Student Testimonial - Duyanh
Why did you choose Humber?
There are many reasons for me as a learner to invest my time and resources in pursuing care service education to our Canadian seniors who are living in long term care. Humber College is a leader in innovative learning particularly in the field of science and technology. In addition to that, it is convenient to commute to North campus as it is close to the subway line for a young professional who is working and living in downtown Toronto.
What are your career aspirations?
There are so many things we need to address and improve in care to protect our Canadian senior citizen populations. In taking what I have learned from this program and incorporating it into my prospects of becoming a lawyer, I see myself standing in a court room advocating for senior citizens and their rights. This is a long-term career goal and it is a realistic and achievable goal for a person who enjoy taking challenges to practice. Short-term, I will strive to work together with our seniors who are living with dementia and other physiological healthcare needs at long term care facilities so I can develop a deeper and better understanding about their needs and the situation.
How have the faculty helped you on your road to reaching your goals?
I will forever be in debt to each professor I had. Their years of experience and expertise shared has enriched my knowledge about the healthcare system in Canada and specifically, they are the advocators to our society to the vulnerable population. The biggest take away gift is the interpersonal communication skills between healthcare workers. For example, we were taught how to utilize our compassion and empathy as a catalyst to cultivate passion in ourselves and kindness actions within our team and the clients. There were a lot of writing assignments, so my writing and reading skills are improved.
In each lecture, we were guided to practice critical thinking and encouraged to contribute our perspective viewpoint. I had many self-doubts as a male healthcare worker, that I would not be seen as ‘kind and gentle’ as a female when providing care to my client, however, I received support and encouragement from my clinical instructors.
What would you say has been the single best learning experience in the program you are in?
This is a hard question for me as I reminisce about the lectures. We laughed, and candidly shared our frustrations, difficulties and challenges since the start of our program. The unforgettable memory lecture started with the debate of the practical care we have witnessed at our long-term care facilities. Many of us had to resolve our internal conflicts with the care services that are expected and the level of unexpected care services we faced. Classes are opportunities for self-growth and development. The discussions plus feedback help our creative and critical thinking skills to work through scenarios and situations. Without being supported in that class, I may not have realized my own limitations. Thank you so much for helping me to realize my areas for growth.
What elements of the program are best preparing you for your career?
The first is clinical skills. PSWs (Personal Support Workers) are the backbone to the nursing team and are important providers in the healthcare system. PSWs work in collaboration with healthcare teams and provide skills within the scope of practice including client daily care requirements and delegated skills including injections, catheter care, tube feeding, trachea suctioning, oxygen therapy, dressing changes, and assisting with medication, plus general knowledge in care for a client who is living with mental disorder, dementia, and other common related physiological diseases in elderly.
The second is communication skills. This includes body language, tone, manners, and attitude. We were taught these essential skills of effective communication with patients and colleagues. When it comes to reporting, documenting, charting, emails we learned basic writing skills within the interdisciplinary healthcare profession.
Would you recommend this program to others, and why?
Personally, this program was extremely rewarding to me. I believe if you accept the challenge with a passion of providing care to the vulnerable population, you will succeed and appreciate the program.
To prepare for success, consider these five questions:
- Do I care about our vulnerable population? There are babies, adolescents, adults who are living with disabilities, senior citizens who are dealing with compromised physiological health and mental health.
- Do I have passion in providing excellent care?
- Am I able to prioritize and organize my time? If I am unsure, would I like to learn how from my professors and my classmates?
- Am I capable of asking questions?
- Am I willing to accept and reflect on feedback from my professors and classmates?
It is not only the clinical content that is important but also the leadership skills throughout the lectures. You will feel confident with skills, knowledge and the ability to provide excellent care to your clients.
