This program is designed to deliver hands-on, simulation-based, and practicum-focused training aligned with Health Care Aide, Health Care Assistant, Resident Care Aide, Continuing Care Assistant, and Home Support Worker expectations across Canada (tasks performed according to provincial guidelines and site policy).

Eligibility- GNN/ANN

PRACTICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

This curriculum is structured for real-world delivery and includes:

• Skills laboratory training
• Simulation-based scenarios
• Supervised practicum placement
• Competency-based assessments

1. Pre-Practicum Readiness & Compliance

Before entering clinical placements, students complete mandatory workplace preparation:

• CPR & First Aid (placement-appropriate level)
• Immunization & communicable disease screening
• TB screening (where required)
• Police / Vulnerable Sector Check guidance
• Occupational Health & Safety orientation
• Incident & near-miss reporting procedures
• Stop-work authority awareness
• WHMIS & chemical safety basics
• Infection prevention screening & PPE donning/doffing practice
• Privacy & confidentiality standards in healthcare

2. Core Skills Laboratory Training

A. Safety-First Care Set-Up

• • Introduce self & confirm client identity
  • Explain procedure & obtain consent
  • Prepare safe environment (privacy, lighting, bed height, brakes)
  • Perform hand hygiene & select appropriate PPE
  • Plan ergonomic positioning & request assistance when needed

B. Personal Care with Dignity & Skin Integrity

• • Bed bath & assisted shower procedures
  • Perineal care & continence product changes
  • Oral care & denture care
  • Grooming & hygiene support
  • Skin assessments (pressure areas, redness, tears, bruising)
  • Objective reporting of skin concerns

C. Mobility, Transfers, Lifts & Fall Prevention

• • Repositioning in bed & turning schedules
  • Use of pillows/supports for pressure relief
  • Safe 1-person & 2-person transfer techniques
  • Mechanical lift awareness (as per site policy)
  • Wheelchair safety & setup
  • Fall prevention routines & environmental safety checks

D. Nutrition, Hydration & Swallowing Safety

• • Meal tray setup & adaptive equipment use
  • Feeding assistance & pacing techniques
  • Texture-modified diet awareness
  • Thickened fluid handling (follow care plan)
  • Recognizing aspiration risk
  • Intake tracking & hydration monitoring
  • Safe escalation during choking risks

E. Infection Prevention & Equipment Cleaning

• • Cleaning and disinfecting care equipment
  • Linen handling & waste segregation
  • Safe sharps awareness
  • Outbreak workflow management
  • PPE sequence & isolation protocols

F. Communication, Dementia Support & Responsive Behaviours

• • Validation & redirection techniques
  • Identifying behaviour triggers
  • De-escalation strategies
  • Safe positioning during agitation
  • Objective behaviour documentation

G. Home & Community Support Skills

• • Home safety assessment (fall hazards, alarms, storage)
  • Light housekeeping aligned to care plan
  • Laundry workflow & food safety
  • Professional boundaries in private homes
  • Managing gifts, money & out-of-scope requests

H. Documentation & Reporting

• • Writing factual vs interpretive notes
  • Basic flow sheet documentation
  • Intake/output tracking basics
  • SBAR structured reporting method
  • Incident reporting (falls, skin tears, aggression events)

3. Simulation-Based Care Scenarios

Students complete full care simulations including:

• Morning hygiene & mobility routine
• Swallowing safety emergency response
• Reporting change in client condition
• Fall / near-fall response & documentation
• Managing responsive behaviour during bathing
• Outbreak isolation workflow
• End-of-life comfort care support

4. Practicum / Clinical Placement

Students gain supervised real-world experience in:

• Long-term care facilities
• Assisted living environments
• Home support settings
• Hospital support roles (where applicable)

Practicum Structure:

• Observation → Guided Practice → Independent Task Completion
• Supervision by clinical instructor or site preceptor
• Strict adherence to care plans & role boundaries

Typical Shift Responsibilities:

• Deliver scheduled personal care
• Support toileting & continence routines
• Assist mobility & transfers safely
• Support meals & hydration
• Complete documentation & provide shift updates

5. Expanded Competency Development

Graduates will demonstrate ability to:

✔ Perform pre-task safety setup consistently
✔ Use PPE & hand hygiene correctly
✔ Deliver dignified personal care
✔ Conduct skin checks & report accurately
✔ Select safe transfer techniques
✔ Implement fall prevention strategies
✔ Support safe feeding & escalate risks
✔ Communicate changes using structured reporting
✔ Document clearly & within scope
✔ Apply dementia-friendly communication
✔ Maintain professional boundaries
✔ Collaborate effectively within care teams

6. Assessment & Evaluation Plan

• Lab skill check-offs (must-pass safety steps)
• Simulation performance rubrics
• Mid-point & final practicum evaluations
• Professionalism tracking
• Portfolio submission (logs, reflections, documentation samples)

Graduate Readiness

Upon completion, graduates will be able to:

• Provide safe and compassionate personal care
• Assist with mobility and transfers
• Support nutrition and hydration safely
• Observe and report changes in condition
• Deliver respectful psychosocial support
• Work confidently under supervision and within healthcare policies

Site orientation remains necessary for specific documentation systems, equipment models, and emergency codes.