The unit has been specifically developed for animal technicians working in research and teaching facilities that require transgenic laboratory animals for scientific purposes where it may be necessary to monitor natural birth or perform caesarean sections and rear offspring for transgenic programs. Animal technicians performing surgery on animals operate under and must comply with the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, relevant state/territory legislative requirements as well as protocols, policies and procedures set down by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) within their institution.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.

Note: Scientific purposes refers to 'all those activities that require approval from an Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) and are performed to acquire, develop or demonstrate knowledge of techniques in any scientific discipline, including activities for the purposes of teaching, field trips, environmental studies, research, diagnosis, product testing and the production of biological products'.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Prepare for procedures and maintain documentation

1.1. Institutional policies, procedures and protocols as set down by the AEC and relevantlegislative requirements, including occupational health and safety (OHS), are complied with at all times

1.2. Regulatory and project documentation requirements are identified.

1.3. Project reproductive and breeding program objectives are verified.

1.4. Records are revised, reviewed, maintained and updated in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.

2. Monitor natural birth of transgenic offspring

2.1. Signs of parturition are identified.

2.2. Birth is monitored and decision is made to foster pups or leave with birth mother depending on project requirements and mother and offspring reactions.

2.3. Mother and offspring are housed and monitored to minimise stress to animals.

3. Perform caesarean procedures

3.1. Need for caesarean section is justified and AEC approval verified.

3.2. Equipment, including personal protective equipment and medications, are prepared.

3.3. Female is euthanased by cervical dislocation or sedated and euthanased.

3.4. Caesarean procedure is conducted.

3.5. Pups are collected, identified, checked and monitored.

3.6. Birth mother is euthanased (if not previously) and carcass disposed of in accordance with legislative requirements.

4. Foster pups onto clean mother

4.1. Clean or dirty status of the mother is verified and handling and treatment areas of each group are separated according to biosecurity requirements

4.2. Foster mother is selected and prepared prior to caesarean surgery of birth mother.

4.3. Area for fostering is selected and prepared to ensure minimal stress to foster mother and pups.

4.4. Pups are allocated to foster mother and bonding monitored.

Required skills

apply animal care and ethics committee classification system to determine procedures that require approval

calculate dosage, administer drugs, including anaesthetic, and monitor response in accordance with project protocols and workplace standards

check animals' physical condition vital signs and monitor for signs of progress or deterioration in condition or health of animals

employ safe and environmentally responsible organisational systems and procedures when handling animals, materials and equipment

identify sex, age, reproductive and parturition status of male and female animals

maintain the highest standards of hygiene and infection control at all times to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection

prepare and maintain appropriate records relevant to breeding and technical procedures using relevant institutional electronic and/or manual systems

prepare and use equipment and materials correctly and in accordance with manufacturers' specifications

literacy skills to read, interpret and apply institution policies and procedures, including OHS, infection control, containment and exclusion and waste management; critically analyse material and record information collected accurately and legibly

oral communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the institution, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and consulting with or seeking advice from research group team members, senior or more experienced staff or other relevant persons

numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine and more complex workplace measures

se interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities

problem-solving skills to use available information and resources including recording information and prioritise daily tasks.

use personal protective clothing and equipment correctly

use safe manual handling techniques and/or equipment

use safe waste handling and disposal procedures.

Required knowledge

anatomical and physiological terminology and glossary of terms

anatomical structures and physiological features of mice and rats related to the reproductive system and parturition

aseptic techniques

biosecurity requirements for clean and dirty status handling and treatment areas

common diseases, ailments, injuries and other impacts on animal health and wellbeing and characteristics of healthy, sick or distressed animals

communication procedures and systems, and technology relevant to the institution and the individual's work responsibilities

comprehensive understanding of genetics, including principles, common terminology and nomenclature

equipment and drugs commonly used for euthanasia

institutional policies and safe work procedures, including OHS and emergency procedures

methods used to perform caesarean procedures in mice and rats

mouse and rat breeding procedures and their species specific requirements

principles of animal welfare and ethics

relevant codes of practice, including the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes

relevant state or territory legislation and regulations relating to the practice of veterinary science, OHS and animal welfare and research, including the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator

relevant state or territory legislation covering the use of therapeutic and controlled substances

reproductive cycles

techniques used to start the breathing process in pups

techniques used to foster pups onto foster mothers

workplace hygiene standards, disinfectants, cleaning agents, cleaning techniques and cleaning equipment and materials.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

prepare for procedures in accordance with institutional policies and procedures, including AEC and legislative requirements

monitor parturition stages of natural births and monitor pups

plan and conduct caesarean section on full-term pregnant mice or rats

foster pups onto clean mothers and monitor acceptance

review, revise, maintain and update records in accordance with regulatory and project documentation requirements.

The skills and knowledge required to manage the parturition of transgenic mice or rats must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an animal research facility or an environment that reproduces normal work conditions that has a scientific establishment licence and access to an approved AEC.

There must be access to a range of research animals and the relevant information, materials and documentation to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than two occasions over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks

practical simulation exercises that reproduce normal breeding work-related conditions

case study analysis

third-party evidence

workplace documentation

portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Institutional policies and procedures may include:

institution's quality assurance manual and procedures:

biosecurity

breeding processes

OHS

recycling and re-use guidelines

restraint, handling, euthanasing and disposal of animals

safe handling, storage and thawing of frozen genetic material

standard operating procedures

use, storage and transport of equipment and drugs used during procedures

waste disposal

project objectives and production schedules.

Procedures that require AEC approval may include:

cloning

creation of transgenic, knock in and knockout lines

random mutagenesis

surgical procedures

any other procedure that may impact on the animal's health and wellbeing.

Relevant legislative requirements may include:

Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes

Federal Gene Technology Act 2000

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines

relevant state or territory legislation and regulations, such as those relating to:

animal research

animal welfare

prevention of cruelty to animals

quarantine

the practice of veterinary surgery

the administration and storage of therapeutic and controlled substances.

OHS risks associated with animal technician procedures include:

animal bites, kicks or scratches

biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal

handling of chemicals and medicines

gas leakage

inhalation of aerosol particles

intraocular contamination

manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting

needle pricks and cuts from other sharps

release of infective agents (animal and human)

scalds and burns from sterilising and cleaning equipment

zoonoses.

Breeding program may include:

information about:

the number of breeders required

selection criteria for breeders and retiring breeders

breeding system to be used:

inbred

outbred

backcross

fostering requirements and identification system to be used

record systems to be used (e.g. computer, cards and books)

data to be collected about:

production rates

parent information

generation development (e.g. litter numbers, numbers born and sex ratios)

sex and weaning rate.

Signs of parturition may include:

bleeding and discharge

box presentation

grooming

isolation

nest building

restlessness.

Equipment required for caesarean procedures may include:

anaesthetic equipment and supplies:

anaesthetic machines

anaesthetic trolleys

filters

gas cylinders

incubators

masks

re-breathing bags

soda lime and canisters

scavenging systems

tubes

vaporisers

surgical instruments and equipment:

cautery

forceps

needles

needle holders

resection clamps

scalpels

scissors

sutures.

Personal protective equipment may include:

appropriate footwear

optical aids

surgical gowns, caps, masks, boots and gloves

theatre clothing.

Medications may include:

anaesthesia agents:

isoflurane

ketamine

ketamine combination anaesthesia

methoxyflurane.

Clean or dirty status assessment may consider:

establishing an aseptic animal and room environment

preparation techniques

workplace hygiene standards:

cleaning agents and techniques

cleaning equipment and materials

disinfectants.

Preparation of foster mother may include:

consideration of:

environment

housing and bedding

strain qualities and benefits

temperament.

Area for fostering assessment may consider:

bedding conditions and qualities

chemicals

environmental conditions and impact of particular changes to environment

housing.

Unit sector

Animal technology

This unit contains employability skills.