51³Ô¹Ïapp

Personal Support Worker Acute Care

CampusStart DateTuition/Fees
MiramichiSeptember 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
WoodstockSeptember 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
St. AndrewsSeptember 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
MonctonJanuary 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
MonctonSeptember 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
Saint JohnJanuary 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
Saint JohnSeptember 2025 (Blended Delivery)
 
Domestic | International
Fredericton September 2025 (Blended Delivery) Domestic | International
Fredericton January 2026 (Blended Delivery) Domestic | International

Program Overview

Are you a kind and nurturing person who feels fulfilled by and thrives on helping others in need? If so, this might be the opportunity you have been looking for. Personal support workers work in collaboration with members of healthcare teams. They’re on the front line, offering compassionate and respectful care to clients of all ages, their families, and communities.

In the PSW program, you will learn how to assist clients in functioning as independently as possible, working safely, and ever mindful of preserving the dignity of those under your care. A career in personal support work provides opportunities in physical, mental, community or personal health services fields. With an aging population, the need for personal support worker graduates is high, so enroll today to pursue a career in this well-respected field.


Duration

Personal Support Worker: Acute Care is achieved within one year of full-time study.


Admission Requirements

    Profile A

  • High School Diploma or Adult High School Diploma or GED Diploma of High School Equivalency or Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) or Essential Skills Achievement Pathway: Post-Secondary Entry High School Diploma

    NB Francophone High School Math Equivalencies
    International Student Admission Equivalencies


    Career Possibilities

    Demand for personal support workers continues to grow as the population ages, so apply today to pursue a career in this well-respected field. Graduates of 51³Ô¹Ïapp’s Personal Support Worker (PSW) program find employment in hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, with community agencies, and much more.



    Specific Considerations

    This occupation requires a sincere desire to work with and help other people, sometimes under trying circumstances. Good health, physical fitness, and stamina are essential.

    The work schedule includes day, evening, and night shifts, as well as work on weekends and holidays.

    Students must possess observation skills, organizational aptitude, and flexibility in order to meet the challenge of providing long-term and/or acute care.

    Prior to the beginning of the applied workplace experience, host facilities throughout the province may require the completion of an , proof of valid CPR Level HCP with AED certification, and specific immunizations. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he or she has met these requirements.

    To protect the health and safety of students during their clinical/practicum placements, as well as anyone they may encounter, students will be obligated to complete mandatory clearance requirements as a part of the process of being assigned a placement. There will be a cost associated with completing these requirements, which has been calculated as part of the Material Cost of this program. Students who do not complete the requirements will be unable to attend their clinical/practicum placements, which could impact eligibility for the required courses or industry facility visits needed to complete their program. See Clinical/Practicum Placement Requirements for more details.

    Host agencies require students to provide a current criminal record check and vulnerable sector check from a recognized police service in order to be considered for an applied workplace experience. Individuals who have been convicted criminally and not pardoned may be prohibited from proceeding to a work placement. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he or she is eligible to participate. Additionally Nursing Homes will require verification of a Social Development (SD) check which is done to determine whether the applicant has any contraventions under the Family Services Act. Please note, when a student goes for a Nursing Home placement, the agency has the responsibility to send in the request for a SD check. 

    For each practicum, an agreement will be signed with the health care institution concerned, in accordance with College policy.

    Technology Requirements
    51³Ô¹Ïapp is a connected learning environment. All programs require a minimum specification, including access to the internet and a laptop. Your computer should meet your program technology requirements to ensure the software required for your program operates effectively. Free wifi is provided on all campuses.


    Areas of Study

    • Anatomy and Physiology
    • Pathophysiology
    • Geriatric Nursing
    • Ethical and Legal aspects of Nursing
    • Mental Health Concepts
    • Homecare Concepts
    • Clinical practicum and laboratory experience
    • Nursing skills and assessments
    • Critical thinking and clinical judgement
    • Therapeutic and professional communication and collaboration
    • Trauma informed and culturally competent care
    • Community Engagement
    • Workplace and individual wellness and safety


    Program Courses

    Courses are subject to change.

    This course focuses on developing the knowledge, attitudes and skills required to manage healthcare challenges and guide ethical decision making. The learner will explore ethical expectations and legal responsibilities of a healthcare professional.  Utilizing personal reflection and critical thinking, the learner will apply ethical principles and theories, the ANBLPN Code of Ethics, professional standards, and legal frameworks to promote professional practice. 

    This course is designed to introduce the professional language of medical terminology and abbreviations. Learners will decipher terminology in order to understand the meaning and use of language associated with various body systems. 

    This course introduces the learner to the structure and function of the human body in its healthy state. Learners will examine individual body systems, their components and processes, and how they interrelate to maintain homeostasis.

    This course introduces the learner to reading comprehension and academic writing. The learner will employ foundational reading and writing skills to enhance communication in the academic and workplace setting.   

    This course provides learners with an overview of theories and principles of human growth and development to support the delivery of holistic care. Learners will identify physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial theories and their application across the lifespan. Nutrition and the Determinants of Health will be studied as influential factors in growth and development. Learners will also study palliative care, the grieving process, and spiritual and cultural influences at end-of-life. 

    This course provides the learner with classroom theory, lab practice, and homecare experience. The learner will apply the theoretical knowledge from class and lab regarding the concepts of home care, Personal Support Worker (PSW) responsibilities, medication guidance, injury prevention and safety, diversity in healing practices, and home care documentation.  

    Prerequisites:

    • ETHI1065A
    • HCSS1089A
    • MENT1019A
    • NCSI1190B
    • PATH1187B

    This preceptorship provides the learner with a comprehensive clinical experience under the guidance of an assigned preceptor. During this experience, the learner will demonstrate integration of knowledge and skills, provide safe and competent client care, be accountable and responsible for their own practice, and function as a member of the health care team. 

    Prerequisites:

    • HCSS1090B

    This course provides an introduction to alterations in mental health. The learner will explore the history of mental health care, concepts of mental health, common alterations, techniques to prevent and manage aggressive behavior, and strategies to support well-being for the client and self. 

    This course introduces learners to the history, delivery, and components of the healthcare system as it aligns with the nursing profession. Learners will explore the role of the practical nurse and personal support worker in the Canadian Healthcare system as they aspire to the professional expectations of their designation and applicable licensing bodies.

    In this course, the learner will explore various changes that occur with aging.  The learner will study population growth, expected physiological, psychosocial and emotional changes, pathophysiological alterations, and elder abuse.  Activities supporting cognition and well-being to effectively meet the aging population's needs will also be studied. 
     

    This course provides the learner with introductory knowledge and techniques for developing professional communication and therapeutic relationships. The learner will explore the skills necessary to communicate within the healthcare environment effectively.  

    This theory course provides the learner with the foundational knowledge of skills and rationales required for safe, holistic client-centered care.  The learner will study the concepts of client safety, medical asepsis, hygiene, focused integumentary system assessment, elimination, nutrition, mobility, and documentation. 

    Prerequisites:

    • NCSI1184B

    This laboratory course provides the learner with the opportunity to practice the knowledge from NCSI 1183A. This application of skills will occur through a hands-on approach in a lab setting. The learner will apply theoretical knowledge of client safety, medical asepsis, hygiene, focused integumentary system assessment, elimination, nutrition, mobility, and documentation.  
     

    Prerequisites:

    • NCSI1183B

    This clinical enables the learner to apply theoretical concepts and skills learned in NCSI 1183A and NCSI 1184A. The learner will demonstrate personal care skills, assessments, and rationales associated with the long-term care of adult and/or geriatric clients. 

    Prerequisites:

    • HCSS1087A
    • NCSI1181A
    • NCSI1182A
    • NCSI1183B
    • NCSI1184B
    • SECU1221G

    This theory course builds on the knowledge and skills learned in NCSI1183 and NCSI1184, and introduces medical-surgical nursing concepts and skills. The learner will study vital signs, neurological vital signs, simple wound management, oxygen therapy, application of bandages, binders and immobility devices, hot and cold therapy, bowel and bladder elimination, enteral nutrition via gastrostomy tube, specimen collection, client undergoing a minimally invasive procedure, and post-mortem care. The learner will also study basic system assessments, focused gastrointestinal system assessment, and documentation of skills and assessments.
     

    Prerequisites:

    • NCSI1185B
    • NCSI1189B

    This laboratory course reinforces the knowledge and skills learned in NCSI 1188A. The learner will apply theoretical knowledge of medical-surgical nursing concepts and skills. Through hands-on lab practice and simulation, learners will develop skills in vital signs, neurological vital signs, simple wound management, oxygen therapy, application of bandages, binders, and immobility devices, hot and cold therapy, bowel and bladder elimination, enteral nutrition via gastrostomy tube, specimen collection, client undergoing a minimally invasive procedure and post mortem care. The learner will also practice basic system assessments, focused gastrointestinal system assessment, and documentation of skills and assessments. 
     

    Prerequisites:

    • NCSI1185B
    • NCSI1188B

    This clinical provides the learner with the opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills from NCSI 1188 and NCSI 1189. Learners will demonstrate skills and provide rationales associated with the care of a subacute medical-surgical client. Ongoing development of critical thinking and clinical judgment will be practiced to provide safe, holistic care to meet the client’s individual needs.

    Prerequisites:

    • NCSI1185B
    • NCSI1188B
    • NCSI1189B

    This course builds upon existing knowledge from HCSS 1087A by examining diseases and disorders that produce alterations in physiological function. The learner will study disease etiology and pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, medical management, client assessments, and care.  

    Prerequisites:

    • HCSS1087A

    This course provides an introduction to the meaning of community service.  Students learn how community service can enhance a student’s educational experience, personal growth, employability, and civic responsibility. Students participate in one day of volunteering to enhance their understanding of civic responsibility and to help the New Brunswick Community College realize its vision of transforming lives and communities. 

    A safe and healthy workplace is the responsibility of the employer and the employee. This course introduces students to the importance of working safely and addresses how employers and employees can control the hazards and risks associated with the workplace. Students will also learn about the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders including WorkSafeNB, the employer and the employee in ensuring workplaces are safe.


    NOC Codes

    33102 - Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates


    Disclaimer: This web copy provides guidance to prospective students, applicants, current students, faculty and staff. Although advice is readily available on request, the responsibility for program selection ultimately rests with the student. Programs, admission requirements and other related information is subject to change.