4.3 Preparing for the Clinical Professional Practice Placement
The foundation for a meaningful and safe learning experience requires students to be organized and well prepared. As a Personal Support Worker (PSW) student, your placement is vital to apply classroom knowledge to real-world healthcare settings, build professional relationships, and develop your skills in providing compassionate, client-centred care.
Preparing Yourself
Placement can be both exciting and challenging. Prepare yourself mentally by setting realistic goals, practicing self-care, and seeking peer, faculty, and/or Clinical Instructor support. Confidence comes from preparation—knowing what to expect and being ready to learn will help you make the most of this experience.
By staying organized, completing your requirements on time, and entering placement with a proactive mindset, you will be well-positioned to grow professionally, contribute meaningfully to the healthcare team, and provide safe, knowledgeable, client-centred care.
Name Tag & PSW Crest
All uniforms must have the Fanshawe College PSW crest securely attached to the outermost portion of a uniform’s left sleeve. Crests cannot be attached to uniforms by staples or pins.
Fanshawe College identification name tags should always be visible, worn on the left side of the uniform, and high enough to prevent client injury when administering care. They must be worn for all lab practice classes and at the clinical agency.
For a comprehensive list of requirements for each Clinical Professional Practice Placement refer to:
Section 7.2 HLTH 3054 PSW Clinical Professional Practice Expectations & Requirements
Section 8.2 HLTH 3055 PSW Consolidation Professional Practice Expectations & Requirements
Section 9.2 HLTH 3056 PSW Community Professional Practice Expectations & Requirements
Transportation
Students are expected to arrange transportation and parking to and from their clinical placement at their own expense. Know the location of your placement and plan your commute. Consider travel time, weather conditions, and public transit schedules. If you rely on others for transportation, have a backup plan in case of unexpected delays. Also, consider how your placement schedule fits your other commitments and plan. Child care, work, and personal days are unacceptable excuses for missing placement.
Curriculum Package
Bring your curriculum package to your clinical placement. If you have lost this, you can print the package found in your Fanshawe Online Clinical courses.
- Review the Clinical Curriculum Package & Program Manual
- Review this OER
Pre-placement Clearance Paperwork
Bring a copy of ALL of your pre-placement clearance paperwork, including:
- Professional Practice Health Form (signed and completed by Healthcare Provider)
Including proof of COVID-19 and Flu Vaccine - Standard First Aid/CPR- BLS certificate
- Bloodwork Results
- Police Vulnerable Sector Screening
- Mask Fit Testing Result
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training Certificate
See 4.1 Clinical Pre-Placement Process for a review of the pre-placement requirements.
Supplies
Ensure you have all necessary supplies ready before your first day. This may include:
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✓ Watch with a second hand – to clip to your uniform.
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✓ A small notebook and pen for on-site note-taking.
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✓ Bring your lunch as you will not be able to leave the site during your lunchtime.
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✓ Student ID.
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✓ Shoes for placement. You may not wear your outdoor shoes when providing client care at the agency.
Note: Do NOT bring your cell phone to your Clinical Professional Practice client care areas.
Embarking on a Clinical Professional Practice Placement marks an important step in your healthcare education journey—where theory meets practice, and learning becomes lived experience. While this transition offers exciting opportunities to further build on your classroom learning and your professional identity, it also brings emotional, mental, and physical demands that require thoughtful preparation.
Preparing for Clinical Placement: A Student Guide to Success & Self-Care [PDF] is designed to support you through this next phase of your education. From cultivating resilience and setting realistic expectations to prioritizing self-care and building a strong support network, this guide equips you with practical strategies to assist you both personally and professionally during your clinical placement.
OpenAI. (2025, 9 June). ChatGPT. [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Prompt: Create an image of a personal support worker in scrubs with a watch with a second hand clipped to the uniform.
