Experienced Personal Support Workers (PSW’s) know how important it is to keep up with the latest trends in their field. Knowing about advancements helps them to continue to provide good quality care that is customized to meet the needs of each patient.

One of the best resources PSW’s have is the Personal Support Network of Ontario (PSNO). Through this professional organization, PSW’s get access to the tools they need to succeed in their career as well as being able to provide patient care that draws from the latest research along with time tested techniques.

What Is PSNO?

The Personal Support Network of Ontario, or PSNO, is a professional association dedicated to helping personal support workers perform to the best of their ability. PSNO offers access to a wealth of educational and informative resources designed to make the work of those in this profession more efficient and effective.

The organization helps personal support workers explore the issues with which they are confronted on a daily basis. Through blogs, newsletters and articles, the PSNO website acts as a tool through which individuals can improve their professional practice.

PSNO also functions as the sponsor of a major annual conference of personal support workers in Ontario.

The conference provides an opportunity for professional networking, and also highlights major changes and governmental policies affecting the job. With a focus on education and shared support, most health care workers derive a great deal of benefit from attending the conference.

More details are provided further in the article.

PSNO’s Mission and Objectives

The staff and directors at PSNO recognize both the challenges and the rewards encountered by personal support workers. Accordingly, PSNO exists so that personal support workers have the tools they require not only to meet their professional goals, but also to provide ongoing quality care.

Through connections established via PSNO, personal support workers find the foundation they need to succeed in their job. With the help and guidance of other professionals working in the same field, the skills and knowledge of each PSNO member is immeasurably enhanced.

PSNO’s ultimate goal is to facilitate the creation of a network of personal support workers dedicated to the advancement of the profession.

Recognizing the Contributions of Personal Support Workers

In keeping with PSNO’s mission, the organization recognizes exceptional personal support workers each year at its annual conference.

The association begins accepting nominations for the Personal Support Worker of the Year Award each April. In October, personal support workers from across Ontario gather to learn, build professional networks and honor the recipient of this prestigious award.

Typically, candidates are nominated by a supervisor who feels that the personal support worker has performed above and beyond the scope of their job and worked to enhance the profile of the personal support field in general.

The PSW Conference

Each October, personal support workers from all over Ontario congregate to celebrate achievements and become acquainted with the latest advances in their field.

Attendees begin registering months in advance for the opportunity to hear talks presented by some of the foremost experts in the profession. The conference is usually held in a luxury hotel that features deluxe meeting accommodations to enhance the experience for all attendees.

Throughout each day of the conference, PSW’s get multiple opportunities to learn about the issues that affect the performance of workers on a daily basis. They also receive insight into the latest developments in patient care, enabling them to provide improved services to care recipients.

In addition to lectures, conference attendees may also choose from an assortment of workshops that are designed to help them build their professional skills. Attendees also enjoy the trade show vendors through which they discover additional resources that support them in their work.

Conference attendance is a wonderful method for ensuring that the personal support worker enjoys a solid network of professional acquaintances and remains abreast of the latest developments.

The PSNO makes it possible for PSW’s to meet their full professional potential. With a vast library of useful resources, support workers from across Ontario gain knowledge, skill and confidence.

The addition of an annual conference that provides education and much needed recognition makes the PSNO an indispensable organization for Personal Support Workers in Ontario.

Personal Support Worker Professional Development Scholarship

PSNO along with Saint Elizabeth healthcare and Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) offers an annual scholarship to a PSW in Ontario who considers further education opportunities to gain new knowledge and skill set.

This scholarship is worth $2000.

Besides this scholarship, there are ten other awards, bursaries and scholarships offered to entering and graduating PSW’s.

Other Tools and Resources

PSNO website is a gateway to many tools and resources for Personal Support Workers. These are listed under the “resources” tab on the menu bar at the top.

It lists many useful links such as:

• Newsletters with new industry information
• PSW Educational Program Accreditation
• Latest news and views related to PSW’s
• Best practice guidelines
• Educational resources
• PSW Registry

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