In nursing schools, many students wonder if they might be able to work as a personal support worker (PSW) while they complete their academic programs. This question is pretty understandable considering that the work these caregivers do in the healthcare sector is somewhat similar to what nurses do, minus the medical assistance. This article provides you with important information on the subject to clear your doubts plus additional details to help you make an informed decision.
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In Ontario, the rise of the new and more transmissible COVID-19 variant B1.617.2, which was first identified in India and is now known as the Delta variant; is adding urgency to the push for higher vaccination rates among long-term care home staff. While 97% of long-term care residents in the province are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, just 66% of staff are.
Staff at long-term-care homes across Ontario will have to either prove they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine or attend an educational session about the risks of opting out if they don’t have a medically documented reason for declining the shot. It will also be mandatory for homes to have an immunization policy, and track its implementation, including staff vaccination rates. The policies must be in place by July 1.
Not many personal support workers (PSW) work in hospitals, at least not in Ontario. In fact, only 7% of them do, according to some sources. However, this is changing. More PSW jobs are being opened in hospitals than ever before, especially in areas like rehabilitation, critical care, and palliative care areas.
Researchers concluded that even unvaccinated health workers had a lower rate of lab-confirmed cases than the overall community: 1.33 per 10,000 person-days versus 1.96. The paper was written by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health.
The Ontario government announced on May 10 that high-risk health care workers, including patient-facing staff working in homes and the community, had been added to the list of people eligible to receive their second dose of vaccine sooner than the province’s standard four-month interval. However, they can’t access their second shots because none of the hospitals, vaccine clinics, or services are updating to reflect that policy.
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