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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.
Durham College (DC) offers pre-admission assessment testing to mature domestic applicants to meet admission requirements in English and/or math. Domestic applicants that 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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Please contact the international office.
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:
The weekend delivery format is designed and intended for students looking for more flexible opportunities to study full-time and benefit from on-campus learning experiences, without having to attend traditional weekday in-person classes. Theory-based courses will be offered in a flexible hybrid delivery model (a combination of in-person and real-time remote learning), so students can complete the program while continuing to work. With weekend delivery, labs are still offered in-person and supported to the same standards as our traditional weekday classes. Weekend instruction will be delivered in a flexible format with remote and in-person options through a combination of real-time (synchronous) and self-directed (asynchronous) learning.
Placements may take place on weekdays or weekends.
The weekend delivery format will cover the same material as the traditional weekday program. To learn more about the weekday program, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/PSWK.
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.
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:
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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