Personal Support Worker

“I try to create a caring environment for my students as I believe a positive environment is conducive to learning. I gain satisfaction from teaching, motivating and mentoring my students. As Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”

Monica has been a Registered Nurse since 2004 and has since worked in both hospital and community settings. Throughout her nursing career she has provided health education and nursing care, engaged in research activities, and delivered supportive counselling and life skills programming. She has been a Personal Support Worker program instructor since 2006, incorporating a variety of teaching and learning strategies into her methodology in order to meet students’ needs.

Monica received her RN Diploma from Durham College before going on to achieve a BSc in Nursing from York University. She also holds a BA in Sociology from York University.

“I love teaching because I believe the best way to educate my students is by engaging them. Through teaching, I get to show my students how important health care providers are to the community, and how they can use what they learn in my classroom to succeed in their future careers.”

Iam has over 10 years’ experience working in various medical settings, which has enabled her to adapt and respond appropriately to any emergency situations, while ensuring she provides quality client-centered care. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in a variety of roles and working in numerous medical settings, including long term care, home care, emergency and psychiatric nursing, hospitals, and clinics.

Iam is a Registered Practical Nurse who is certified in IV Therapies, and Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care. She is a certified Psychiatric Nurse and has also received a Certificate of Professional Development from the National Association of Career Colleges.

“It is very satisfying for me to teach and help my students achieve their goals. I have a lot of empathy and respect for the incredible struggles our students overcome, as many of them are also working and caring for their families while they are completing their studies.”

Agnes has over 50 years’ experience in nursing, having worked in various hospital and long term care settings, including acute care and mental health. She also owned and ran her own nursing agency for 16 years, employing 170 staff members and servicing nine long term care facilities. Agnes has been a Personal Support Worker instructor for almost 18 years, delivering a comprehensive and relevant learning experience to her upcoming PSW students.

Agnes has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing and has completed a variety of post graduate courses, including Gerontology, Psychiatry, Mental Health and Business Administration.

“I love instructing because it gives me the opportunity to inspire, support, and mentor my students. I get to share my knowledge with others, as well as to discover and share some of the best parts of being human. Every day I’m hopeful to make a difference in some individual’s life which goes beyond knowledge.”

Fran O’Reilly has over two decades’ experience in nursing, having worked in both the mental health and community sectors. Throughout her career she has developed leadership, collaboration, and communication abilities, all of which apply equally to nursing and instructing. Her skills range from developing and implementing treatment and care plans, to providing a safe and confidential environment in which to administer care.

Fran completed a 2 year Diploma program in Social Service Work and has been a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) since 1998.

“I enjoy giving my students a strong foundation of knowledge in healthcare, and instilling them with confidence. I emphasize a positive work ethic, and love encouraging students to be passionate about their Personal Support Worker careers.”

Rani has over 25 years’ experience as a registered nurse, including 17 in hospital settings. Her clinical work encompassed acute care, medicine, surgery, and ER, as well as managing outpatient services. During her career she has excelled in patient care, medical rounds, and discharge planning, coordinating care conferences and collaborating with community agencies and pharmacies to provide home care services. During her time at Lakeshore General Hospital in Quebec she was a member of the Council of Nurses committee, and also taught the preceptorship program for student nurses.

Rani earned her BSc in Nursing with Honours from the University of Ottawa. She is CPR certified, and an active member of both the College of Nurses of Ontario and the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

“Teaching is my passion and nursing is my advocacy. I am doing both and humbled by my chosen profession. To see the students transforming into exceptional support workers is what keeps me going. Their success is my happiness. I’m the kind of person who from the moment I wake up devotes myself to the perfection of whatever I pursue and do my very best to share the knowledge, skills and experience I have with my students.”

Amelia is an internationally educated nurse (IEN) who is registered to practice nursing by the College of Nurses of Ontario. She has been teaching as a PSW instructor in Canada since 2013 and has shown her exceptional abilities in theoretical instruction and laboratory skills.

Amelia achieved her BScN diploma and pursued her postgraduate studies in nursing at the University of the City of Manila. She has done her continuing studies in nursing at George Brown College as part of her registration to practice nursing in Canada. She is a US Registered Nurse and has experience working in both acute and chronic continuing care. She has also earned her diploma in ECG, Phlebotomy and Medical Laboratory Technician at Anderson College.

“As a PSW Instructor, my experience as a Public Health Nurse has broadened my teaching and facilitation skills by utilizing adult learning principles. I practice by applying a strength-based lens and approach to recognize, enhance and build the capacity of each student and support their individualized and unique learning styles.”

Barbara earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc.N.) from the Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. She remains a current member in good standing as a Registered Nurse (R.N.) with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and a member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO).

Prior to becoming an instructor at Anderson College, she has worked as a staff nurse at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Forensic Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Psychogeriatric Team and as a Public Health Nurse for both the Region of Peel and the City of Toronto.

As a committed believer in lifelong learning, Barbara has completed the Clinical Skills Program for Well Woman Care at McMaster University while working in a Public Health Healthy Sexuality Clinic, the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Contact Tracing Course and the Ruth Ruttan & Associates Advanced Nursing Footcare Course.

“I strive to be an instructor that students can rely on. Throughout my career, I’ve always looked at the people who got me to where I wanted to be, and I want to be that person for other people.”

Brechelle graduated from the PSW program at Mohawk College in 2013. Shortly after, she completed her RPN and graduated in 2015. She spent 4 years in Endoscopy as a Nurse Manager, worked at St. Joes Hospital in Hamilton in the Renal Transplant clinic, same-day surgery at the Hamilton General. Now currently, she works at a Chronic Pain Centre and recently opened her own Cosmetic / Medical Spa in the Hamilton area.

Brechelle has a PSW certificate, her RPN diploma and possesses a credited Nurse Injector certificate. She aspires to finish her degree and become a Nurse Practitioner.

“I am very passionate about teaching. As an instructor, I understand that students choose to study PSW course, but they are not sure if this is the right field they should get for their future. I feel that my mission is to teach and guide them the best I can so that they can agree that this is the right course, and that they can be part of the staff community during this crucial time in our world.”

Gloria is a Registered Nurse from George Brown College. She is also a certified CPR and an active member of both the College of Nurses of Ontario and the Registered Nurse Association of Ontario.

She has several experiences including hospital, private health care settings, and community-based centres dealing with wide range of medical areas, as well as acute medical and surgical conditions. She has also been a Personal Support Worker program instructor since 2014, incorporating a variety of teaching and learning strategies in order to meet the students needs.

Gloria achieved her certificate as an Occupational Health Nurse with distinction at St. Lawrence College.

“As a health professional, I always feel motivated and excited when it comes to assisting students in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in the health care field. I always try to motivate and inspire individuals to come into this noble profession and be able to lead a successful future.”

Jasbir has earned her BSc in Nursing from India, she is CPR certified and an active member of College of Nurses of Ontario. She has immense experience in teaching all the medical subjects to the nursing students in various private career colleges, as she has managed large groups, trained health professionals in class and provided hands on training to nursing and personal support worker students since 2007. She has worked in various care communities as a registered nurse since 2012.

Jasbir received her RN degree from India and since has served in different health care colleges as clinical instructor and Registered Nurse in different long-term cares since 2007.

“As an instructor, I believe that the PSW program is not there only to help students graduate as PSWs, but this is also their first step in health care education that carries them towards greater career opportunities. My goal is to encourage students by providing a strong educational foundation to grow as skillful and compassionate health care workers. Seeing students’ performances cheers me up, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge and skills with my students.”

Sindhuja is an RPN with good standing at the College of Nurses of Ontario. She earned her BSc in nursing from the Open University of Malaysia and is a potential graduate of Ryerson University. She has been a nurse for more than 12 years and has acquired clinical expertise as a critical care nurse, surgical nurse, and community nurse. She has been teaching in the Personal Support Worker program since 2019 and has experienced teaching in in-class and online platforms.

Sindhuja received her RPN diploma from Centennial College, before entering the Ryerson University BScN program. She is currently working as an RPN in the community.