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Ministry-approved title: Personal Support Worker
Personal hygiene, mobility, preparing meals and taking essential medication are elements of daily life that most people take for granted, but there are many individuals who are unable to perform these tasks independently. The personal support worker (PSW) is the front-line care provider whose responsibilities focus on the provision of personal care and support that include activities of daily living with client populations across all institutional, community care and service settings. PSWs provide compassionate, client-centred care to enhance and maintain the quality of everyday life. This program combines classwork, lab simulations and hands-on experience through work practicums in the community so our students are well-prepared and job-ready when you graduate.
This is a two-semester program with three intakes per year, starting in September, January, and May. Students begin in one of these intake months and complete the program over two consecutive semesters (8 months total).
All Semester 1 courses are theoretical and require in-person attendance Friday evening as well as Saturday, and Sunday.
In Semester 2, students will complete their Practicum. Please note that Practicum schedules are determined by our community partners and may be scheduled on weekdays or weekends. While the program is delivered on weekends, we cannot guarantee weekend Practicum availability. Students should be prepared to adjust their availability to meet the Practicum requirements.
Durham College (DC) offers pre-admission assessment testing to mature domestic applicants to meet admission requirements in English and/or Math. Domestic applicants who are 19 years of age or older as of the start date of their program, and who do not have the required program credit(s), i.e. Grade 12 English and/or Grade 12 Math are eligible to take an admissions assessment test.
Learn more about how to book Pre-Admission Assessment Testing here.
DC also offers Academic Upgrading. Courses are FREE and designed to help you meet the admissions requirements for this program. Available to individuals 18+, these courses are offered on campus at DC. Boost your qualifications with:
Learn more about Academic Upgrading and connect with our team to get started.
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Personal support workers are valued members of the health-care team. As a graduate, you will have the enhanced skills required to provide compassionate, client-focused care with daily living activities including:
Through our PSW course in Oshawa, you'll learn to provide support that improves the quality of life for individuals requiring assistance. You'll develop the skills to ensure patients are comfortable, clean, and nourished—daily tasks that make a tremendous difference in a patient's overall well-being.
What makes our PSW program unique is its emphasis on integrated palliative/end-of-life care, preparing you to function as a leader in this specialized area. The program also addresses important aspects of healthcare, including cultural sensitivity and strategies for managing occupational stress and burnout, which are common challenges faced by healthcare workers.
Upon completion of your PSW training in Ontario, you'll be prepared to help seniors with health challenges remain in their homes by providing healthcare support through regular home visits. This is particularly important as Canada's population ages and care needs become more urgent and complex.
The weekend delivery format is designed for students seeking flexible full-time study opportunities that include on-campus learning experiences, without the need to attend in-person classes during the traditional work week. Scheduled classes are offered outside the traditional work week, enabling students to continue working while completing their studies.
Theory-based courses are offered in a hybrid delivery model, which may include a combination of scheduled in-person and asynchronous remote learning. With weekend delivery, labs are offered in-person and held to the same standards as our traditional weekday classes. Weekend instruction is delivered in a flexible format that combines remote and in-person experiences through both real-time (synchronous) and self-directed (asynchronous) learning.
Placements may be scheduled on weekdays or weekends.
The weekend delivery format covers the same material and learning outcomes as the traditional weekday program. To learn more about the weekday program, visit https://durhamcollege.ca/programs/personal-support-worker.
The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.
Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
Hybrid
The rest of the coursework will be delivered using hybrid, flexible or online formats. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.
School is an investment in your future, and financial support is available to help you succeed.
DC's Financial Aid and Awards is here to help you access funding and opportunities that make pursuing your education easier and more achievable:
Visit Financial Aid and Awards to explore all the options to help finance your education.
Part of your training includes the opportunity to practice what you learn through supervised placements in institutional and community settings. Practicum experiences take place throughout Durham Region and you are responsible for your transportation to and from your practicum agency.
Your practicum will enable you to:
We cannot guarantee that your Semester 2 Practicum will be scheduled on weekends. Placement schedules are determined by our community partners and may include weekday hours. Students should be prepared to adjust their availability to meet the Practicum requirements.
Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:
It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:
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Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions.
Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.
Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.
To help students have the best remote learning experience possible, Durham College’s IT Services department has identified technology recommendations for each program based on course needs and software requirements. While not required, students may want to consider these suggestions if they are purchasing a computer or laptop for the upcoming academic year.
Processor: i3 RAM: 4GB Storage: 256GB SSD Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional or Education x64 SP1 Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 11 or Google Chrome (newest version) or Firefox (newest version) Network Adapter: 802.11ac 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter Camera: Webcam/built-in camera Internet connection
Questions regarding technology recommendations can be directed to the IT Service Desk or the school office.
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