Personal Support Worker – Living Classroom Stream

As a graduate of the Personal Support Worker program, you will provide support services to individuals and families in need of assistance. With this satisfying, people-focused career, you will be prepared to assist children, adults, and seniors with special needs or disabilities, and help them maximize their life experience. You can start the program in September or January or May.

This enhanced two-semester program is distinct from our Personal Support Worker program. It is delivered in partnership with St. Joseph’s at Fleming and embeds students directly into a real-world care environment. Using an interprofessional, collaborative model, called the Living Classroom, students, faculty, long-term care staff, residents, and families all learn and grow together.

This program provides comprehensive, hands-on learning that supports both student development and quality patient care. Key enhancements include:

• Hands-On Skill Practice with Patients:
  course content emphasizes practicing and assessing skills on patients (instead of fellow students), creating a more patient-centered learning experience.
• Mentorship Framework:
  Students are paired with experienced mentors from St. Joseph’s at Fleming to receive real-time support and guidance in clinical care.
• Case Studies and Reflective Practice:
  Students analyze real-life care scenarios, fostering critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills.
• Resident-Centered Activities:
  Learners lead engaging activities designed to enhance residents' well-being, while also developing individualized care approaches.
• Revised Course Sequencing:
  Courses have been realigned to better meet patient care needs, helping students build foundational knowledge before
• Access to Electronic Health Records (EHR):
  Students gain access to St. Joseph’s internal systems, including EHRs, policies, and procedures, to become familiar with clinical documentation and operations.

This unique program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care and led by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) through the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (Ontario CLRI), with additional support from CESBA, the program offers a robust and immersive educational experience.

The College ensures the program follows ministry guidelines, and as such, the program is widely recognized by agencies and related employers. There's a consistently high, over 90 per cent employment rate for graduates of this program -- you might be hired before you finish the course.

The course load, teachers and curriculum exceeded my expectations. I was challenged by some of the curriculum, which I greatly enjoyed. I also felt like I belonged. I completed 180 placement hours, and it was as if my textbook was coming to life. The placements were absolutely educational and equipped us for the actual job.

Lindsay Barr, Program Graduate

Fleming College offers a bridge program for Personal Support Worker (PSW) graduates to meet admission requirements for entry to the Practical Nursing program:

• To be eligible for the bridge program, you must present an official transcript indicating that you are a Personal Support Worker graduate
• After successfully completing the required part-time courses, PSWs will be eligible to enter into the next available second semester of our full-time Practical Nursing program

The bridge program for PSWs who graduated with an Ontario College Certificate in or after 2006 is generally 2 courses. For all other PSW graduates, the bridge program is typically 5 or 6 courses. Your application will be assessed to determine which bridge courses you need and if you are eligible for any exemptions.

See the Personal Support Worker Bridge to Practical Nursing page for more information.

You have a desire to work with and care for people of all ages to assist them to attain their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. The following personality traits and skills would also be an asset in your studies and eventual career:

• empathy
• concern for improving others' quality of life
• respect for cultural differences and family dynamics
• excellent interpersonal skills
• self-discipline
• good oral communication skills
• good physical health

Volunteer work experience of any kind is an asset, as is any previous experience caring for people of differing needs and abilities. Students would benefit by having basic computer skills including e-mail, word processing, file management and web browsing.

Choose from a variety of work settings:

• long-term care facilities
• group homes
• private homes
• hospitals
• retirement homes
• adult day centres
• home care agencies
• supportive housing

Your program has mandatory requirements which may include a criminal reference check, first aid, CPR-C, etc. For more information, please see the Non Academic Requirements page.

Failure to provide any of the required Non Academic Field Requirements by the specified due date will result in an inability to participate in the mandatory placement components of the program.

• 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-centered care within care settings.
• Provide person-centered 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.

Students applying to Personal Support Worker – Living Classroom Stream must meet the following requirements:

• OSSD with majority of credits at the Workplace (E) level including Gr 12 (E) English