Personal Support Worker

What You'll Learn

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this program, in addition to our Institutional Learning Outcomes:

• Work within the personal support worker role in various care settings following 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 providing 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, following 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 an exception under the most accountable person and by all applicable legislation and employer policies.
• Assist with household management services and instrumental activities of daily living by 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 regulations under the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Act of 2024, and as required within the employers' job description for the personal support workers.
• Assist with providing holistic health care and advocacy for culturally safe and spiritually sensitive palliative and end-of-life care to clients and their families and significant others from diagnosis through to death and bereavement, and following clients’ choices and the plan of care.
• Provide client-centred and client-directed care to individuals experiencing various mental health illnesses 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.