There are many public and private colleges in Ontario that offer full-time and part-time Personal Support Worker (PSW) courses and diploma programs that give you the training you need to begin a rewarding career as a PSW. This list of accredited Ontario Colleges located in various cities across the province, offer PSW courses that can be completed anywhere from 24 to 29 weeks.
A Personal Support Worker also known as a PSW, Health Care Aide, Respite Care Worker, Resident Care Worker, Home Support Worker, Palliative Care Worker, or Supportive Care Assistant, provides personal support services in homes, hospitals and other health care facilities. PSWs work with clients who have varying health conditions and care needs.
While formal PSW training may not be required by some employers, Ontario has enacted the Long-Term Care Homes act under which a person working in a long-term care home may be considered a personal support worker if they have successfully completed a personal support worker program that:
(a) meets the vocational standards established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities; the standards established by the National Association of Career Colleges, or
the standards established by the Ontario Community Support Association; and
(b) must be a minimum of 600 hours in duration, counting both class time and practical experience time.
The National Association of Career Colleges Personal Support Worker Curriculum
PSW program standards were originally developed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in Ontario (MOHLTC). In response to member requests to adhere to the highest standards, the NACC curriculum was developed; evolved and is reviewed annually to ensure it meets needs of PSWs and their clients.
The NACC program content, standards and guidelines, combined with the clinical component of the program, ensure that the graduates have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful as a Personal Support Worker, PSW or Resident Care Attendant.
While the name for Personal Support Workers changes from province to province, the NACC PSW program that has common core standards, is currently being offered in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia.
PSWs who receive their training from a college offering the NACC Personal Support Worker Curriculum, will develop a skill and knowledge level that includes basic care and social service training. A PSW’s scope of responsibilities is as follows:
Co-operates with other members of the health care team
Promotes safety and works in a safe manner
Assists their clients with positioning, movement and walking
Assists with mechanical and physical lifts and/or transfers
Assists with all aspects of personal hygiene, including bathing, toileting & brushing of teeth
Household management tasks such as light cleaning and laundry
Assists with dietary planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, food handling and feeding
Checks and records vital signs
Assists with range of motion exercise and other rehabilitative measures
Practices universal precautions and maintains a clean working environment
Provides emotional and social support services to clients and their families
Assists with oxygen therapy, hot and cold applications
Provides first aid measures
Is a supportive care worker for palliative care and hospice patients
Observes and reports clinical and treatment findings, behavioural changes and changes in ongoing conditions.
Maintains records, documents procedures
The Final PSW Exam
The NACC final examination evaluates the theory component of the training and determines whether the candidate has the required level of knowledge to do the job safely and effectively. Personal Support Worker exams are developed by the Examination Services Committee that was formed to monitor and review the examination system and are offered online monthly.
The standardized PSW curriculum promotes national standards and facilitates credit transfer and mobility for students seeking further qualifications.
NACC Certificate and Pin
PSW students who successfully complete the PSW program and pass the exam, are awarded a numbered certificate and a correspondingly-numbered pin identifying that they have having successfully passed the theory portion of the PSW program.
Personal Support Worker Program Entrance Requirements
Must possess a Grade 12 diploma or the equivalent
A Medical Certificate of fitness to complete the program
Literacy Test
Clear police records check (Vulnerable)
Standard First Aid and Basic Rescuer CPR
PSW Program Length
285 hours of classroom instruction
355 hours of clinical placement that includes a) supervised on site by the college instructor in both institutional and community sites and b) precepted by the host supervisor in both institutional and community sites.
Skills Passbook to be completed on placement
Featured NACC Member Schools and Colleges in Ontario that offer PSW courses:
Medix College - Bramptom, Brantford, London, Kitchener, Scarborough and Toronto
triOS College - Brampton, London, Kitchener, Mississauga, Oshawa, Scarborough and Windsor
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