HLTAHW003
Provide basic health information to clients


Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required by a new worker in primary health care to deliver clear instructions and basic healthy lifestyle information to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients. The unit includes basic information on nutrition and environmental health and basic information to support implementation of a client’s health care plan.

This unit applies to all staff providing support to the delivery of primary health care. All work tasks are to be performed under supervision.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements define the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Clarify client needs for health information

1.1 Use communication skills appropriate to individual clients and/or significant others to gain information about the client’s specific basic health issues and needs

1.2 Consider cultural practices and beliefs when clarifying information needs of the client

1.3 Use principles of confidentiality to communicate findings about client information needs to appropriate staff

1.4 Gain information from health service providers to pass on to the client and/or significant other and clarify as required

1.5 Accurately record all information about the client as required by organisational standards

2. Provide basic health information to client

2.1 Use effective communication skills to deliver relevant health information to the client in line with client, community, organisation and legislative requirements

2.2 Provide basic information about healthy lifestyle, including nutrition and environmental health factors

2.3 Provide basic information to support individual health care plan

2.4 Provide information to support a self-care approach

3. Assist in the evaluation of health information provision

3.1 Consult client and/or community about effectiveness of health information

3.2 Seek feedback to determine how well health information has been understood

3.3 Provide feedback to supervisor and appropriate personnel

Evidence of Performance

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:

provided basic health information to at least three Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients by:

- gaining and clarifying each client’s health information requirements in a culturally sensitive manner

- providing basic health information specific to the needs of each client, including information on:

o nutrition and environmental health

o individual health care planning

o self-care and management approaches

- getting feedback from each client on the services received

- providing feedback to relevant personnel regarding the effectiveness of health information.


Evidence of Knowledge

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 under supervision.

This includes basic knowledge of:

major body systems, organs and their functions, including:

- cardiovascular system (including heart, arteries and veins)

- respiratory system (including lungs, nose, mouth, throat)

- senses (including sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and equilibrium)

- skin and integumentary system (including skin layers, hair and nails)

- digestive and gastrointestinal system (including stomach, intestines, bowel)

- nervous system (including brain and nerves)

- circulatory system (including arteries and veins)

- genitourinary system (including male and female genital and reproductive systems)

- endocrine system (including glands and hormones)

- musculoskeletal system (skull, skeleton, muscles, body tissue)

factors contributing to healthy lifestyles including:

- nutrition

- exercise and activity

- alcohol consumption

- smoking

- use and abuse of prescribed and illicit drugs

- healthy weight range

- environmental factors

- mental, social and emotional health and wellbeing

processes to prevent infection and chronic diseases

community health issues

health care plans

organisational standards, policies and procedures.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated working:

in a health service or centre

under supervision, as part of a primary health care team

with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.

In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.

Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:

an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker

or:

accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.


Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.

Reading

in order to interpret key information in health documentation

Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.