For passionate and caring individuals, a career as a personal support worker (PSW) can offer truly rewarding experiences. Benefits can include forming new friendships with clients, opportunities for learning from them, and plenty of chances to engage in fun activities. A career as a PSW is also one of the few professions that can offer a high level of job security, given the abundance of clients who need professional care.
However, one of the most appealing advantages of choosing a career as a PSW is the amount of flexibility healthcare college graduates can enjoy. Whether it’s working in a different care environment, or being able to balance your working hours with home life, below are a few great examples of the kinds of flexibility PSW careers offer!
PSWs Have a Wide Array of Flexible Career Opportunities
PSWs possess the skills and expertise to find work in a variety of exciting healthcare settings. Working for homecare agencies, in long-term palliative care facilities, or in retirement and assisted living communities, PSWs can contribute to the wellbeing of their clients by helping them with their daily routines, exercises, meal plans, and hygiene.
PSWs are also becoming increasingly utilized in hospitals across Canada to assist with inpatient care. Generally, PSWs in a hospital setting use their skills to keep clients safe and comfortable, and can contribute to bettering a patient’s quality of care in departments such as the surgical, mental health, palliative, and intensive care units. A PSW’s expertise may even allow them to take over certain simple care tasks from nurses so that they can attend to other patients. With a long list of flexible career opportunities like these, future PSW graduates have a lot to be excited about.
Grads with PSW Training Can Benefit From Making Their Own Schedules
PSWs often work very flexible schedules, meaning they can have some control over their work hours, and find a schedule that best suits their unique lifestyles. For instance, a PSW working in certain home care agencies and care facilities might be given the option to pick their own hours, or be able to choose to work with clients two to three times a week rather than full-time. Others may prefer to work only during the daytime so that they can spend their evenings with their children, spouse, or with friends.
Recent graduates of a personal support worker program might also to decide to work with their clients only during the weekends so that they can return to school in order to further their training, perhaps to become nurses.
PSW Graduates Can Work in Diverse Locations
As the aging population continues to grow, there is no shortage of clients who require care in both rural and urban areas. For healthcare professionals who enjoy experiencing new places, a career as a PSW could offer them the flexibility of being able to care for clients in many different locations.
A PSW may decide to depart from a palliative care facility in one city to work for a mental health facility in another, for example. Others may enjoy working for agencies that provide care for clients at home in rural parts of the countryside. By completing personal support worker courses, you too can benefit from the flexibility PSW careers offer.
Some aquatic therapy exercises include walking or running in deep or shallow water. Your clients can also grip the side of the pool and tread water to strengthen the muscles in their legs. Of course, DSWs should always be mindful of their client’s safety, and ensure that these children wear life preservers whenever necessary.
