Caregiving is a wide and diverse segment of healthcare. Because of that, there are multiple PSW positions and job titles that candidates need to get acquainted with if they want to succeed in their job search. Every nursing home, long-term care facility, and home care agency has different names for their PSW positions, especially those healthcare organizations that have been around for decades before the term “personal support worker” became the official title for this career.
If you are currently in the job market looking for new employment opportunities as a personal support worker but are having a hard time finding job postings that really interest you, this article is for you. Keep reading to find out what PSW positions and job titles you need to be looking for.
PSW Positions And Job Titles To Consider In Your Job Search
Unless you have unlimited time to read all the job descriptions available in healthcare to discover which ones correspond to PSW work and which do not, this list will put you in the right direction to find the job postings that truly match your skills and experience as a PSW.
Personal Care Aide/Health Care Aide
These aides usually work in home settings, where they support their clients in Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), including mobility, hygiene, food preparation, light housekeeping, and more.
Health Care Assistant/Patient Care Assistant
These PSW positions apply to caregivers with healthcare experience and a PSW certificate. The titles are most common in hospitals and long-term care facilities, where PSWs attend to the physical, mental and emotional needs of all kinds of patients.
Community Support Worker
This PSW job title, is used by publicly funded organizations to describe positions where PSWs will have to support individuals in the community. The responsibilities vary depending on the patient's case, and most of the caregivers working under this title are full-time employees.
Support Services Attendant
This PSW position, is one of the many titles used by private and publicly funded healthcare organizations to hire PSWs. It is a broad job title that may involve working with seniors or patients with disabilities, as well as new parents, and even kids with any condition that requires additional support services.
Attendant Service Worker
This is a job title usually used by private employment agencies to describe a position where a PSW is expected to provide home care to physically disabled adults. This job involves the usual responsibilities of a PSW, but also knowledge of common cognitive and physical conditions.
Senior Care Provider
This is a title given to PSWs that are hired for assistance in private homes where they are expected to look after a senior person. In many cases, patients of these caregivers have one of the common health complications related to adult age, like Alzheimer’s disease. This is a position that involves constant communication with family members and multiple health care providers.
Guest Attendant/Resident Attendant/Client Care Attendant
These job titles are used almost interchangeably by nursing homes and retirement homes for their PSWs. Caregivers working under these titles are usually well experienced in caring for the elderly population.
Home Health and Personal Care Advisor
This title is used mostly by home care agencies where PSWs are hired to assist clients in their homes with some health-related tasks, as well as personal care tasks like helping them bathe, groom, dress, move, etc.
Unregulated Care Provider (UCP)
This is another one of the many job titles assigned to personal support workers. This one, in particular, refers to the fact that PSWs are not regulated in Ontario, so there isn't an official government entity in charge of overlooking this profession. PSWs working under this job title usually provide their services to retirement homes or nursing homes, where they work with seniors.
E-Shift Support Worker
This is a position that has been gaining popularity due to the current COVID-19 pandemic since many healthcare providers can't leave their healthcare facilities to care for patients in their houses due to their high volume of work. PSWs with this job title provides advanced medical care to patients in their homes while been virtually supervised by healthcare providers, usually registered nurses (RNs).
Similar PSW Positions You Could Apply To
Homemaker
Companion Driver
Companion Aides
Continuing Care Assistant
Psychiatric Aide
Respite Worker
Home At Last Attendant
As you can see, there are numerous job titles under which a PSW position can be posted, and even though most of the job postings in this field have very similar descriptions and requirements, knowing the different wordings used by healthcare employers can make a big difference in your job search.
What do you think about this topic? Do you know any other job title or position for PSWs? Leave us a comment!
Source: https://www.caringsupport.com/blog/consider-these-10-alternative-psw-positions-and-job-titles