Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
INSTITUTION INFORMATION
Name of
Institution:
Sheridan College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Trafalgar Road Campus:
1430 Trafalgar Road
Oakville, ON L6H 2L1
905-845-9430
Davis Campus:
7899 McLaughlin Road
Brampton, ON L6V 1G6
905-459-7533
Locations:
(Campus Location
of Program is in
bold)
Hazel McCallion Campus:
4180 Duke of York Boulevard
Mississauga, ON L5B 0G5
905-845-9430
Skills Training Centre:
407 Iroquois Shore Road
Oakville, ON L6H 1M3
905-845-9430
Website Address: www.sheridancollege.ca
All Sheridan campuses are accessible by local public transit, with convenient
connections to GO Transit. Visit:
www.sheridancollege.ca / About Sheridan/ Campus Info/ How to Get to Sheridan
Second Career Coordinator: Deborah Campbell
Contact Person:
Application
Process/Offer of
Admission/Letter
of Acceptance:
Phone: 905-459-7533 or 905-845-9430 ext. 5068
Fax: 905-874-4385
E-mail: [email protected]
1. If you have been provided with a Second Career Application Package by
your Employment Assessment Centre, please review Sheridan’s full-time
program admission requirements outlined below under Program-Specific
Admission Requirements. Please note that to be extended an offer to
Sheridan and obtain an acceptance letter, you are required to meet the
admission requirements. We will be pleased to talk with you about your
program and Second Career. Also, please attend a Sheridan Second
Career Information Session - times and locations are noted at
www.sheridancollege.ca under Programs and Courses, then select
Second Career.
2. Please apply to your program choice through the Ontario Colleges
website at: www.ontariocolleges.ca. Please provide transcripts or request
mature student testing, if you meet the criteria (see below Mature
Student Status). There is a $95 non-refundable application fee, payable
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
to Ontario Colleges.
3. If Sheridan determines you do not meet the admission requirements
through transcripts or testing, we will provide you with information about
how you can most efficiently obtain the necessary prerequisites through
Sheridan’s Upgrading or ESL Programs.
4. If you are accepted into your program choice, you will receive an offer of
admission and, subsequently, a detailed acceptance letter, which you will
submit with your Second Career funding application.
Certification of
School:
Sheridan is an Ontario Public College and is certified to issue T2202A tax
receipts.
Sheridan recognizes that some students who enter a program at the College will
have earned postsecondary credits at other recognized postsecondary institutions
and may wish to apply these credits towards the Sheridan credential. Advanced
standing refers to the transferring of credit earned at another recognized postsecondary institution towards a Sheridan credential.
Students may apply to receive advanced standing for specific Sheridan course(s)
based on the successful completion of similar courses at other recognized
postsecondary institutions subject to meeting applicable Sheridan policies.
Advanced
Standing:
Candidates must have achieved a minimum course grade of C grade in the
course that is being considered for advanced standing, or the minimum pass for
the course for promotion within the program, whichever is higher.
Courses considered for advanced standing must have been completed within five
years prior to the request except with the permission of the Dean of the respective
school. .
Please refer to the full time Advanced Standing policy on Sheridan’s Policies and
Procedures website for specific details. Mac users please note: you must use
Firefox, Opera or Netscape to access the documents on the Policies and
Procedures website.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Program
Name/Credential:
Personal Support Worker – Ontario College Certificate
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
Program-Specific
Admission
Requirements:
Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, including these required
courses:

One English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or ENG4U)
or
Mature Student Status – Mature students do not possess an Ontario
Secondary School Diploma, or equivalent, and are 19 years of age or older
before the starting date of the program.
Mature students who apply to Sheridan’s certificate and diploma programs must
demonstrate their ability to work at the postsecondary level in one of the following
two ways:


By successfully completing equivalency testing in English and/or
mathematics and/or; science or
By completing a program of academic upgrading at a level appropriate to
the program of choice.*
Mature students must demonstrate proficiency in meeting specific program
prerequisites.
*If you do not have the required prerequisites, you may wish to enrol in Sheridan’s
Academic Upgrading program to obtain equivalent credits. Sheridan also offers
an ESL program. Preparatory training, such as academic upgrading, is eligible for
Second Career funding, subject to the approval of Employment Ontario.
APPLICANT SELECTION
Eligible applicants will be selected on the basis of their previous academic
achievement (the average of their six highest senior-level credits, including
required courses).
Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements for this program will be
assessed and advised individually and may be considered for other, related
programs
CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK AND IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Sheridan field placement agencies may require a police record check for
vulnerable sector persons, and a current acceptable record of immunization.
Students will be required to provide this documentation directly to their field
placement prior to the start of the placement and at their own expense. Students
who cannot meet these requirements may have limited field placement
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
opportunities. A blank immunization form can be found at: health forms at
sheridancollege.ca
PREPARATION FOR APPLICATION
It takes a special kind of person to succeed as a personal support worker. We
strongly recommend that applicants research the demands of this career and
consider undertaking related volunteer experiences or working part-time with older
adults prior to the selection process.
Prior to commencing the practicum, and at individual expense, students must
obtain a certification in CPR Level C and St. John Standard First Aid for adults,
children and infants.
Start/End dates by
semester:
September 2013
Start
1
Sept. 3, 2013
To
Dec. 13, 2013
2
Jan. 6, 2014
To
April 17, 2014
3
N/A
4
N/A
This is a full time program over 1 year: (2 semesters of 14 weeks each)
Hours per week: approx. 22 (daytime hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.,
Monday to Friday)
Approximate hours of hands on training:
3 hours per week in semester 1, 21 per week in 7A of semester 2, and 29 per
week in 7B
Program Length/
Hours/Weeks:
One Year Program
Programs starting in September have a Christmas break of approximately 3
weeks.
Programs starting in January and May run continuously over 8 months (no
summer break), with two weeks between semesters.
Students will be notified about their class schedule and timetable prior to the
beginning of each semester.
Class Size:
Approx. 35
Course Outline:
See Program Outline section below
Registration Fee –
(applicable at time
of publication –
subject to change
without notice):
The $95 non-refundable application processing fee paid to Ontario Colleges
covers application processing for one application cycle.
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
Annual Tuition
(2012/13) –
(applicable at time
of publication –
subject to change
without notice):
• Year One $3,751.10
Tuition fees are regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
*Tuition for programs starting September 2013, and subsequent terms, is subject
to increase and will be updated when the increase has been determined.
Parking (2012/13) –
(applicable at time
of publication –
subject to change
without notice):
Parking for programs starting September 2013, and subsequent terms, is subject
to increase and will be updated when the increase has been determined.
• One Month: $80.00
• One Semester (September to January): $186.00
• Two Semesters (September to May): $343.00
• Three Semesters (September to August): $410.00
Additional Costs
2012/13 –
(applicable at time
of publication –
subject to change
without notice):
Other:
Cost for books, etc. for programs starting September 2013, and subsequent
terms, is subject to increase and will be updated when the increase has been
determined.
Books: $267.00
Expendable Supplies: $255.00
Uniform and Equipment: $282.00
See “Other” category
CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK AND IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
Sheridan field placement agencies may require a police record check for
vulnerable sector persons, and a current acceptable record of immunization.
Students will be required to provide this documentation directly to their field
placement prior to the start of the placement and at their own expense.
Students who cannot meet these requirements may have limited field placement
opportunities. A blank immunization form can be found at: Health forms.
Prior to commencing the practicum, and at individual expense, students must
obtain a certification in CPR Level C and St. John Standard First Aid for adults,
children and infants.
Payment Policy for
Second Career:
Option 1: Payment of total fees for one full year should be paid in full by the tuition
deadline. Please refer to your Fees Invoice for tuition deadlines as deadlines
vary depending on when you are extended and accept an offer.
Refund/Withdrawal
Policy:
To officially withdraw from Sheridan full time programs, you must do so in writing
by submitting to the Office of the Registrar an “Application for Term or Complete
Program Withdrawal” form available at all Sheridan Student Advisement offices. If
you withdraw by the tenth scheduled day of the term, then all fees are refunded
for that term, minus a $100 administrative processing charge.
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
Sheridan’s Personal Support Worker program prepares you to provide physical,
psychological and social assistance to the elderly or to medically challenged
youth. In just one year, you can gain the skills you need to begin a satisfying
career helping in a long-term care facility, classroom, supportive housing or home
care environment. A full 100% of our graduates find employment and employers
are 100% satisfied with the Sheridan personal support workers hired.
The curriculum includes extensive hands-on experience working first with
mannequins and then with actual patients through a practicum learning to:





Your Second
Career as a
Personal Support
Worker:
Perform demanding physical techniques of intimate personal care
Understand and empathize with the client and their challenging situation
Learn to lift and transfer clients
Increase your client's comfort, safety and mobility
Communicate clearly and compassionately with clients and report
accurately
In addition to quickly preparing you to enter a growing career field, your personal
support worker training is also a path toward starting a nursing education, if this is
your long-term goal. Two of your courses transfer as credit to the nursing
program, including one that is a joint course completed with the nursing students.
Field Practica Give Real-World Experience
Your personal support worker training includes 350 hours — four full weeks — in
two separate practicum settings. Your first practicum is in a long-term care facility.
The second can be in your choice of a classroom, supportive housing or long-term
care facility.
Unlike other programs that require you to find your own practicum, Sheridan’s
Personal Support Worker program arranges placement for you. A faculty member
always accompanies you on your first day of the placement to help you get
acquainted with the personnel and the facility. Field experiences often lead
directly to employment after graduation.
Professors Who Are Engaged in the Field
All professors teaching in the Personal Support Worker program hold a bachelor’s
or master’s degree in nursing and all are heavily engaged in the personal care
field. They bring their own experience working in elder care to the classroom.
The Personal Support Worker program is located at the Davis Campus in
Brampton, Ontario.
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
Employers are 100% satisfied with Sheridan’s Personal Support Worker
graduates. When you graduate from the Personal Support Worker program you
can expect to quickly find a position helping the elderly or medically challenged
youth in one of the following settings:
Career
opportunities/
Employment
Prospects/Success
Factors:





Long-term care facility
Home care
Supportive housing for seniors or youth adults
Classroom assistance
Nursing homes
Alumni of Sheridan can access all in-person and web-site Career Centre’s
services for assistance in Career Counselling and Employment Advising for one
year after their graduation date. After one year, they can access all web-site
services including jobs.sheridan (our on-line job posting system).
Method of
Instruction:
Equipment
Availability:
Instructor
Qualifications:
Courses are instructor-led. Students will engage in a variety of applied learning
and experiential activities and will complete multiple industry projects.
Students will have access to computers in open access computer labs.
College faculty are hired based on a combination of industry experience and
academic qualifications. Most full-time faculty have relevant Master’s degrees
and/or professional certifications where applicable to their field of expertise.
Faculty are provided with opportunities to engage in professional development to
ensure currency in their field as well as proficiency in teaching adults.
All Sheridan’s programs are designed and kept up to date with input from
Program Advisory Committees that include representation from employers and
industry organizations.
Curriculum Design:
Network for Innovation & Leadership in Education at Sheridan (NILES) at
Sheridan oversees the design of new programs and courses and maintains a
schedule of program review to keep programs up to date.
Students have the opportunity to complete a formal evaluation of the course and
instructor at the end of each course.
Evaluation of
Instructors,
Courses and
Programs:
Physical Facilities:
In addition, students can participate in the Student Satisfaction Survey to evaluate
their program.
Public colleges must survey students, graduates and employers as mandated by
the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to obtain information on Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs). Please visit Please visit: Sheridan Home Page,
About Sheridan, Sheridan at a Glance, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Sheridan classrooms and campus facilities are accessible and are designed to
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
support a wide range of applied learning activities. Classrooms and labs are
equipped with modern technology, including digital AV teaching and learning aids.
At the Davis and Trafalgar Road campuses, gyms and fitness centres, full-service
cafeterias, modern learning resource centres and vibrant student centres
contribute to supporting student learning and life. Both campuses have attractive
grounds that provide a relaxing counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of student
activity.
As a public college, Sheridan is able to offer a full range of student services and
supports:
Athletics and Recreation
Career Centre (job search assistance): available for one year following graduation
Counselling and Special Needs Services
Additional
Supports and
Resources
Available:
Accessible Learning Services
Library Services
Peer Tutoring and Mentoring
Health Services
Student Advisement Centre
Student Union
Special
Accommodations:
Sheridan’s Accessible Learning Services facilitates equal access for eligible
students with disabilities by coordinating reasonable academic accommodations
and support services. Accommodation plans and services are tailored to
correspond with the disability related needs of each student and are determined
based on the documentation provided and program specific requirements.
PROGRAM OUTLINE
Course
Requirements:
Course code:
Course Name:
Hours /
week:
Semester 1:
COMM 19998
Essential Communication Skills
3
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
HEAL 18263
Introduction to Personal Support
4
HEAL 15738
Supporting Safe and Healthy Environments
3
BIOL 19207
Structure and Function of the Human Body
3
HEAL 13431
Mental Health Issues and Cognitive Impairment
3
HEAL 13431
Lab 1
3
GNED
General Education Elective
3
TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK
22
HEAL 14857
Palliative Care for the Allied Health Worker
2
HEAL 14579
Supporting Families
2
FLPL 19402
PSW Long-term Care Practicum
6
FLPL 10606
PSW Community Practicum
6
FLPL 10102
PSW Consolidation
6
HEAL 13551
Caring for Clients with Ongoing Conditions
3
TOTAL HOURS PER WEEK
25
Semester 2:
** Note: Courses subject to change.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
COURSE
Essential Communication Skills
Code: COMM
19998
Hours / wk: 3
Students in certificate programs take College Communications to develop the practical language
skills that are fundamental to both college studies and future employment. These skills include
reading for information, writing for specific audiences and for a variety of purposes, speaking
clearly and proficiently, and analyzing and evaluating research sources appropriate to program
studies. Students write paragraphs and essays and collaborate on the writing of a research essay
and its presentation. Course work includes a variety of learning experiences in order to meet
different learning styles: lectures, lab work, collaboration and conferencing. Topics and
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
assignments may differ from one program to another, but the principles of effective
communication remain the same.
COURSE
Introduction to Personal Support
Code: HEAL 18263
Hours / wk: 4
Students are introduced to the discipline, role and function of the personal support worker.
Concepts such as client centred care, U- FIRST, communication, observation, care planning,
team building, conflict resolution and assertiveness will be introduced. Legislation, ethical
principles and professional relationships will be stressed. Online course content include online
articles, websites and online presentations. Students review PowerPoint lectures, participate in
online (graded and non-graded) discussions and chats, group assignments and other activities,
as required. There is an in class proctored final exam at the end of the semester. A textbook is
required for this course.
COURSE
Supporting Safe and Healthy
Environments
Code: HEAL 15738
Hours / wk: 3
Students learn to assist clients with nutritional needs, household management, and safety in a
manner which is effective, safe, and provides for comfort. The handling of hazardous substances,
appropriate use of infection control techniques, and assisting with medications are discussed.
Additional topics include the concept of abuse, its causes, indicators, and types.
COURSE
Structure and Function of the Human
Body
Code: BIOL 19207
Hours / wk: 3
Students develop a strong knowledge of biology as it applies to human health. Topics covered
include the integumentary, musculoskeletal, digestive, urinary, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory,
nervous and reproductive systems. Emphasis is placed on the interrelationship of structure and
function within the human body. Growth, development and genetics will be discussed.
COURSE
Mental Health Issues and Cognitive
Impairment
Code: HEAL 13431
Hours / wk: 3
Students use self-directed learning, problem solving, and a client- centered focus within the
helping relationship to provide care that promotes safety, hygiene, nutrition, elimination, activity
and rest, and health awareness. Students examine and practice the principles of helping
relationships and communication skills, basic health assessments, care options and
interventions, and, health promotion. Through experiential activities that support diverse learning
strategies students explore the differences and similarities of the roles and responsibilities of the
Practical Nurse (PN) and Personal Support Worker (PSW). The practical nurse student and the
personal support worker student practice their collaborative and complementary roles as
members of a health care team in simulated lab and actual long-term care settings
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
COURSE
LAB 1
Code: HEAL 13672
Hours / wk: 3
Students have an opportunity to integrate concepts and knowledge gained in the classroom with
skills learned in the lab and clinical setting. Students examine the nursing process as a
framework for their clinical practice. The competences of facilitative communication, basic nursing
skills and health promotion practices are emphasized. Students use problem solving to apply the
concepts. The differences and similarities of the role of the Practical Nurse and Personal Support
Worker will be explored with emphasis on their complementary role in client care. Learning
experiences include preparatory work before class in the form of readings and watching videos
related to the skills: interactions with a teacher and peers in the practice of skills in a laboratory
setting, simulations, role- plays, self-evaluation, application in a clinical setting and testing of
those skills learned in the lab.
COURSE
General Education Elective
Code: GNED
Hours / wk: 3
COURSE
Palliative Care for the Allied Health
Worker
Code: HEAL 14857
Hours / wk: 2
Students learn elements of palliative care which relate to long- term care facilities and home care
settings. Students examine their personal feelings about loss, grief and death. Concepts such as
spirituality, grieving, and bereavement are discussed. Pain and symptom management,
complementary therapies, role of the funeral home, and death and dying issues are explored.
The personal support worker as a member of an interdisciplinary team is stressed.
COURSE
Supporting Families
Code: HEAL 14579
Hours / wk: 2
Students explore various societal philosophies and practices that affect special needs children
and their families. The impact of the child's condition on the family, and the significant role the
PSW can play in supporting the family, will be emphasized. Through knowledge and
understanding of human growth and development the student will be able to develop competency
in providing comprehensive, sensitive and supportive care to children with special needs, as well
as post partum and newborn clients. Through group discussions, role playing and classroom
instruction, the student will develop effective communication techniques and care delivery
strategies and interventions that are family-centered and best meet individual needs and
expectations.
Personal Support Worker – (PPSWK)
Ontario College Certificate
Program Profile for Second Career
September 2013 start
COURSE
PSW Long-term Care Practicum
Code: FLPL 19402
Hours / wk: 6
Students are placed in a long-term care facility for 21 shifts of supervised practicum experience.
While in this setting, students enhance their learning through practice of skills previously learned
in laboratory situations. They apply classroom theory to practice. Students learn to function in the
role of a Personal Support Worker as a member of the health care team by using practical skills
as well as problem-solving ability, initiative, teamwork and ability to follow direction.
COURSE
PSW Community Practicum
Code: FLPL 10606
Hours / wk: 6
Students continue to develop the skills necessary to provide holistic care to clients and their
families within a community setting. Opportunities are provided to practice previously learned
theory and skills. The emphasis is on the social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual dimensions
of health.
COURSE
Code: FLPL 10102
PSW Consolidation
Hours / wk: 6
Students continue their clinical experience with a staff preceptor/mentor for 4 weeks. Students
incorporate previously acquired skills and knowledge in a variety of work settings. The student is
expected to further develop problem-solving abilities, efficiency and effectiveness in care delivery,
taking initiative, following direction and working effectively as a team member.
COURSE
Caring for Clients with Ongoing
Conditions
Code: HEAL 13551
Hours / wk: 3
Students examine the most common conditions and diseases affecting each body system. The
body systems included will be the integumentary, musculoskeletal, digestive, urinary, endocrine,
circulatory, respiratory, nervous and reproductive. There is a focus on the normal aging changes
for each system. The course includes abnormal physiology, treatment, and care of a client with
the particular condition. Types of cancer are discussed. There will be an emphasis on
observation skills, and the role of the personal support worker in caring for clients. The course
includes skills related to each body system, which are within the role of the personal support
worker.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
All information current at time of publication - subject to change without
notice.