2 Semesters
Ontario College Certificate
Campus: Thessalon
Program Code: 3039

Overview

NOTE: This program is only open to residents of Ontario.


January 2024 intake:

Personal Support Worker - Thessalon will run:

  • Semester 1 - January 8, 2024 to April 19, 2024
  • Semester 2 - May 6, 2024 to August 16, 2024


February 2023 intake:

Personal Support Worker - Thessalon  will run:

  • Semester 1 - February 20, 2023 to May 26, 2023
  • Semester 2 - June 5, 2023 to September 15, 2023

Do you love to care for others? Your passion to help inspires us!

The  2-Semester Sault College Personal Support Worker (PSW) program teaches you the skills to provide personal care for the elderly, the chronically ill and persons with accessibility challenges across many different settings.

Learn how to successfully support and promote the physical, emotional and social well-being of clients in:

  • Long-term care facilities
  • Hospitals
  • Private agencies
  • Retirement homes
  • Home care settings
  • Boards of education (special needs children)
  • Palliative care settings
  • Senior citizen recreation centres
  • Respite settings
  • Group homes

Work with clients and families and start making a difference now!

As a student of the PSW program, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in field placements to further your skills, gain valuable experience and increase your confidence level as you enter the workforce.

You were meant to be a vital member of community healthcare. And you will find it here.

Requirements & Program Information

To enter the Personal Support Worker program, you`ll need to have Ontario Secondary School diploma with Grade 12 English (C) ENG4C or mature student status.

A mature student is someone who is 19 years of age or older by the first day of College and has not graduated from high school. If you have graduated from high school but haven`t been to school in a while, you`re an adult learner.

If you`re a mature student, you can still apply to College, and have two options: You can pay $25 to write the Canadian Academic Achievement Test (CAAT) for Math and/or English requirements only or you can take Academic Upgrading for free to get your high school equivalency for any of our college programs.

If you`re an adult learner that, is, have graduated from high school and have been out of school for a while, you still may want to consider free Academic Upgrading to re-fresh your skills before the start of the Personal Support Worker program. Upgrading programs start at the beginning of each month. Call 705-759-2554 ext., 2433 to learn more.



Educational Paths

The Personal Support Worker program gives you a strong foundation for going on in the health care field of study if you would like to further your education.

After graduating successfully from the program, you can work part-time on week-ends and evenings as a Personal Support Worker at a competitive wage to help pay with your education while going on in school.

To go on to become a Practical Nurse after graduating from the Personal Support Worker program, you will still need two additional courses: Grade 12 Chemistry (C) SCH4C and Grade 11 Foundations for College Math (C) MBF3C to enter the Practical Nursing program.

Both of these are offered through our free Academic Upgrading program and can be done simultaneously if you choose while taking the Personal Support Program. Call 705.759.2554, ext. 2433 to learn more about taking these courses.

If you successfully complete both PSW108 and PSW118 while studying in the Personal Support Worker program, those will be accepted for Grade 11 Biology (C) SBI3C, which is required for the Practical Nursing program. You will also be exempted from the Medical Terminology portion of Practical Nursing if you have completed Medical Terminology in the Personal Support Worker or within the Continuing Education Program.


Clinical/Lab and Field Placement Requirements

In order for students to be eligible to complete clinical placement, which is a mandatory component of education, specific clinical requirements must be satisfied, and documentation submitted by the due date identified for the program.

The absence of documentation for any requirements or failure to submit the requirements by the expected due date will result in the student being withdrawn from the course in which clinical placement is an element.  

CLINICAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • STANDARD FIRST AID
  • CPR - Basic Life Support Level (BLS) (annually), must be for Health Care Providers, no online courses are permitted
  • WHMIS
  • N95 MASK FIT TESTING CARD (every 2 years), requires a clean-shaven face for appropriate fitting
  • IMMUNIZATIONS
  • POLICE VULNERABLE SECTOR CHECK (PVSC) (annually), Level 3 Criminal Record Check

Clinical Placement Requirements are due as indicated:

  • Personal Support Worker - Due Date - TBA

College Contact:  carla.bumbaco@saultcollege.ca

Please Note:

All original placement documentation must be submitted to the appropriate college contact by the program mandated deadlines. It is the responsibility of the student to keep up-to-date placement requirement documentation (and copies) to present to faculty and/or placement agencies as required.  The College does not retain copies of any placement requirements.

Clinical Requirement Specifics:

Students should endeavor to have all of their requirements completed prior to their program start date.  If unable to obtain all requirements prior to the program start date, a list of available resources in the community can be provided.  Sault College cannot guarantee that appointment dates or course times will be available prior to identified program deadlines.

Standard First Aid, CPR - BLS, and the N95 Mask Fit Test - are offered through Sault College`s Continuing Education Department. You may also access these courses through other providers as long as they meet the clinical/placement requirement specifications.

WHMIS - The WHMIS course is available to registered students free of charge on LMS (Learning Management System).

Two Step TB Skin Test or Blood Test - Please be advised that the Step Two TB Skin Test is available locally through Algoma Public Health, however, testing, although offered weekly, is limited. It is our suggestion that you schedule this test early so that you complete the requirements by the deadlines listed on this page for your applicable program. Algoma Public Health contact information is (705) 541-7085. In the event that Algoma Public Health is not offering TB skin testing, please contact your health care provider and watch for information regarding clinics on LMS.

Immunizations:

Complete required immunizations prior to the first semester of the program and submit official records, along with the College Health Form, to the Sault College Health Centre.

 

  1. 2 Step TB Skin Test or TB blood test or Clear Chest X-Ray
  2. Annual 1 Step TB Test (as needed)
  3. Measles/Mumps/Rubella
  4. Tetanus/Diphtheria (within 10 years)
  5. Chicken Pox (documented proof of immunity)
  6. Hepatitis B
  7. Influenza Vaccine (October/November)
  8. COVID vaccine*

* The Covid-19 pandemic remains a global concern. We encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider regarding the decision to be vaccinated. Please note clinical placement agencies may require evidence of vaccination prior to entry to placement. Further, they may refuse a student entry who has not been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC):

For your program, a  Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) is required.

The laws, rules and regulations regarding the acquisition of a criminal record check and the Sault College Criminal Record Check Policy shall be enforced and applied in accordance a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 and all other applicable statutes or regulations.

Why is a Police Vulnerable Sector Check necessary?

Sault College placements are bound by this policy and the policies of placement providers. Given this, the purpose of a police vulnerable sector check includes but is not limited to the following:

 

  1. The protection of vulnerable persons;
  2. The protection of the interests of students;
  3. The protection of the interests of the placement agencies; and
  4. The protection of the interests of the College and its employees.

Students will be advised of the process to obtain a Police Vulnerable Sector Check during the first month of the first semester or when field placements are confirmed.

Individuals who have charges, pending charges or a criminal conviction for which record suspension has not been granted, must contact the College Contact listed above for their program. A meeting will be scheduled with the Chair to discuss their ability to participate in experiential learning in order to complete all program graduation requirements. If a student fails to disclose this information, their academic status will be adversely affective. Prospective students should know that if a criminal record exists, the student’s ability to complete the academic requirements and graduate from their program may be in jeopardy.

Student questions about the Police Vulnerable Sector Search and the submission of these documents may be made to the College Contact listed above for their program.

Please visit the Sault College Criminal Record Check Policy and procedural information located on the Student Portal. On the Student Portal, select Support Services, then select Forms and Policies.

Students must also sign a Statement of Confidentiality.

Career Path

The staff and faculty are committed to providing an academic environment that will help you achieve personal and professional success. When you have completed the Personal Support Program here at Sault College you will be able to work in various settings such as long-term care facilities, hospitals, community agencies, and various other settings offering opportunities to work with various age groups.

Dress code

The public we serve and the institutions with which we share contractual agreements expect a neat and well-groomed appearance of the Personal Support Worker student. A professional image communicates respect, caring and inspires confidence and trust with our clients and others.

It is expected that Sault College Personal Support Worker students will follow a dress code when in labs/clinical placements and also adhere to the policies of the agencies they will be placed in.

Contact

Program Contact: Lori Crosson, (705) 759-2554 ext 2442, lori.crosson@saultcollege.ca 

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