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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes.
2. Assess the emergency
   • Identify factors which determine the event is an emergency
   • Seek information about the emergency from key people and the community, as time permits
   • Determine needs of the community and/or community members, in consultation with key people and the community, as time permits
3. Identify existing relevant emergency action plans
   • Locate organisational protocols, procedures and plans for responding to emergencies
   • Identify strategies for responding to emergencies with the primary health care team
4. Identify own and others’ roles in implementing the emergency action plan
   • Identify own roles and responsibilities and how it supports the roles of others in the primary health care team or externally
   • Identify and contact the emergency action plan coordinator as required
   • Identify and contact other workers with responsibilities for responding to the emergency as required
5. Implement the emergency action plan
   • Undertake work according to the strategy for responding to the emergency in line with organisation, community and legislative requirements
   • Provide key people and the community with progress reports, as time and client confidentiality permits
   • Maintain client and community confidentiality
6. Follow-up emergency
   • Monitor and review the emergency, in consultation with key people
   • Identify follow-up services and provide in line with community needs and workers’ responsibilities
7. Provide feedback on the emergency action plan
   • Provide feedback about the effectiveness of the emergency action plan to key people
   • Suggest ways to improve the emergency action plan, if appropriate
   • Identify and use opportunities for debriefing following emergencies as required
8. Identify own and others’ roles in implementing the emergency action plan
   • Identify own roles and responsibilities and how it supports the roles of others in the primary health care team or externally
   • Identify and contact the emergency action plan coordinator as required
   • Identify and contact other workers with responsibilities for responding to the emergency as required

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.

There must be evidence that the candidate has:

participated in workplace practice drills for each of the following emergency situations:

- fire

- bomb threat

contributed to the planning of at least one emergency response as a member of a primary health care team by:

- identifying conditions and factors contributing to an emergency situation

- accessing existing emergency plans, procedures and protocols relevant to different emergency situations

- identifying scope of own role in contributing to an emergency response

- identifying possible actions for particular emergencies

- determining appropriate means of communication in the event of an emergency and alternatives if required

- identifying relevant personnel and authorities to contact in the event of an emergency

- identifying follow-up measures once emergency situation has been handled.

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role.

This includes knowledge of:

- organisation policies and procedures and legislation or regulations relating to:

- client confidentiality

- referral, including various levels of urgency, and follow-up of client

- mandatory reporting

- notifiable communicable diseases

- limits of own ability and authority

- reporting procedures

- documentation

- relevant organisation policies, protocols and procedures relating to emergencies, including definition of emergency situations

- organisational and community meeting points for emergency situations

- potential emergency situations including:

o violence from individuals or groups

o hazardous environmental incidents

o car and other vehicle accidents

o plane crashes

o mining accidents

o epidemic diseases

o fire, floods, extreme weather, earthquakes and other natural disasters

o bomb threats

o any other situations which require an urgent response

- local disaster planning processes

- immediate actions to deal with the emergency, including:

o evacuation from affected area

o sheltering in a safe location

o medical treatment

o raising awareness (both within and externally) of the emergency faced by the community

o securing a particular area within an organisation or community

o removal of individuals or groups from an area

- strategies to deal with ongoing impact of the emergency, including:

- counselling

- community trauma responses

- provision of resources and services

- debriefing

- community ceremonies

- implementing actions requested by the community council

- employee assistance programs

- roles and responsibilities as defined by the emergency action plan

- emergency response agencies at local, state, territory or federal level

- community views, considerations and directions on responding to emergencies

- cultural and community specific information

- locations and facilities of suitable and/or alternative venues to provide emergency responses

- communication means during emergency procedures and contingency back-ups.

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