Inherent requirements – Diploma of Emergency Health Care HLT51020
Find the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of the Diploma of Emergency Health Care HLT51020.
Inherent requirements
You should carefully consider the following inherent requirement statements for the Diploma of Emergency Health Care HLT51020 as:
- a guide for your learning during the course
- a way to identify challenges you may have in meeting the requirements.
This relates to the understanding and ability to comply with Australian and Victorian law and professional accreditation regulations. Examples include
- Child protection and safety legislation (including the ability to pass a Working with Children Check)
- Criminal History / Police Checks
- Occupational health and safety
- Anti-discrimination legislation
Rationale
Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others in early childhood education and care settings compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.
Examples
- Comply with the clinical placement policy set by VU and the placement provider (e.g. appropriate use of social media, adherence to uniform standards)
- Adhere to child protection and safety legislation, including the ability to pass a Working with Children Check.
- Meet the placement requirements for Criminal History / Police Checks
- Follow Work Health and Safety standards
- Comply with the Non-Emergency Patient Transport and First Aid Services Act 2003 and the Non-Emergency Patient Transport Regulations 2016
This relates to the student's ability to understand and adhere to standards, codes, guidelines and policies that facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people they engage with. Examples include:
- Complying with academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies, including academic integrity policies
- Understanding and complying with professional standards, codes of practice, and guidelines
Rationale
Compliance with standards, codes, guidelines and policies that facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people they engage with in the many environments of practice is required for the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being of all.
Examples
- Comply with medico-legal requirements relating to informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality with patient information in academic and clinical settings
- Understand and comply with relevant codes and standards, including those related to informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and equitable, respectful behaviour in academic and placement settings
- Adhere to academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies, including Academic Integrity Policy
Where relevant, this relates to considerations of current scope of practice, workplace health and safety, and any other matter related to safety. Examples include:
- Ability to understand and comply with all relevant workplace health and safety policies and practices
- Ability to identify and respond to alarm systems
- Ability to understand and demonstrate compliance with current scope of practice
- Ability to manage one's own health in a manner that promotes the ability to fulfil the requirements of study, placements, and the role/s for which the study typically equips the graduate
Rationale
Compliance with current scope of practice, workplace health and safety, infection control considerations and effective and timely response to alarm systems are required to provide safe environments for children, staff and others.
Examples
- Ability to understand and comply with all relevant Workplace Health and Safety policies and practices, including the correct use and storage of equipment
- Ability to understand and comply with the current scope of practice and professional guidelines, such as Non-Emergency Patient Transport Clinical Practice Protocols
- Ability to manage one's own health in a manner that promotes the ability to fulfill the requirements of study, placements, and the role/s for which the study typically equips the graduate
This relates to the student's capacity for knowledge acquisition, utilisation and retention. It also includes metacognitive capacity such as awareness of one's own thinking, and the ability to reflect, evaluate, adapt and implement new cognitive strategies. Examples include
- Focus, memory, attention to detail, theoretical deliberation, and practical functioning sufficient to meet the course objectives
- Ability to reflect and take personal responsibility
- Ability to apply knowledge in practical and theoretical assessment settings
Cognition - knowledge & cognitive
Knowledge acquisition, utilisation and retention spanning and drawing together all coursework subjects. Cognitive skills for focus, memory, attention to detail, theoretical deliberation, and practical functioning.
Rationale
Understanding and retention of coursework information and the effective processing of this information is required for appropriate, safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Apply relevant policy and procedures in the context of clinical situations
- Assess level and analyse causes of a patient's pain
- Notice and respond effectively to critical changes in vital signs or observable symptoms (e.g. assess appropriate course of action when patient’s temperature is elevated)
Cognition – metacognition
Awareness of own thinking, and skills to reflect, evaluate, adapt and implement new cognitive strategies for improved learning.
Rationale
Understanding and ongoing learning about oneself as an instrument in early childhood is required for safe and effective delivery of practice.
Examples
- Ability to apply knowledge in practical and theoretical assessment settings
- Ability to appropriately apply knowledge of theory, research evidence, policies and procedures in a clinical setting
- Manage multiple tasks and priorities in dynamic and time-sensitive environments
This includes both writing and reading, and is also linked to English language proficiency (literacy requirements are always established in terms of English). NB For VE, literacy requirements are based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Examples include:
- Capacity to comprehend, summarise and reference a range of literature in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments
- Producing clear, accurate documentation relating to practical tasks
Rationale
Information relating to each individual child in an education and care setting can be delivered by many different modes and competent literacy skills for these are essential to provide appropriate, safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Comprehend, summarise and reference a range of documents in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments
- Interpret written and spoken language to enact verbal directions or documented patient care plans
- Produce accurate, concise and clear patient documentation that meets legal requirements
This includes any form of numeracy required to complete the course successfully. For many courses, this will be basic functional numeracy. NB For VE, numeracy requirements are based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Examples include
- Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts
- Ability to perform basic mathematical tasks
Rationale
Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts such as time and measurements are essential for safe and effective care/practice.
Examples
- Accurately calculate drug dosages following Non-Emergency Patient Transport Clinical Practice Protocols, within a time-constrained environment
- Obtain and document patient vital signs (e.g. body temperature, heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure)
- Calculate appropriate joules for manual defibrillation based on patient weight
- Calculate the percentage of body surface area affected in a patient with burns
- Read and interpret electrocardiograms
This includes verbal, non-verbal and written communication. Examples include:
- Verbal communication in English to a standard that allows fluid, clear, and comprehensible two-way discussions
- Ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues, to communicate with congruent and respectful non-verbal behaviour, and to be sensitive to individual and/or cultural variations in non-verbal communication
- Ability to produce English text to the expected standard (NB This is a skill that may be developed throughout a course, and should be identified as such in any inherent requirements statement)
Communication – verbal
Verbal communication in English to a standard that allows fluid, clear, and comprehensible two-way discussions, tailored to the local English-speaking audiences.
Rationale
Effective verbal communication, in English, with families/children and University and service educators is required for effective learning and to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Communicate in English to allow clear and fluid two-way discussion
- Participate in class discussions and practice verbal communication skills during practical classes
- Build rapport and respond appropriately to requests from patients, supervisors, and other health professionals in the clinical setting in a time-constrained environment
- Convey complex clinical information to health professionals, patients and their families
Communication - non-verbal
Non-verbal communication skills that enable respectful communication with others.
Rationale
The ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues, to communicate with congruent and respectful non-verbal behaviour, and to be sensitive to individual and/or cultural variations in non-verbal communication is essential for safe and effective care.
Examples
- Recognise and respond to non-verbal cues, such as facial expression, appearance, behaviour, posture, or movement in both academic and clinical settings
- Deliver information to a patient incorporating appropriating non verbal cues
Communication – written
Ability to produce English text to a standard that provides clear and professional-level communication, with language usage and style tailored to the targeted recipients.
Rationale
Effective communication in English text is required to demonstrate applied skills in academic writing conventions and in sustained and organised academic argument and provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.
Examples
- Tailor written communication style to suit various formats and data
- Summarise and reference a range of documents in written assignments
- Use appropriate language to contribute to both handwritten and electronic medical records in a time-constrained environment
This includes visual, auditory and tactile capacity. NB Care must be taken to not prescribe any sensory ability as an inherent requirement if the student might be able to achieve the desired result with the use of one or more adjustments. Examples include:
- Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments
- Ability to interact with auditory inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments
- Ability to respond to tactile input and provide appropriate tactile interaction
Sensory ability - visual
Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale
Elements in the working and learning environment are delivered by visual means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Recognise subtle changes in a patient’s skin colour during an examination
- Determine respiratory rate by observing how many times the patient’s chest rises per minute
- Work safely in poorly lit areas and at night during placements
- Observe, identify and eliminate dangers and hazards in class and placement environment
Sensory ability – auditory
Ability to interact with auditory inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale
Elements in the learning and working environments are delivered by auditory means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Listen to instructions and oral feedback from multiple sources (e.g. patients, students and health professionals)
- React to safety alarms and alerts from cardiac monitors
- Use auscultation to undertake blood pressure measurements and respiratory assessment
- Participate in verbal discussions with colleagues for patient care decisions
Sensory ability – tactile
Ability to respond to tactile input and provide tactile interaction.
Rationale
Elements in the learning and working environment are detected and measured by tactile means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to provide safe and effective practice. The appropriate use of touch as a part of effective care is also required.
Examples
- Detect changes in circulatory observations through touch and palpation (e.g. temperature of extremities, skin moisture and pulse palpation)
- Use touch to conduct a physical assessment of joints, muscles and tissues to identify anatomical or physiological abnormalities
- Provide patient care through appropriate and reassuring touch
This includes both gross and fine motor ability. NB Care must be taken to not prescribe any motor ability as an inherent requirement if the student might be able to achieve the desired result with the use of one or more adjustments. Examples include
- Strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to meet the requirements of the study, including placements included in the course
- Manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to meet the requirements of the study, including placements included in the course
Motor ability – gross
Strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility.
Rationale
A wide range of physical actions in a busy environment are required for safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Maintain balance while safely mobilising and transferring patients or resources
- Use coordination, strength, and adaptability to assist patients with varying physical capacities to move between and from beds, chairs, and standing positions in a variety of environments
- Instigate and contribute to advanced life support
- Move efficiently around patients, out-of-hospital environments, and within a non-emergency transport vehicle, while adopting to varying surfaces and levels to complete tasks within timeframes
Motor ability – fine
Manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
Rationale
A wide range of fine-motor manual tasks in a time-constrained environment are required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Connect patients to monitoring equipment and record events
- Perform treatment techniques (e.g. suctioning, intramuscular injections, wound care)
- Draw up medication into a syringe accurately
- Open sterile packaging without contaminating content
- Prepare patient care documentation
- Gather patient information through percussion or palpation
This includes a person's ability to sustain their performance in a given activity or series of activities over time. Care must be taken to not prescribe sustained performance in a way that allows no room for temporary changes to performance levels due to illness or other factors. Examples include:
Ability to sustain a working posture, associated manual tasks, cognitive engagement, performance level and emotional control for the full duration of any task required as part of the course or any placement
Rationale
A range of complex, multi-component or extended early childhood tasks carried out over a period of time and in busy environments is required to provide safe and effective practice.
Examples
- Maintain focus for the duration of clinical placement
- Sustain physical performance throughout an entire shift
- Manage workload to engage with course and placement requirements within timeframes
- Ability to maintain posture, perform manual tasks, stay cognitively engaged, and regulate emotions throughout tasks required by the course or placement
This includes the personal flexibility and resilience required to adapt behaviour to different situations, even when they are stressful or difficult. NB Care must be taken to allow room in the inherent requirements for the individual to demonstrate behavioural adaptability through withdrawing from activities for a time to undertake medical interventions and self-care measures. Examples include
- Ability to adjust ways of working to work within teams of varied personal and professional backgrounds
- Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
- Maintaining respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads
- Adjusting to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care
Rationale
Behavioural adaptation is required to manage personal emotional responses as an individual and within teams in changing and unpredictable early childhood environments and practice self-care.
Examples
- Reflect on practice and be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback
- Cope with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with changing responses of individuals in the clinical setting
- Maintain respectful communication while under increased stress
- Adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining self-care and professional focus
If you remain interested or engaged in the course, you should discuss your concerns with the college staff such as the Course Chair as soon as possible.
If the challenges are related to your disability or health condition contact Accessibility Services to discuss possible strategies and reasonable adjustments.