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View our Virtual tourCourses - May 2026
Level 1
Course details
College Reading & Writing Skills
COMM1085
- Hours: 42
- Credits: 3
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Conestoga 101
CON0101
- Hours: 1
- Credits: 0
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Safety in the Workplace
OHS1320
- Hours: 14
- Credits: 1
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Supportive Care Theory and Practice
PSW1317
This course intentionally introduces the support worker student to theoretical concepts and principles of supportive person-centered care including age-related changes and the development of relevant knowledge, attitudes, skills and judgment including evidence informed practice, to assist residents/patients/clients across the lifespan with personal care and routine activities of daily living. Students will be given experiential learning opportunities to practice application of the skills from the theory. The student will be provided opportunities to practice and demonstrate a resident-centered approach, professionalism, accountability, safety, critical thinking, and communication skills while providing clients with skin care, positioning, mobility, and assisting with high-risk eating. Infection control, body mechanics, and safety techniques will be applied throughout the experience. The student will continue to develop an understanding of interprofessionalism related to the role of the support worker and the health care team while providing supportive care. Students will be evaluated on their demonstration of theoretical and practice application.
- Hours: 126
- Credits: 6
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Structure and Function of the Body for Person Centered Care
PSW1367
This course introduces the support worker student to the normal structures and functions of the human body as well as related alterations in functioning. The body systems, medical terminology and abbreviations, and age-related changes will be covered which provide the student with the foundation for understanding and describing the physiology, causes, signs, symptoms, and management for common disease processes. The course will explore the principles of person-centered care, with a focus on the support worker’s role in supporting family members and care partners and assisting clients who are experiencing alterations in functioning. Related communication skills and how to maintain a supportive relationship with families, clients, and the interprofessional team using a person-centered care approach are addressed.
- Hours: 56
- Credits: 4
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Professional Practice
PSW1377
This course introduces the support worker student to the foundational concept of being a professional including the role, responsibilities, accountability and scope of practice of the support worker as a member of the interprofessional team working in various health care settings. This course presents strategies for being a successful college student. Relevant workplace legislation and the importance of following established policies and procedures, ethical principles and professional boundaries in a variety of health care settings will be discussed. The student will be introduced to the roles of the interprofessional health care team with a focus on collaboration using a professional approach to provide supportive person-centered care across the lifespan. Current issues and trends in the health care delivery system and their impact on the support worker role will be examined. A focus on communication and interpersonal skills, including observing, reporting, documenting and transferring accountability essential to establishing and maintaining effective helping relationships with interprofessional team members, clients and family members will be discussed. Topics of neglect and abuse and appropriate responses for the support worker will be explored. Problem solving, critical thinking, and reflection will be incorporated as themes throughout the course.
- Hours: 56
- Credits: 4
- Pre-Requisites:
- CoRequisites:
Level 2
Course details
Field Placement (Personal Support Worker)
FPLT1687
This course provides the learner with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program to a practical health care setting experience. The student will apply a resident centred approach, professionalism, accountability, safety, critical thinking, and communication skills while providing client care in the health care setting. The students will participate as a member of the interprofessional team to deepen their understanding of the PSW role in providing client centred care.
- Hours: 84
- Credits: 4
- Pre-Requisites: OHS1320 AND PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Field Placement II (Personal Support Worker)
FPLT1707
This course will provide the PSW student with a pregraduate consolidation experience in a practical health care setting to facilitate the transition of the student from an emerging professional to a proficient professional. The student will participate as a member of the interprofessional team and apply and integrate knowledge, behaviour and strategies gained in previous learning experiences.
- Hours: 116
- Credits: 4
- Pre-Requisites: OHS1320 AND PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Mental Health and Dementia Care
PSW1635
This course provides students with the foundation for understanding and describing the physiology, causes, signs, symptoms, and management for common mental health illnesses, cognitive impairment, dementia and delirium. The course will explore the principles of person-centered care in caring for clients and their families with common mental health challenges and illnesses, cognitive impairment, dementia and delirium while working collaboratively with various members of the interprofessional team. Students will learn about responsive behaviours and the role of the PSW in providing safe and supportive environments using evident informed strategies.
- Hours: 28
- Credits: 2
- Pre-Requisites: PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Palliative and Community Care
PSW1690
This course provides learning for students on the role of the personal support worker as part of an interprofessional team supporting clients in the community and with a palliative approach to care. It will also extend the student’s knowledge, attitudes, skills and judgement using evidence informed practice to apply concepts of person-centered care to palliative care throughout the disease trajectory including early in disease as well as end-of-life care and considerations. The community component of this course will deepen the student’s knowledge of person-centered care for the clients living in the community setting. The student will analyse the PSW role in supporting client autonomy and wellbeing through understanding the impact of social determinants of health, changing health status and client choice can have. The course will broaden students’ knowledge on how to support clients safety while respecting client’s choice and appreciate and work within the unique challenges in community care.
- Hours: 28
- Credits: 2
- Pre-Requisites: PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Personal Support Worker Campus Clinical
PSW1715
This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply person-centered care principles using an evidence informed approach to care. Students will integrate previous learning with experiential learning in small groups to further develop their clinical skills. Students will demonstrate effective critical thinking, observations, communication and reporting practices for person-centered care while working in the role of the PSW within the interprofessional team.
- Hours: 8
- Credits: 1
- Pre-Requisites: PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Supportive Care Theory and Practice II
PSW1727
The student will expand on the role of the PSW as it relates to supporting family members and assisting clients with complex care needs building on the principles of person-centered care. This course will extend the student’s relevant knowledge, attitudes, skills and judgement using evidence informed practice to apply concepts to a more complex level of care across the spectrum of care settings. The importance of the interprofessional team in relation to supporting the client will be discussed. Students will be given experiential learning opportunities to practice application of the skills required to assist the resident/patient/client with medications and medication administration, taking and recording vital signs, enteral nutrition, catheter care, and intravenous care. The student will be provided opportunities to practice a resident-centered approach, professionalism, accountability, safety, critical thinking, time management and communication skills while demonstrating client care. Infection control, body mechanics, and safety practices will continue to be applied throughout the experience. Students will be evaluated on their demonstration of theoretical and practice application.
- Hours: 56
- Credits: 4
- Pre-Requisites: PSW1317 AND PSW1367 AND PSW1377
- CoRequisites:
Program outcomes
- Work within the personal support worker role in various care settings in accordance with all applicable legislation, standards, employer job descriptions, policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Practice professionally, and be accountable for one's own actions by applying problem-solving, self-awareness, time management and critical thinking to the provision of care as a personal support worker, whether working independently or as a member of a team.
- Practice as an engaged member of the interprofessional team to maintain collaborative working relationships for the provision of supportive, safe, responsive and competent client-centred care within care settings.
- Provide person-centred care, based on ethical principles, sensitive to diverse personal and family values, beliefs, cultural practices and other needs, which follows the plan of care.
- Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with clients and their families using effective communication skills to build a genuine, trusting, and respectful partnership, in accordance with professional boundaries, employer policies, confidentiality, and privacy legislation.
- Identify relevant client information within the roles and responsibilities of the personal support worker using observation, critical thinking, and effective communication skills to report and document findings.
- Create, promote and maintain a safe and comfortable environment for clients, their families, self and others by implementing current infection prevention and control measures, emergency and first aid procedures, and best practices in pandemic planning that are in keeping with the plan of care, all applicable legislation, and employer policies and procedures.
- Assist clients across the lifespan with activities of daily living by applying fundamental knowledge of growth and development, psychological concepts, common alterations in functioning, health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation and restorative care, and holistic health care.
- Assist the client with medication following the client's plan of care, and if a delegated act, under the supervision of a regulated health professional or done by exception under the most accountable person and in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer policies.
- Assist with household management services and instrumental activities of daily living in accordance with the plan of care and considering the preferences, comfort, safety and autonomy of clients, families and significant others.
- Assist and support clients who are caregivers, considering individual and family choices, professional boundaries and the direction of the plan of care.
- Identify, respond to and report potential, alleged, suspected or witnessed situations of abuse, and/or neglect, as required by all applicable legislation, including the retirement homes act, 2010 and the long-term care homes act, 2007, and as required within the employers' job description for the personal support workers.
- Assist with the provision of holistic health care and advocacy for culturally safe and spiritually sensitive palliative and end-of-life care to clients and to their families and significant others from diagnosis through to death and bereavement, and in accordance with clients’ choices and the plan of care.
- Provide client-centered and client-directed care to individuals experiencing various mental health illness and challenges, cognitive and intellectual impairments, and/or responsive behaviours by using supportive approaches and evidence-based practices to promote positive and safe behaviours in clients