PSW
sees training as chance to advance skills, better
serve residents
Monday, March 19, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
By routinely being at a resident’s bedside
and providing hands-on care, Amanda Robb develops
a comfort level with the seniors she supports
at Springdale Country Manor.
When the personal support worker
(PSW) learned of the opportunity to do more for
residents by increasing her skill-set, she signed
herself up for the training. Robb is one of the
front-line workers at the Springville long-term
care home taking part in upcoming educational
sessions aimed at extending the duties of non-registered
staff. Between April and May, there will be two-day
training sessions offered at six sites in the
province. Some of the basic nursing skills to
be taught include checking for vital signs, applying
prescription creams, monitoring blood sugar levels
and continence assessment.
“I thought it would be a good
opportunity to enhance the skills I have, learn
new skills and work to the best of my potential,”
says Robb.
Robb, employed at Springdale since
July 2006, has worked as a PSW for about seven
years. Through private contracts with families
and working in group homes for children considered
medically-fragile, she had the chance to use broader
skills in the absence of registered staff. She
says in the long-term care environment, increasing
her skill-set will promote teamwork and ease the
pressure on her registered colleagues. “There
are things we can be doing to help with their
workload,” she says. “It’s a
wonderful opportunity to promote teamwork. It’s
especially handy too in times of an outbreak.”
The decision to train non-registered
staff – which includes PSWs, health care
aides, nutritional care aides, housekeepers and
activity aides – is in response to the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care’s mandate to
provide round-the-clock nurses at long-term care
homes, Candace Chartier, OMNI's corporate project
director, earlier told the OMNIway. Training non-registered
staff to perform some of the duties normally assigned
to registered staff will provide nurses with more
time to spend with residents, she said.
Maureen Imamovic, Springdale Country
Manor’s administrator, agrees it will relieve
some of the workload for nurses and benefit residents
as well.
“The residents know the front-line
staff more intimately,” she says.
Having an established rapport makes
providing treatment easier and expanding the front-line
workers’ duties will grant residents more
comfort, caregivers say.
“It’s an opportunity
to promote health, wellness and good care and
help with the residents too,” Robb adds.
At the end of the sessions, participants
will be given certificates of completion. The
first session will run April 4-5 in Aurora.
-- with files from Deron Hamel
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