Learning through textbooks, tests and instruction is one thing but using what you’ve learned in real life scenarios is another.
The first cohort of 21 Upper Grand District School Board adult learners are going through The Living Classroom situated at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and they are just over two and a half months into their personal support worker (PSW) program.
It is also in collaboration with the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging and The Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators.
The Living Classroom is a model that connects post-secondary education with long-term care and retirement home teams so students can have real-life experience learning through training to work in healthcare settings to support older adults. There is current funding for the program from the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care until March 2026 so the project can continue to launch new living classroom locations.
St. Joseph's had an open house on Thursday to celebrate the cohort of students. The students come from a variety of personal and work backgrounds all with the same goal to become PSWs when they graduate come June.
Lisa Roberts-Simpson was looking to become an end of life doula for a change of career from working in the auto manufacturing industry.
“I realized I wanted to work with folks in palliative care because I feel that they're as deserving of dignity and advocacy as anyone else in the medical field,” she said. Part of her wanting to change careers was going through her journey with breast cancer. She had her last treatment in May and is in remission.
“I like to say that breast cancer tried to pick a fight with me and lost,” said Roberts-Simpson, in an interview. “And I also found going through the treatment, seeing healthcare teams in action and working with clients, and not just the physical and medical aspects, but the emotional, mental aspects, the compassion that went into that. It really sharpened my focus to get into this field, even more so.”
The courses to become an end of life doula weren’t financially viable so she looked into becoming a PSW with hopes to work within pallative care.
Tuition is waived, textbooks and materials are provided for free and there are wraparound supports to help with transportation, an opportunity to get their high school diploma if they don’t already have one or whatever students need to be successful in the program.
Within UGDSB there was a program for people to become trained to be a PSW but it was in a classroom setting not a healthcare setting. This is “where they get so much more opportunity to interact and be exposed to the work,” said Melissa McDowall, principal of continuing education at UGDSB.
McDowall said retention is up for the program and she thinks it's because students get to see what the work is like, know why they are here and the “call to service is in front of their eyes every single day.”
The connection with employment makes a difference too. Students will go through work placements in March, April and May and be at places like St. Joseph’s and The Elliott Community.
The program runs Tuesday and Thursday evenings and every other weekend, this way students have an opportunity to work while studying.
Early in October the new cohort moved from their classroom at Tytler Public School to St. Joseph’s. The room is equipped with hospital beds, medical mannequins, stethoscopes, anatomy displays and other learning and medical tools.
Part of the practical experience students have had so far is setting up a vital signs lab in the lobby where visitors, residents, and staff came through for students to test their vitals.
Members from St. Joseph’s patient and family advisory council will be meeting with the students to share their personal stories, hopes for the future and what quality of care means to them, said Sandra Ramelli, vice-president of people and strategy at St. Joseph’s, in her remarks.
“Our PSWs will hear from real people with real experiences. And not to say that having good textbooks and videos and classroom setting is not important, but it really is about enriching experiential learning that we know the literature and research will tell you, in education is so important to people's learning,” said Ramelli.
