Sorrentino's Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker

Learn to provide personal care and professional support in a variety of health care settings! Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition helps you build the skills you need to succeed as a PSW (personal support worker). Illustrated, step-by-step guidelines to 93 procedures show how to perform your role safely and effectively. New to this edition are more case studies plus coverage of the latest issues relating to supportive care in long-term care facilities, hospitals, and home care. Written by Sheila Sorrentino, Leighann Remmert, and Canadian educator Mary Wilk, this text is known for its easy-to-understand approach, superb photographs, and comprehensive coverage. It’s no wonder that Sorrentino’s is the #1 book used by students in support worker programs across Canada.

• Comprehensive coverage
• guides you through all of the information and skills needed by today’s support worker.
• Reader-friendly writing style makes it easy to understand the material.
• Chapter review questions test your comprehension of the learning objectives listed at the beginning of each chapter.
• DIPPS icons highlight the principles of support work: respecting and promoting the client’s Dignity, Independence, Individualized Care, Preferences, Privacy, and Safety.
• Focus on Canada’s multicultural population includes current health care statistics and demographics, including content on Canada’s Indigenous population.
• Procedure boxes include steps and rationales describing how and why a procedure is performed.
• Providing Compassionate Care boxes highlight the caring aspect of the support worker role.
• Case Study boxes apply concepts discussed in the text to real-life examples of support workers and clients.
• Focus on Children and Focus on Older Adults boxes provide age-specific information about the needs, considerations, and special circumstances of children and older adults.
• Focus on Long-Term Care boxes highlight information vital to providing competent care in the long-term care setting.
• Focus on Home Care boxes highlight information necessary for safe functioning in the home setting.
• Supporting boxes present client scenarios and discuss how PSWs make decisions and solve problems.
• Think About Safety boxes provide clear, concise, easy-to-follow advice on how to provide safe care to clients of all ages.
• Respecting Diversity boxes cover the influence of culture on health and illness practices and the importance of cultural sensitivity in support work.
• Critical Thinking in Practice sections at the end of each chapter present a realistic, practice-based challenge.
• Working in Acute Care chapter discusses this ever-expanding role of the support worker and describes how to perform delegated acts, including advanced tasks and problem-solving, the importance of consulting the client’s care plan, and working closely with one’s supervisor for guidance.
• Body Structure and Function and Common Diseases and Conditions chapters provide a solid foundation in anatomy and physiology, physical changes related to aging, and disease processes.
• Mental Health Disorders and Disorientation, Delirium, and Dementia chapters reflect the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition).

• NEW!
Thoroughly updated content
• addresses top-of-mind issues such as the use and misuse of social media, bullying and abuse, the concept of professionalism, working on interprofessional teams in health care settings, shiftwork, and more.
• NEW! Enhanced illustrations reflect Canada’s diversity and depict new content and important procedures.
• NEW! Updated chapter organization groups together body systems and anatomy chapters for easier accessibility.
• NEW! Additional coverage of the Personal Support Workers’ scope of practice includes topics such as what to do when asked to work outside of your scope of practice, consequences of not following the scope of practice, and more.
• NEW! More case studies and procedures are added to address the PSW’s expanding scope of practice.
• NEW! Greater coverage of the roles played by other health team professionals describes how this impacts PSWs working on these teams, including topics such as delegation, professional conduct, and more.

Mary Wilk, RN, GNC(C), BA, BScN, MN