Services – Minimum score of 5.5 with no subject test score lower than 5.5; or
TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet based test (IBT) – Overall 80 with the minimum in each component: Reading 20; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 20; or
CAEL: Overall 60 No section below 60
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General with a score of 7 (no section score below 6)
Canadian Language Benchmark Tests with a score of 7 in each strand (not an average of 7)
Duolingo English Test with a minimum score of 95
Pearson PTE Academic with a minimum score of 46
NACC Written Entrance Exam (passing score of 60)
Evidence of successful completion of 2 consecutive years of full-time equivalent post-secondary study in English at a Canadian institution
Evidence of successful completion of 2 consecutive years of full-time equivalent post-secondary study in English at an institution outside of Canada

Accreditation

Our NACC Personal Support Worker 2022 program is accredited by the National Association of Career Colleges.

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Success Stories

“Love this place-great staff and instructors who help you in all areas for success. If you go to class, do homework and participate, you will do well. Great bunch of people!”

Lindsay

2019