Expert Instructor Interview – Insights on the Personal Support Worker Program

Registered oncology nurse, and dynamic Anderson College Personal Support Worker program instructor, Hamsha Mahalingasivam, offers amazing insight into our PSW course for inquiring or aspiring students.

Hamsha completed her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at the University of Toronto. She then focused her career on oncology medicine, working at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the medical and radiation oncology unit. After years of rewarding work, she decided to share her expertise and entered the field of academics.

At Anderson College, we are incredibly grateful to have Hamsha mentoring students within our PSW course in Canada. In a recent interview she reflects on her inspiration, what students will learn from and enjoy about the PSW program, who the course is designed for and what job opportunities graduates can expect.

If you are exploring your options for careers and personal support worker courses intrigue you, this is an interview you won’t want to miss.

Let us proudly introduce, Hamsha …

What inspired you to teach future PSWs?

What inspired me to become an instructor for future PSW students is that, on the unit, I absolutely loved working with students, nursing students and PSW students and I was often asked to be a preceptor. So that got me thinking, how can I combine my love of teaching and healthcare into one? That brought me here, to becoming a PSW instructor.

What will students learn during the program?

Students learn infection control and prevention and patient safety, which are really, really important. We talk about the chain of infection, personal protective equipment, how to work with bio-hazardous material and the WHMIS protocol. Students are taught patient safety, to know what happens when a patient falls. We talk about restraint use. Students will absolutely learn about human bodies. We are in the human body business, so students have to know about the complex systems we work with. Students learn complex illnesses as well, and how to care for the various type of illnesses they might encounter such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Students also get training in foundations of mental health, so they will learn about the various mental illnesses and mental wellness that we might see in our patient population. For example, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and how to care for those. And students have a final course in palliative care or end-of-life care, where we work with students and teach them how to care for someone who’s terminally ill, how to support patients and families at the end of life, post-mortem care and what are the signs and symptoms are. And we literally train students to take care of patients across the demographics. We have pediatrics, geriatrics and address complex, continuing care issues for all patients.

What do students enjoy the most during the program?

Students enjoy all aspects of the program, but one of the three top areas of the program students enjoy the most is definitely the laboratory part. This is where they get to roleplay, play with the medical equipment, or lift the bed, and they get to interact with each other. We have students learning how to communicate and how to give reports, so it’s really hands on. The second part of the program that students enjoy is the CPR class. They’re in the labs or in the classrooms working with a certified CPR instructor and learning basic lifesaving skills, which they can bring to their own lives as well. And then finally, what students really enjoy is a part of the program that has meaning to them, palliative care. I’ve had students come back after we did the palliative module and say, “now I understand what my grandmother was going through when she was dying”, because of the terminology we learned or the process. Some students come back, after we talk about diabetes, and say “I know now what my mom is going through”. So they’re able to connect their own personal life with what they’re learning and be better advocates for themselves and their families.

Who can take the PSW program?

Anyone can take the PSW program. There are some criteria they have to meet but, if someone is passionate about helping others, have an interest in medical care, is highly adaptable and flexible, and has excellent time-management skills, this might be a program for them. There are a couple of criteria that students have to meet for this medical based program. First is that students either have to be 18 or over with a high school diploma. If they don’t have one, they have to pass a qualifying examination part of the admissions process. And so, there is an English proficiency part of that as well. Secondly, students must clear a vulnerable sector check. So as healthcare workers, PSWs, we work with vulnerable individuals, in pediatrics, geriatrics, and clients with mental and physical disabilities. It’s a police check, but it’s a vulnerable sector check that students have to pass. Thirdly, there is a vaccination and immunization protocol; students have to prove that they are vaccinated against, tuberculosis, hepatitis and now COVID-19 because we work very closely with patients that are very immunocompromised. Then finally, there is a medical assessment component. Students are given a medical form, they have to go to a family doctor and the doctor fills it out. Healthcare, PSW work, is very physical in nature, so students have to have the ability to move around. There is a lifting component as well, so if there are chronic issues or mobility issues that might be challenging for students. But, if students can meet those criteria and have a passion for learning, then they can join the PSW program.

Take the “Anderson College Personal Support Worker Career Discovery Quiz”

What job opportunities can graduates of this program expect?

So right now, the job prospects for PSW are unparalleled. There is a huge gap at the front lines right now for several reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has really brought to life how fragile our healthcare is and the need for chronic assistance for our citizens across the lifespan. The Canadian population is also aging so there are a lot more people living with chronic diseases and issues and they need support. So, there’s a demand for frontline PSWs. And thirdly, a lot of frontline healthcare workers are entering the age of retirement, so there’s going to be a huge gap that needs to be filled. Most job opportunities for students and graduates are going to be in facility-based care, so long-term care, nursing homes, retirement centres, adult day programs, but also home care as well. More and more people are being discharged earlier, so they’re going home as part of their healing journey. A lot of our PSW graduates work with agencies and in home care as well. But opportunities exist right now – if you want to get into healthcare, it’s going to be right now!

Do you have any words of advice for future students?

My words of advice for future students are that if you are willing to work hard, you’re dedicated to helping others and you have a passion for lifelong learning, personal care work might be for you. I truly find it a privilege to work with someone, probably during one of the scariest, saddest and the loneliest part of their life. You know, having an illness can be isolating, it can be terrifying. But as healthcare workers, when we provide care with compassion to someone, we are forever part of their illness journey. So, if you love helping people and really want to make a difference, then PSW work might be your calling.

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If you are passionate about people and feel that caring for and making a difference in the lives of others is your calling, we’re here to help.

Book a virtual appointment with an Admission Advisor today to start exploring your Personal Support Worker career. Your future in healthcare can begin today.