This Unit applies to a veterinary nurse working under supervision of a veterinarian in a veterinary clinic or similar practice. 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.
Nil.
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Communicate with local community groups | 1.1. Suitable target groups and group leaders are identified and their interest in educational programs established. 1.2. Meetings with principal community groups are organised and conducted. 1.3. Reciprocal benefits and objectives are determined and recorded. 1.4. Action plans are developed and meetings are scheduled. |
2. Prepare animal care education material | 2.1. Information on existing community animal care education programs is obtained and relevancy is assessed in consultation with the target group. 2.2. Communication methods and materials for delivery, including relevant workplace health and safety requirements, are designed. 2.3. Associated industry groups are contacted and the provision of resources is discussed. 2.4. Materials for program delivery are prepared in consultation with the relevant parties. |
3. Deliver and review animal care education programs | 3.1. Animal care education programs are provided to community groups in accordance with developed schedules. 3.2. Animal care outcomes achieved through the delivery of relevant education programs are reviewed and delivery policies are adjusted as required. |
Required skills |
Ability to: critically evaluate and report on animal care education programs relate to and communicate with the full range of community partners use literacy skills to read, select and implement policies and procedures, including workplace health and safety, infection control and other clinic policies and procedures; coordinate patient admission and discharge; implement sequenced written instructions; and record patient details accurately and legibly use written skills to prepare animal care education programs use oral communication skills/language required to fulfil the job role as specified by the clinic, including negotiating and questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from community members, and acknowledging and responding to a range of views use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures use interpersonal skills to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities use problem-solving skills to use available resources and present animal care information in a format appropriate to an audience. |
Required knowledge |
Knowledge of: animal care needs animal nutrition and health existing animal education programs instructional design principles local demographics teaching strategies. |
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 competency 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: establish community needs and interest in educational programs develop an action plan and meeting schedule gather information and develop materials for the program develop, deliver and evaluate relevant programs within the local community communicate effectively with clients and employers. The skills and knowledge required to prepare, deliver and review animal care education programs 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 for this Unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a veterinary practice or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. There must be access in either situation to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence. |
Method of assessment | To ensure consistency of performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances 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 simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions third-party evidence workplace documentation eg. education program materials 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. | |
Community groups may include: | facilities for the elderly dog obedience groups or clubs dog and cat breed support groups local government authorities production animal support groups schools. |
Existing animal care education programs may include: | Cats in Schools Dogs 'n' Kids Pets and People Education Program (PetPEP) Safe Pets Out There (SPOT). |
Workplace health and safety risks associated with dealing with animals include: | animal bites, kicks or scratches manual handling and shift loading release of infective agents (animal and human) zoonoses. |
Education programs may include: | activity sheets brochures endorsed pet care products overhead slides videos written notes. |
Veterinary nursing
This Unit contains employability skills.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this Unit. Therefore, it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this Unit.