New Employment Trends for Personal Support Workers

One thing we have noticed in the healthcare industry is the trend of large healthcare service providers using a larger number of personal support workers to do the same overall amount of work.  You may have noticed an increase in job postings for personal care workers with a lot emphasising their urgency in hiring new personal support workers.  In theory this increase in hiring is a good thing, but the flip side is that while new personal support workers are being hired, the hours they are receiving are not adding up to full-time hours.  Additionally, the hours that many established personal support workers are being scheduled for are consistently going down.  This seems to be a deliberate and concerted effort by large healthcare providers to ensure that their personal support worker staff does not qualify for full-time status.  Why would they do that? Will if you are an employer, it is advantageous to you to keep your employee base at a part-time level.  Why? Because part-time employees are essentially only entitled to their salary.  They are not entitled to consistent hours or anything else.  When an employee becomes full-time, they become entitled to a consistent set of minimum hours, in many cases, an increase in salary, and finally, they are entitled to benefits.  Thus, the reason why the trend among larger healthcare providers to hire more personal support workers at part-time hours, rather than fewer personal support workers at full-time hours.

Do Males Have a Harder Time Getting Hired as Personal Support Workers?

This is a question that I have been asked a few times in the last few months, due to the perception that personal support workers are predominantly female, and the job as a whole is perceived to be a “female position”.

From my perspective, in the workplace, there is a relatively high percentage of personal support workers, with the numbers I have noticed being as high as 25-30%.  Additionally, I have not heard any stories recently about males having a hard time getting hired as personal support workers.  Also, it is simply illegal for employers to discriminate in their hiring practices based on gender (although we know that this does occur).  The one piece of advice I would impart is that there are more candidates entering the field who are certified, so I would highly recommend that you complete an accredited course that has a good co-op component.  

The Controversy of Personal Support Workers Administering Medications

Personal support workers administering medications has always been a controversial issue.  The laws governing this issue have always been “fuzzy” at best.  After surveying a range of institutions, practicing personal support workers, and provincial and state personal support worker professional organizations, the following seems to be the closest to a consensus.

If you are a newly trained/registered personal support worker, administering medications is well beyond the scope of what you are ready for.  If you have been in the field as a practicing personal support worker for 3 or more years, you are in a position to administer medications, but only under the supervision of or in conjunction with an RPN or RN.

Having said that, the question has to be asked: Why would an employer want a personal support worker to administer medications?  Our survey showed that the major motivating factor is money. Simply put, it is cheaper to hire a personal support worker and add additional duties to their job than it is to hire an RPN or RN.  So what does a personal support worker do when faced with the requirement to administer medications?  These are the recommendations that came out of our survey:

·    Ask for appropriate supervision to be present when administering the medication

·    Never ever agree to mix the medication

·    Insist upon receiving proper training in administering medication before agreeing to do so

·    Make sure that you are completely comfortable with the entire process

·    If you are not comfortable with this requirement you are able to simply refuse to do it

Remember, administering medications is a very serious undertaking which can have very serious repercussions if not done correctly.  It is essential that as a personal support worker you are properly trained in how to do this and fully comfortable and confident in this before you undertake this task.  It is far better to be safe and cautious than to risk the life of a patient and your career as a personal support worker.

Health Minister Speaks About Home-Care Funding Increases, Meets with Personal Support Workers

Ontario’s Health Minister Deb Matthews recently visited Waterloo to promote the government’s decision to increase funding for home-based care services by four percent per year for three years.  However, in the town-hall meeting hosted by the Quality Care Alliance and the Service Employees International Union, Matthews was told by some personal support workers who work in the homes of clients who are elderly and disabled that they felt overworked and underappreciated.  Several personal support workers told the minister that they essentially felt like cheap labour.  One participant described herself as having the lowest paid college-educated job of all.

The issue of the wide discrepancy in pay between personal support workers in long-term-care facilities and those who work in home-based environments was brought up as well as the differences in the amount of time they have with clients.  Matthews acknowledged the discrepancies in both and noted that these were most likely the result of workers who work in the home-care environment not being unionized while those in long-term-care facilities are.  Matthews told the audience that she knew who was working their heart out in the healthcare system, and acknowledged that more needs to be done to support them.

Nominations Open for Personal Support Worker of the Year Award

Nominations are now open for the PSW of the Year Award.  With number of outstanding PSW’s in Ontario, this award will recognize the work of one exceptional PSW.  The award will be presented in October.  Nominees must work in the Province of Ontario, be nominated by a third party, and must consent to their nomination.  Nominations are evaluated on the following criteria:

·         Work History

·         Professional Knowledge

·         Advocacy

·         Patient Care

·         Going Beyond The Call of Duty

·         Team Support

Nominations must arrive at the offices of the PersonalSupport Network of Ontario no later than Friday, September 19, 2014.  For more information visit PSNO PersonalSupport Worker of the Year Award website.

Typical Personal Support Worker Education Program Outline

Major: Personal Support Worker

Length: One Year

Delivery: 2 Semesters

Typical Credential: College Certificate

Sector Screening Check Required

Description

This two semester program is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to provide personal support worker services to people living at home and in long term care facilities and to function as integral members of the health care team. Upon graduation from this program, the graduate will have demonstrated the ability to effectively communicate with clients, families and members of the health care team. They will also have demonstrated their ability to provide safe and competent personal support work care for individual clients who are experiencing physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges.

Personal Support Workers are unregulated health care providers who work under the supervision of a regulated health care professional or in the supported independent living environment under the direction of the client. They provide clearly identified personal care and they facilitate routine activities of daily living in order to assist their clients in being as healthy and as independent as possible.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Personal Support Worker program find employment in retirement homes, nursing homes, homes for the aged, various community agencies (private and public) as well as in independent practice.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

·              work effectively as a team member and demonstrate an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the other members of the health care team;

·              provide personal support worker services for individuals and families from a variety of cultures and diverse backgrounds fostering trust, respect and individual choice;

·              practice under the supervision/direction of the employer, client or family caregiver within their role and the legislation governing the setting in which they work;

·              provide professional, safe and effective personal support work services to individuals and their families in all activities of daily living;

·              support the application of the concepts of health promotion, maintenance and rehabilitation;

·              recognize own strengths and limitations within the concept of providing personal support work services and seek out guidance appropriately;

·              recognize and report changes in the client's condition, health state, situation, and/or routine activities of living and report these changes to the appropriate member of the health care team;

·              recognize indicators of abuse and respond appropriately

Links To Sources Of U.S. Government Student Aid

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Financial Aid for Personal Support Worker Students

By Cynthia Herron

When you make the decision to return to school, the last thing you want looming over your head is the cost of the education. Stressing about paying for school defeats the motivation to do well in school, creating a lack of comprehension to the program altogether. Personal support worker students today have a great range of options when it comes to financial aid to pay for their education, offering as much as 100% towards the overall costs of schooling.

Grants for Personal Support Worker School
When it comes to personal support worker school financial aid, grants can be the most desirable as they never have to be repaid. Getting grants today can be so simple with several resources online that can connect you directly to the grants you qualify for.

Scholarships for Personal Support Worker Students
There are also many scholarships offered for personal support worker students, offered through several organizations today. Finding these scholarship programs is simple online with large databanks of different programs available.

Student Loans and Fellowships
Other financial aid options offered to personal support worker students include student loans including the Canada Student Loans Program and the Pell Grant Program.   Fellowships are also offered through various to offer that extra helping hand in affording a degree today. The education you receive will mandate the course of your career and you should be able to afford the best. These loans and fellowships just offer extra funding on top of others you may qualify for.

Non-Loan Options for Personal Support Worker Students

It's also possible to gain aid in the form of work study. That way you don't need to take out a loan, but instead 'work your way through school'. Even if you can't afford school on work study wages, you can help offset your loans by gaining some employment.

Getting financial aid for personal support worker certification is a common practice of students today that understand they need the education but just may not have college funding set aside. Many people these days just don’t have a college fund waiting for them to make their decision to pursue higher learning, but certification is a highly critical element of successful advancement into the healthcare industry today. If you desire a personal support worker career, you don’t have to hesitate because of the lack of finances, with many governmental, public, and private funding resources available for students in college today, offered throughout your entire education.

Soft Skills and Hard Skills that Personal Support Workers Need to Have

When considering a career in the healthcare field you need not just your basic qualifications but you need another set of skills.  You will need what we call soft skills and hard skills.  In this article we are going to focus on the soft and hard skills needed to become an effective personal support worker.

Soft Skills

These are skills that allow a personal support worker to do their job effectively.  Without soft skills a nursing assistant is not able to convey the impression of compassion to their clients/patients.   Simply put, a personal support worker without soft skills will not be very effective.  Here are some of the soft skills required:

Empathy/Compassion.  Every personal support worker gets frustrated with their patients; however it is important to remember that your patients are just as frustrated as you are.  Remember, your patients are feeling vulnerable and frustrated due to their conditions and the fact that they are relying on you.  Put yourself in their shoes and your frustration, while not going away completely, will recede a bit.

Time Management Skills.  Typically a personal support worker does an 8 hour shift and handles 8-10 patients.  Each patient typically has their4 own unique needs and as a result you cannot simply divide your time equally among them.  As you get to know your patients and their needs you develop a natural timeline for your shift, and you will include your breaks and lunches in this timeline.

Patience.  Personal support workers must have patience to do their jobs.  As we said earlier in the empathy section, sometimes you need to put yourself in your patient’s shoes and then you will have the patience to deal with their resistance to what must be done. 

Ability to Work in a Team.  Personal support workers typically work in teams.  This means teamwork and communication about patient needs and issues is a must.

Hard Skills.

These are the skills needed for a personal support worker to be able to do their jobs.  Specifically we are talking about the physical requirements needed in moving patients with little or no mobility.  A personal support worker needs to know how to pivot or spin a patient with little mobility to move them from a bed to a chair.  Also, a personal support worker needs to know how to use the Hoyer Lift, to move a patient from a bed to a chair, and the Sit-to-Stand Lift to help patients move from sitting to standing.

These soft and hard skills are essential for anyone who wants to become a personal support worker.

Personal Support Worker - Actual Interview Questions

By Cynthia Herron

After recently completing a personal support worker job interview, one of our writers was kind enough to share some of the questions that were ‘fired’ their way during the interview process.

Practice and formulate your own answers for these questions (and any other questions that you can think of) before any job interview in this field. In-fact, it would be recommended to ask yourself these questions about an employer before applying, putting some of the answers into your cover letter and listing some of the important qualifications, attributes and skills within your resume.

Onto the questions (listed in random order):

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What are your strengths, weaknesses, attributes?

What is your definition of on the job confidentiality? (regarding clients, workplace situations, etc)

The answers to procedural questions (how to fill out an incident report, operating lifts, wheelchair vans or any other employer specific duties and tasks)

How did you find out about this company?

Explain a difficult situation with a co-worker. How did you solve it?

What are your accreditations, achievements, certifications, etc? (where you went to school, first-aid, cpr, and any other relevant info)

Why are you the right person for this position?

Why did you choose to become a personal support worker?

If you could improve one thing about yourself (on the job related), what would it be?

Are you able to work by yourself and within a team environment?

If you witness client abuse while on the job, what is the first thing that you do?

PSW’s Need Dementia Specific Training

The role of a Personal Support Worker within the healthcare system has evolved significantly.  The services they provide have become very diverse.  As a result, continuous training and education for Personal Support Workers has become paramount.  One area which tends to be overlooked when it comes to training is the area of Personal Support Worker dealing with patients in various stages of dementia.

Dementia is an often misunderstood disease that primarily affects the elderly.  Because many front line workers such as Personal Support Workers and Nursing Assistants are not specifically trained to deal with the requirements and needs of patients with dementia, they tend to infantilize them, which lead to the exacerbation of the indignity patients suffering from dementia feel.

Seeing the need for dementia specific training for front line workers in Ontario, the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto developed specific training modules that they offer to front line workers.  These courses are taught in Toronto and offer Certification in Dementia Specific Services.  For more information about these courses you can contact the Alzheimer’s Society at 416-322-6560, or click here to register.

The reality is that 1 in 6 seniors in Canada suffer some form of dementia, and a properly trained front line is essential to provide them services.

Factors That Can Affect Personal Support Worker’s Salary Ranges

Personal support worker salary ranges, like any other career, start low and work up. There are a few factors involved in how quickly they can increase or simply how high a personal support worker can begin a job at. These are wide ranging and can mean the difference between just getting paid and earning a living.

One of the major factors in determining where the personal support worker salary ranges begin at is the amount of schooling and experience they enter with. Typically, a recent graduate with less than one year of experience will start at an hourly rate of $10.00 to $12.00. This also greatly depends on the area of the country that the employer is located in as the cost of living may be higher or lower than other locations.

As with any career, the more experience, the higher the pay. Personal support workers with 20 or more years of experience can earn between $15 and $20 per hour but again does not factor in location or continuing education. Along with the addition of continuing education, more skills are added, thereby making the personal support worker that much more valuable to an employer by boosting the level of client care that much further.

Depending on location, the personal support worker salary ranges may be affected by the employer’s need for someone who is bilingual. The ability to speak, read and write in another language can be invaluable to an employer located on or near the border of another country. This can be a major factor in areas such as Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

There are ways an individual can affect the personal support worker salary ranges in the markets that they are competing in. By choosing a specialty to go along with their standard certifications, such as working with seniors or those clients with disabilities, can make them much more valuable to certain employers.

As with any job, the major contributing factor in salaries is experience. An experienced personal support worker will always fetch a higher hourly rate than a non-experienced personal support worker or someone with very little actual on the job background. This is no different in any respect than any other position available in any field and should be viewed as such.

The best way to insure that the proper hourly rate is being received is by doing some research online. There are many websites that have salary calculators available to tell you what can be expected for an hourly rated based on area, years of experience and educational background. In doing this type of research, one can be assured that whether looking in the area they already live in or maybe searching out that next great adventure, they will be receiving the wage deserved for the service they provide.

Are Personal Support Workers Simply Cheap Labour in Ontario?

By Cynthia Herron

Are Personal Support Workers that work in Ontario being used a cheap labour by the Ontario government?  That seems to be the overwhelming consensus of Personal Support Workers across the province.  They feel that they are being used by the provincial government to make up for the shortfall in funding to the home-care support system throughout the province.  Here is a fantastic article that encapsulates the entire situation from the perspective of a Personal Support Worker in Toronto.  Here is the article.

What do you think?  Is this a valid perspective?  Let us know.

SEIU Video Extolls Virtues of Personal Support Workers

By Cynthia Herron

I was recently sent a link to a video posted by the health care related union SEUI (Service Employees International Union) extolling the virtues of Personal Support Worker’s.

While the video can come across as a bit self-congratulary, it does leave the viewer with a good video that celebrates the work that personal support workers across Ontario, Canada and the world do.  There are testimonials from personals support workers and their clients.  All in all, this is a video that is worth the few minutes it takes to watch.

Click here to see the video.

Personal Support Workers in Long Term Care Facilities

By Cynthia Herron

Information for Families

Choosing to live in, or have a loved one live in a Long Term Care Facility (LTC), also known as a Nursing home, can be a very difficult decision. If you are a caregiver, already taking care of a loved one full time, realizing that you are now unable to care for them can be a depressing and stressful time. Many seniors find just the thought of a nursing home very frightening. Caregivers and seniors need support and council when making these types of decisions.

In a LTC facility, there are a variety of professions employed.

Examples are:

·      Personal Support Workers (PSW) 

·      Nurses 

·      Directors of Care 

·      Administration 

·      Food service staff

·      Laundry service staff 

·      Cleaning staff 

·      Activity directors

·      Visiting Doctors

Some LTC facilities may have many other professions employed as well. Personal Support Workers (PSW), play a very large role in the care of your loved one and all people living in the LTC facility. The role caregivers take on when caring for their loved one, is similar to the role of a Personal Support Worker in LTC. Personal Support Workers are the EYES of LTC. Paying attention to the needs, wants, concerns and well being of all residents. The Personal Support Worker job description for each LTC facility varies but most factors are very similar.


Most importantly, Personal Support Workers assist the residents with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL).


Showers, tub baths and sponge baths.
Many LTC facilities have specific tub bath days for every resident. Usually, a specific Personal Support Worker for that shift performs the tub baths. Residents capable of bathing themselves, and resident’s bed ridden, have sponge baths most days. (morning and bedtime) However, each facility may have different policies, schedules and bathing equipment.

Mouth care is preformed by Personal Support Worker if resident is unable to do.
Cleaning of dentures, partial dentures, and over all mouth care. Checking inside of the mouth with the removal and application of dentures. This is to ensure there are no surface wounds of gums, tongue or any issues with any remaining teeth.

Assistance or performing any incontinent care.
Peri care is performed during every incontinent product change. Appropriate creams or specific cleaning products are used if necessary.

Assistance of dressing and undressing.
Residents who are bed ridden or have partial to no mobility, Personal Support Worker’s perform a complete dress/undress.

Applying medicated (if needed and approved) and non-medicated creams, lotions and powders.
Paying close attention to skin appearance. Checking for any surface wounds, unusual bruises, scratches, redness or swelling and signs of any potential pressure sores

Assistance with positioning in bed. Residents who are in bed for long periods of time, are repositioned and moved every two hours to prevent pressure sores from forming.

Assisting female residents with makeup application and male residents with shaving (electric usually).

Personal Support Workers ensure hearing aids are being used and working. Or other personal aids.

Personal Support Workers perform simple catheter care if needed. Cleaning around catheter site, watching for infection or any unusual concerns and the emptying and changing of catheter bags. Documenting the amount of output. Many residents with catheters have different bags for day and night. Personal Support Workers change the bag to the residents needs. Personal Support Workers work with condom, In-Out and indwelling catheters.

Assisting in transfers. LTC facilities use equipment to aid in transfers if the resident is unable to bear some or all of his/her weight during a transfer. Ceiling lifts, and mechanical lifts are used in these cases. For residents who partial weight bear, Personal Support Worker’s assist them with transfers from their bed, chairs, wheel chairs, bathrooms etc. In some cases, depending on facility policies, hip belts, floor disks, transfer boards or other transfer aids may be used.

LTC facilities have specific breakfast, lunch and dinner times. Personal Support Workers assist residents down to the dining room and back again. In some cases, residents are unable to leave their rooms and a tray of food is brought to them. Personal Support Workers will also assist residents to activities, being held in the activity room of the facility.

All facilities have a “call bell” system. When a resident needs something or needs help, there is a button or pull string in their rooms and bathrooms. When the system is used, an alarm can be heard and a Personal Support Worker comes and aids the resident.

Personal Support Workers, usually work within three shifts a day. Morning, evening and midnight shifts. Positions may be full time, part time or casual. Most shifts usually consist of the same group of Personal Support Workers.

Personal Support Workers ensure privacy of all residents during procedures or personal care routines.

Personal Support Workers document daily, and record any concerns they may have. They record intake of food and fluid, output if needed, personal care routines completed, skin condition, emotional state, update on any ongoing or recent concerns and more. Each facility has a different form of documentation (I.E. flow sheet, tick sheet, progress notes, etc.) and what is documented may vary.

Personal Support Workers stay aware of all safety concerns for the residents. Ensuring all safety equipment is being used when necessary (I.E. bed rails being used when resident is in bed)

Personal Support Workers ensure the residents are comfortable in all situations. Both physically and emotionally.  Personal Support Workers provide socialization to residents and encourage independence!

Most Personal Support Workers, residents and the resident’s families, share close relationships with each other. Personal Support Workers have many residents to provide care for but are always ensuring all the residents are in their best condition. Socialization is a huge point of care that a Personal Support Worker provides. Talking about life stories or current issues and concerns the resident is having, can really improve their overall state of mind. Personal Support Workers can talk to family members, and assist them with any concerns they may have about their loved one.

Many Personal Support Workers go above and beyond their duties in a LTC facility, making the facility as much of a home setting as possible. Loved ones living in and moving to a LTC facility have to deal with the loss of their independence. Personal Support Workers try to enable residents to maintain some kind of independence while living in a LTC facility. Whether it is encouraging the resident to perform their own personal care needs or help another resident in any way. Even residents being involved in the activities department can give them a feeling of independence.

All professions working together in a LTC facility come together and try to make your loved one and all residents as comfortable as possible in their new home. Communication among all health team members and families involved, is essential to make the resident feel independent, safe, comfortable and happy in their new environment.

PSW's work with other Healthcare Professionals..it's true

By Cynthia Herron

Personal Support Workers work with a variety of healthcare professionals in their daily work lives.  Lately we have been in communication with bloggers/healthcare professionals who will from time to time guest blog for us. 

Today our guest blogger is Lloyd Drayton, who blogs at Recreational Therapy Jobs.  His article (which starts below) was originally posted on December 3^rd 2013, on Recreationaltherapyjobs.blogspot.com.  It is an enlightening article that we highly recommend.  We also recommend that you follow his blog.  Here is the article:

Recreational Therapy Key to Living Engaged Lifestyles for Seniors

By Lloyd Drayton

There are many seniors living across the country.  For many of them, there is a serious issue of living under-stimulated lives.  Many are in situations where this under-stimulation is leading to their physical, mental and emotional deterioration.  For those seniors in this situation, there is hope.  Many senior homes or community-based senior services are bringing in recreational therapy programs.  These new programs are helping their seniors to lead engaged and active lifestyles.

Recreational Therapy is a useful tool in helping seniors embrace healthy changes in their lives, or to recuperate from health setbacks.  It is especially good for seniors who don’t want to leave their home for whatever reason.  For those seniors, recreational therapy services can be delivered in the comfortable and familiar surroundings of their home.  

Living a continuously active lifestyle, as we get older will slow down the aging process and mental deterioration.  For many seniors this means that recreational therapy will have to play a significant role in their later lives.

Wandering Prevention Education Campaign - Yee Yong Centre

By Cynthia Herron

Yee Hong Centre has launched the Welcome Home public education campaign to raise awareness against wandering behaviour in the senior population with Dementia. The annual campaign currently with a series of forums, and subsequent information displays at Chinese malls and all Yee Hong locations.

To provide families with a keepsake tool, the Yee Hong Centre Social Service division has produced a fridge magnet with tips on what Dementia symptoms to watch out for, what to do to prevent wandering, and what to do when a senior is suspected to be missing.

An informative presentation is available for download here so that caregivers can familiarize themselves with what to watch out for while taking care of seniors with Dementia.

During Recession Former Office Worker Finds Career As Personal Support Worker

By Cynthia Herron

Like so many people today, Oliver Newhouse found his world turned upside down by the economic crisis.

“The company that I worked for 5 years was very much affected by the recent recession. They had to cut 50 jobs overnight and mine was one of them.” Oliver recalled sadly. “I was unemployed and I was sure I wouldn’t find suitable work given the current situation. I was aware that my company wasn’t the only one that had to resort to job cuts and I was sure I wouldn’t find work as an office assistant anytime soon.”

Oliver was desperate to find another suitable job, and he stumbled upon the possibility of working as a personal support worker in the healthcare industry.

“I was really intrigued by the possibilities of having a new career. I have a brother working in the healthcare industry so I asked him some questions about the possibilities of working as a personal support worker.”

Oliver thought that his brother has a great career working as an RN and figured probably any health related career might show some promise as well.

“My schedule was completely open so I pursued vocational training in personal support working. The course was not only personally rewarding but professionally as well. I knew that I was giving back something to my community. I get to help people in a way that I know how.”

It wasn’t Oliver’s original plan to work as a personal support worker but after finding personal support worker jobs, this new career gave him satisfaction that he never expected he could achieve again after losing his job as an office worker.

“Following my personal support certification, I can now say that I have never been happier with my new career as a personal support worker. It’s been three years now and I am now planning to make the down payment on my condo.”

So congratulations to Oliver and thank you so much for sharing.

Ministry Grappling With Home-Based Personal Support Worker Service Delivery

By Cynthia Herron

The Ontario Ministry of Health has been touting the governments increase in funding for personal support worker home care services.  Personal support workers and their union say there are troubles brewing.  

Many personal support workers who provide home care to elderly clients and those with disabilities feel that they are underappreciated and overworked.  According to several personal support workers who provide homecare, they feel like they have the lowest paid college-educated job out there.  The difference in pay between personal support workers who provide home care and those who work in healthcare facilities is substantial, and the result of those workers for institutions being unionized.

The union representing personal support workers have identified the competitive bidding process where contracts to serve clients at home go to the lowest bidder as another threat to the care provided.  They cited a recent study by the DeGroote School of Business that found that when contracts for providing home-based personal support worker services changed hands, nearly 67% of personal support workers who were laid off left the profession completely due to the upheaval it caused them.

The Ministry has indicated that while they were not willing to make any guarantees, they were not currently considering lifting the current moratorium on competitive bidding, but they are reviewing this issue.

From Job Hopper To Personal Support Worker

by Charlton Bowman – Guest Blogger

Hi, my name is Charlton. I’m a single guy living in Toronto. I’m 27 years old and I have probably worked in more jobs than anyone can count. I know I can’t count that high! Seriously, I once changed “careers” three times in less than a year– call center agent to receptionist to truck driver; I can never find a job that I am happy in.

I actually have a degree in business management, but I only put up with college since my dad wanted me to handle the family business. But I am still young and I really didn’t want to work in the same store for the rest of my life. There are a bunch of reasons why I move from one career to another. Believe it or not, the longest job I ever had was working as a pharmacy assistant for nearly a year.

Of course, it came to a point that I had to find a stable career that I would be happy in. When the
economy hit bottom I couldn’t afford to be picky anymore. I was considering going back to school to get a master’s degree. I was doing my research into that when I came across some information about becoming a personal support worker. I was really curious since there were a lot of ads offering personal support worker courses. So I read about personal support work and that gave me the idea of entering the healthcare industry instead. And why not? The health care industry is known to be very generous to their workers. Why not try my hand in this field as well!

Instead of getting a master’s degree, I enrolled in a personal support worker program. It took me twelve months to complete the whole course and after I graduated I was able to get a placement.

Believe it or not, I am now working as a personal support worker in one of the largest hospitals here in Toronto for two years now. I was recently promoted to a supervisory position. From constant job hopping, I finally found a job that is not only fun but life changing as well. I finally found what I have wanted to do with my life and that is to help and serve people who are in need of personal support help.

Where Can My Personal Support Worker Career Take Me?

As students look over the various career choices they have, the unemployment rate across the country is probably in the back of their minds. Knowing what careers are not only hiring, but offering a positive long-term outlook is very important. A personal support worker career is one of the most promising careers available today.

One of the best things about working as a personal support worker is the variety that the job holds on a daily basis. You not only get to work with the client, but your role is extended with direct interaction with the administrators, families, and medical and dental practitioners who also work with the client. Each and every day brings a truly unique experience.

Many personal support workers will use this starting position to launch their career in healthcare. Whether they choose to go up to the next level and become an administrator or look to go even further as and start their own business, this position will give them the “getting their feet wet” experience that is needed to decide if this is truly something that they want to spend the rest of their lives doing.

Another great aspect of this field is that it is expected to continue to expand over the next few years. While some industries are feeling the crunch of the recession, this does not appear to be one of them. Some estimates have this niche continuing to expand as far out as 2016. This is great news for anyone looking to make a career change or that is just coming out of school.

Something else to consider is the pay scale that will be available when you are first starting out. For the most part, personal support worker’s can expect to make a little over $30,000 the very first year that they are employed. When benefits, usually including free dental care from your employer, are factored in, this can be a very lucrative position.

Personal support worker is a great career with excellent job prospects.