4.3 Preparing for Clinical Practice
Successful clinical placements require more than just showing up—being organized and well-prepared sets the foundation for a meaningful and safe learning experience. As a Personal Support Worker (PSW) student, your placement is vital to apply classroom knowledge in real-world 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 health care team, and provide safe, knowledgeable, client-centred care.
Uniforms
Permitted colours and uniform policies will be discussed on Orientation day. Purchase before your first lab class.
Shoes can be leather duty or solid running shoes (no bright colours).
Jewelry
No jewelry is to be worn at the clinical placement or in the lab.
Scents
Due to the increasing risk of allergic reactions, no perfumes, colognes, or body sprays are allowed in either laboratory or clinical practicum settings.
Nails
Long fingernails, nail polish, or artificial nails pose a Workplace Health and Safety risk (both physical safety and risk for pathogenic transfer) and are not permitted
Hair
Hair must be neat, contained, and worn off the face and collar. Braids/ ponytails must be secured and removed from the collar.
Facial Hair
Male students must be clean-shaven. If beards or moustaches are worn, they must be neatly trimmed and professional. Beards worn for religious reasons are permitted. For hygienic reasons, students may be required to wear masks over facial hair during certain activities, such as feeding clients. If unsure, consult with the instructor.
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 nametags are always 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 laboratory practice classes and at the clinical agency.
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:
- First Aid/CPR certificate
- Bloodwork Results
- Synergy Pre-clearance document
- Police Vulnerable Sector Screening
- Mask Fit Testing Result
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:
- ☐ Watch with a second hand – to clip to your uniform
- ☐ A small notebook and pen for on-site note-taking
- ☐ Bring your lunch as you will not be able to leave the site during your lunchtime
- ☐ Student ID
Note: Do NOT bring your cell phone to your clinical agency areas
OpenAI. (2025). 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.
