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Healthcare Aid Course notes > Chapter 1 - The Role of the Support Worker > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - The Role of the Support Worker Flashcards

1
Q

What are some roles of the support worker?

A
  • To assist clients to accomplish the tasks of everyday living so that they can get on with their lives
  • A variety of assistance may be required for some, and very little for others
  • Includes personal care, home management, family responsibilities, and social and recreational activities
  • Make a difference in peoples live
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2
Q

What is the ultimate goal of a support worker?

A

➢Provide care in a kind, sensitive and understanding manner
➢Use discretion (responsible judgement)
➢Honour the client’s right to confidentiality
➢Display empathy (having an understanding of another person’s emotions)

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3
Q

Support Work Across Canada

A
  • client is always the focus of care

Many differences in educational programs, work settings, job responsibilities, and terms used to describe support workers across Canada.

  • All work to meet the client’s needs.
  • Scope of practice for support workers may vary from province to province
  • Appendix at end of book outlines what the support worker is called in different provinces and territories
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4
Q

What are some Settings for a Support Worker?

A 
•Facility-based setting – Hospitals
•Rehabilitation and subacute care agencies
•Complex, chronic or long-term care centres (nursing homes, nursing facilities, nursing centres, 24-hour care)
➢Community-based setting
➢Mental health centres
➢Home care agencies
➢Hospices
➢Health care systems
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5
Q

PSW responsibilities

A
  • Personal Care – Assisting with ADL (activities of daily living) – eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, moving and positioning, walking
  • Provide for the client’s safety and physical comfort
  • Not responsible for deciding what should or should not be done; must observe and report changes in client’s behaviour
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6
Q

What are some responsibilities?

A
  • Assist nurses and other health care professionals by following the established care plan for each client
  • Consult with other health care professionals in order to provide care
  • Family and social support
  • Housekeeping or home management
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7
Q

People that you will support

A

•Patient – person receiving care in a hospital
•Resident – person living in a residential facility
•Client – general term for all people receiving health care or support services
Every person is unique

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8
Q

Caring for Individuals

A
  • Older adults
  • People with disabilities, medical issues, having surgery, mental health problems, needing rehabilitation, Children, Mothers and newborns, People requiring special care
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9
Q

The Health Care Team

A
  • Group of people working together toward a common goal
  • Include professionals with a variety of skills and knowledge
  • Goal is to provide quality care
  • The support worker is an important member of the health care team
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10
Q

Regulated Workers

A
  • A regulated profession is self-governing
  • It has a professional organization called a college, which sets education and licence requirements. The organization establishes the scope of practice, codes of ethics, and standards of conduct for its members.
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11
Q

Unregulated Workers

A
  • An unregulated profession does not have a professional college
  • There are no official requirements for educational programs
  • No code of ethics
  • Support Workers are unregulated workers, referred to as unregulated care providers (UCPs)
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12
Q

Scope of Practice

A
  • To protect the client from harm you must know what you can do, and what you cannot do, and the legal limits of your role
  • Never perform a function or task that you have not been trained to do, or that is beyond legal limits
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13
Q

Sources of Information about Scope of Practice

A
  • Your educational program
  • Your employer’s policies
  • Your supervisor
    - A nurse is licensed and regulated by the province to maintain overall responsibility for planning and provision of care
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14
Q

Registered Nurse

A
  • assesses, develops nursing plans, implements and evaluates care, and carries out physician’s orders
  • A RN is usually the team leader of the health care team, consisting of the:
    • PN (Practical Nurse)
    • Support worker
    • Assistive personnel – other health care professionals
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15
Q

Support Worker Supervisor

A
  • Support workers my be supervised by an RN or a PN, or may be hired directly by clients
  • You must be aware of the tasks and procedures you can perform as a support worker
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16
Q

Being a Professional

A
  • Demonstrate respect for others, commitment, competence and appropriate behaviour, professional appearance
  • Be cheerful, friendly, work when scheduled, perform tasks competently, and help others
  • Show enthusiasm, consideration, honesty
    • Box 1-1: Statements That Show Negative Attitude (p. 14)
    • Box 1-2: Practices for Professional Appearance (p. 15)
17
Q

Professional Behaviours

A
  • A positive attitude
  • A sense of responsibility
  • A professional appearance
  • Discretion about client information
  • Keeping your knowledge up to date
  • Discretion about personal matters
  • Using acceptable speech and language
18
Q

Confidentiality

A
  • Respect and guard personal and private information about another person
  • Only share information to the health care team member involved in the client’s care
  • Never talk with a client about another client
  • Avoid talking about co-workers
  • Do not discuss work issues / client care outside the work area
19
Q

Compassionate Care

A
  • Compassion – caring about another person’s misfortune / suffering
  • Caring – having concern for the dignity, independence, preference, privacy and safety of client and their families at all times
  • True compassionate care includes honesty, sensitivity, comforting, discretion and respect
20
Q

What is DIPPS?

A

Dignity – state of feeling worthy or valued

Independence – allow client to do what they want or can

Preference – allow client to make choices

Privacy – client’s body and affairs are private from viewing by others

Safe – to be free from hazards and feel secure about care provided

21
Q

Decision Making

A
  • Support workers make many decisions during their day
    • Consider priorities – DIPPS
    • Consider the client’s viewpoint
    • Consider your scope of practice – your limits
    • Consider your supervisor’s viewpoint and guidance

Healthcare Aid Course notes (8 decks)

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