LEAP Personal Support Worker | Palliative Care Training

Who is it for?

LEAP Personal Support Worker is ideal for personal support workers, care aides, and health care assistants working in long-term care, home care, nursing homes, and acute care.

LEAP Personal Support Worker is specifically for personal support workers, health care aides/assistants, and others who provide a similar role. For physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other health care providers looking for palliative care education, there are interprofessional LEAP courses designed to address the competencies of your profession.

NEW: Palliative Care Handbook for Personal Support Workers and Care Aides

The Palliative Care Handbook, now included for all LEAP Personal Support Worker learners, is a new mobile-friendly digital guide delivering quick, practical guidance for real-world palliative care situations, tailored to professional experience, region, and scope of practice. Available in four editions to match regional terminology and program requirements.

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Learning outcomes

Upon completion of LEAP Personal Support Worker, learners should be able to:

Identify individuals who could benefit from a palliative care approach.
Recognize the meaning of key terms related to Advance Care Planning.
Identify pain types and causes of pain.
Recognize the role that personal support workers/care aides/health care assistants play in helping the care team select medication.
Recognize the impact that delirium has on patients and families.
Recognize the difference between individuals experiencing normal grief and those at risk of more complicated grief.
Recall how to observe for, and report when an individual is affected by dyspnea.
Identify the ‘Dignity Conserving Care’ approach to support individuals and maintain hopefulness.
Identify advocacy communication skills that can be used to advocate for the individual you care for to other members of the health care team.
Recall how to prepare individuals and families for the last days and hours.

Course features

Receive an electronic copy of the Palliative Care Handbook for PSWs and care aides.

Developed and reviewed by Canadian palliative care experts.

Learn advocacy skills to effectively support individuals and communicate within the health care team.

Develop essential communication skills for having meaningful conversations with patients and their families about palliative care.

Earn a nationally recognized LEAP certificate of completion.

Supports interprofessional collaboration across teams.

Receive an electronic copy of the Palliative Care Handbook for PSWs and care aides.

Developed and reviewed by Canadian palliative care experts.

Learn advocacy skills to effectively support individuals and communicate within the health care team.

Develop essential communication skills for having meaningful conversations with patients and their families about palliative care.

Earn a nationally recognized LEAP certificate of completion

Supports interprofessional collaboration across teams.

Delivery mode

Online, self-learning

Self-paced learning: Complete online, self-learning modules at your own pace (approximately 8–10 hours of work).
Quizzes: Complete short quizzes at the end of each module to assess knowledge.

Take this course

Pricing for online delivery

$75 for personal care aides

Personal care aides refers to personal support workers, health care aides, health care assistants, care aides, etc.

Course topics

LEAP Personal Support Worker provides interprofessional and comprehensive training in palliative care, with modules and case studies focused on:

Being aware

Goals of care and decision-making

Observing and screening for pain

Dyspnea

Suffering, spiritual care, and maintaining hope

Principles of palliative care

Advance Care Planning

Understanding pain medications

Hydration and nutrition

Last days and hours

Communication

Introduction to pain

Understanding pain management

Delirium screening and management

Gastrointestinal symptoms

Offering LEAP Personal Support Worker at First Nations Technical Institute added immense value to our PSW program. Students not only expanded their palliative care knowledge and employability skills, but many discovered a newfound passion for the field. With high success rates and positive feedback, we are committed to making LEAP a regular part of our curriculum to ensure our graduates start their careers with specialized skills and higher wages.

First Nations Technical Institute

will always now think of whether a person with a life-limiting illness might benefit from a palliative approach to care. I will be a better advocate for my patients.

Personal Support Worker