Personal Support Worker
Answer to exercise 1
Author: Dorene Weston, Full Circle Consulting
- Occupational Profile
- Sample Job Posting
- Hands-on Exercises
- Answer to exercise 1
- How to Become Certified
The following chart represents one view of how Maria may have interpreted the job posting and recorded her related experience.
Read through this and compare it to the chart you completed for Maria. What’s different? What’s the same? What have you learned for next time? What new vocabulary have you learned for future use?
Maria’s chart
Requirements and Qualifications Chart
| Job title: | Counsellor Aide (Personal Support Worker) | ||
| Employer: | Community Educational Health Centre | ||
| Address: | ________________________________ | ||
| ________________________________ | |||
| Contact name: | ________________________________ | ||
| Tel: | ____________ | Fax: | ___________ |
| E-mail: | ________________________________ | ||
| Job Posted where: | ____________ | Date: | ____________ |
| Stated requirements | Hidden requirements | My qualifications and experience | Gaps |
| Grade 12 or equivalent | Ontario grade 12 | Completed high school in country of origin | Need to check whether high school diploma from country of origin is recognized in Canada |
| Post-secondary studies in a related field | Awareness of issues such as aging, injury, illness, multiple handicaps, visual impairment | Studied nursing overseas9 year’s experience in a community clinic | Ontario equivalency assessment |
| Experience working with the physically disabled in a resident setting | Awareness of related issues on a first-hand basisFamiliarity with residence environmentUnderstanding of routines | Worked in private hospitalExperience in daycares similar for day-time routines9 year’s experience in a community clinic | What, if any, experience with the physically disabled? |
| Some knowledge of behaviour management principles | Some in nursing training | Understanding of what behaviour management principles are applied in residential setting | |
| Knowledge of and abilities in transferring, lifting and other attendant care duties (bathing, toileting, dressing, feeding) | Good healthEnough physical strengthComfortable with physical proximity to others | Part of nursing training | |
| Personal support worker training preferred (can offer some training) | Willingness to learnCommitment | Enjoys learning – took night school courses beforewilling | |
| Superior interpersonal skills | PatientSensitiveLike peopleCompassionateEmpathetic | (assume so – Maria herself would be able to complete this) | |
| Good written and verbal communication skills | Good EnglishGood at making conversationGood listening skillsTelephone skills | Yes, schooling done in EnglishGood communication skills from work in community clinic dealing with a wide range of people | |
| Assists in grocery shopping | Own transportation? | Not known | |
| Provides informal counseling, as needed | Good listenerCan maintain confidentialityKnows boundaries and limitations | Not known | |
| Assists in the organization and scheduling of leisure time | OrganizedCreative | Organized visits to nursery schools and daycares | |
| Assists in the administration of medications | Good reading skillsAbility to follow directions | Nursing training | |
| Collects baseline data | AccurateOrganizedUnderstanding of numbers, basic arithmetic | May need some orientation | |
| Maintains records | AccurateOrganizedTimelyWritten EnglishComputer skills likely | Computer skills need improvement | |
| Implements established programs as directed | Previous work experience | ||
| Provides input regarding the effectiveness of programs | Communicates clearlyAnalytical skillsSolid understanding of programs | Experience with public education program | Would need orientation to new programs and effectiveness measures |
| Co-ordinates daily activities | Organized | Organized | |
| Assists in group meal planning, meal preparation | Understanding of nutrition, budgetingCooking skillsKnowledge of kitchen safety issues | Has experience at home Nutrition as part of nursing training | Would need orientationNot familiar with Canadian food safety regulations |
| Helps to resolve interpersonal conflicts | Excellent communication skillsKnowledge of conflict resolution practices | Not known | |
| Maintains professional manner at all times | CourteousPromptThorough | Experience dealing with the community to lobby for government support | |
| Protects and promotes the welfare, dignity and individual rights of clients | Respect for the individual | Lobbied on behalf of public daycares | |
| Adheres to the goals, policies and aims of centre | Understanding of goals and policies | Assume did so in previous jobs |
- Occupational Profile
- Sample Job Posting
- Hands-on Exercises
- Answer to exercise 1
- How to Become Certified