In a progressive collaborative partnership, H.J. McFarland Memorial Home and Loyalist College have cultivated a dynamic learning environment at their recently launched Living Classroom (LC). This innovative model is redefining how future Personal Support Workers (PSWs) are trained, seamlessly blending academic instruction with invaluable hands-on experience directly within a long-term care (LTC) setting.
An integrated approach to education
The core of this Living Classroom is its integrated experiential learning model. Loyalist College students who are enrolled in the LC PSW program attend onsite classes at H.J. McFarland Memorial Home, where knowledge comes alive through practical application. The program combines theoretical learning delivered at the college with hands-on practical experience within the LTC home, directly applying what they are learning each week. This allows students to gain insights from a diverse range of educators, including faculty members, experienced staff, residents, and residents’ families. This approach ensures learning that is rooted in real-world scenarios, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to deliver optimal care.
Forging a collaborative partnership
The journey to establish this partnership began in February 2024. Collaborative discussions between Loyalist College in Belleville and H.J. McFarland Memorial Home in Picton quickly identified a mutual goal: to enhance educational opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals while addressing critical staffing needs within the long-term care sector. The success of this alliance hinges on frequent communication and a shared commitment to community-driven healthcare education.
Ensuring the partnership remains strong is crucial to its success. Clear, trust-based communication and a shared vision are the foundation of their working relationship. In fact, each time the students come to the home, the faculty, lab assistant, and coordinator go over what worked and what could be improved upon. This debrief could include anything from the timing of certain instruction to determining which students are a bit quieter and could benefit from being called upon in the next week. This reflection enables the team to ensure that they are continually improving, growing, and learning in parallel with the students. This time is also used to plan out the next week, to make the learning interactive and fun for the students.
Fostering meaningful interactions
Within this integrated learning model, interaction is continuous, respectful, and purposeful. The aim is to create an environment where everyone—students, residents, staff, and families—feels heard, valued, and actively engaged in both the learning and care processes. This multifaceted engagement not only enriches educational outcomes but also significantly enhances the quality of care and resident satisfaction.
Students and residents engage directly in daily activities, providing care and observing needs in real time. Staff members play a crucial role, offering invaluable feedback to students while imparting best practices. This dynamic, which encourages meaningful interactions, was beautifully illustrated when a student, while shaving a resident, actively asked questions and listened intently to the resident’s responses. This simple yet profound connection created an atmosphere of engagement and collaboration, empowering the resident to be an active participant in their own care.
Celebrating milestones and future visions
This Living Classroom has already celebrated numerous successes. From the inaugural ride on their HealthPULSE Shuttle Bus, which offers new transit options for students in health care programs, to awarding certificates of participation to their first cohort of Living Classroom students, each milestone underscores the program’s positive impact. Learning is made interactive and collaborative; after completing the required material, students are encouraged to request more practice on specific skills or suggest guest speakers, such as a new hire, long-term staff, or even another PSW student who is further along in the program, to share their experiences and answer questions. The program strives to incorporate fun into learning, making the educational journey engaging and enjoyable.
Looking to the future, the program is committed to long-term sustainability. One key strategy involves embedding the Living Classroom into the school curriculum and supporting faculty in continuing to build professional skills using this new model. This gives instructors the confidence to actively explore and create unique learning experiences for the students. By aligning lessons with education standards and providing professional development for teachers, the program aims to become a permanent fixture of school culture, rather than a separate, grant-dependent initiative. This approach builds internal capacity, reduces reliance on external staff, and ensures the program’s longevity past funding or personnel change.
Key takeaways and advice for new programs
The journey has provided invaluable lessons, primarily highlighting the importance of clear communication, flexibility, and collaboration. Setting realistic expectations, maintaining regular contact among all stakeholders, and adapting to change have been crucial for success.
For other Living Classrooms just starting out, these partners have clear advice to share: engage stakeholders early, prioritize open and ongoing communication, and remain flexible and responsive to feedback. Most importantly, recognize that building strong relationships between students, residents, families, and staff is central to the program’s success. Investing time initially in building trust and mutual understanding will lead to more sustained and meaningful results.
Looking ahead
The McFarland-Loyalist Living Classroom is a continuous work in progress, with each cohort of students providing valuable insights for growth and improvement. Currently operating on a hybrid model with learning split between the college and the long-term care home, the future holds promising possibilities.
At present, students are placed into the Living Classroom as part of the regular PSW program intake at the college, based on program seat availability and student interest. A potential next step is to establish a dedicated Living Classroom stream at the college, allowing students to apply specifically to this immersive program with a formal application process. This dedicated stream would enable students to complete all their classes directly at the long-term care home, ensuring a more integrated experience from day one.
The impact of the Living Classroom is already being felt, as evidenced by heartwarming feedback. As one resident enthusiastically shared, “I really like the students; they are doing a great job.” A dedicated staff member echoed this sentiment: “I’m happy for the opportunity to teach students who are becoming PSWs. After 26 years as a PSW, I’ve seen many things and many residents. They are truly just like family. This experience has made me a better PSW and allowed me to showcase my skills for the future generation of PSWs to come. It gives me the chance to pass on knowledge from learned experiences in long-term care, so the students are getting first-hand experiential learning. This allows for the students to be engaged and active participants in their learning here at the home.”
