Application
This unit describes the required skills and knowledge to provide information and support around breast cancer, including breast awareness and early detection, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care, as part of primary health care services for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.
The unit applies to those Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers providing a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
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 Elements define the essential outcomes | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Promote awareness and early detection of breast cancer | 1.1 Identify community and individual client needs in determining priorities for promotion of breast awareness and early detection of breast cancer 1.2 Provide accurate clinical information about the nature of breast cancer, including the definition and signs and symptoms 1.3 Give clients accurate information on incidence, survival and mortality rates of breast cancer in relation to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities 1.4 Discuss risk factors relating to breast cancer in the context of cultural, community, family and individual issues 1.5 Explain practices for early detection of breast cancer 1.6 Provide information and practical advice relating to modifiable risk factors of developing breast cancer |
2. Provide information and support to clients being investigated for a breast cancer symptom | 2.1 Equip clients with an overview of investigation methods and diagnostic tests for breast cancer 2.2 Provide information about own service and role to other organisations 2.3 Facilitate communication between services to optimise service delivery |
3. Provide information and support to clients being treated for breast cancer | 3.1 Provide information and current evidence regarding breast cancer treatments 3.2 Promote the exchange of information about care needs and positive multidisciplinary clinical partnerships in planning and implementing breast cancer care 3.3 Collaborate with clients, their family/significant others and the multidisciplinary team in planning and implementing care to meet the multiple health and support needs of clients 3.4 Provide appropriate information and resources on supportive care, and facilitate access to health services and community resources which provide such care |
4. Provide information and support to clients to complete breast cancer follow-up care | 4.1 Provide information to clients on follow-up care in relation to the breast cancer journey 4.2 Collaborate with clients, their family/significant others and the multidisciplinary team in planning and implementing follow-up care 4.3 Identify barriers to accessing treatment for cancer in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women 4.4 Provide information on key psychosocial issues facing Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women with cancer 4.5 Use basic, culturally appropriate communication skills to support women being treated for breast cancer 4.6 Identify patients at higher risk of psychosocial distress who may benefit from additional assessment and appropriate referral for psychosocial care 4.7 Provide continuity of care for the patient, communicating regularly and collaboratively with the multidisciplinary health care team |
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 support to at least three different women diagnosed with breast cancer by offering:
- advice about available treatment
- information about further diagnostic tests and investigation techniques
- explanation of available services and their roles
- support to clients undergoing breast cancer treatment, including assistance with:
o information regarding different treatment options
o liaison with other services to ensure appropriate exchange of client information
o care plans and their implementation
o identifying and addressing barriers to receiving treatment
o access to support services for the client and their families
- follow-up with clients and identification of psychosocial issues, referring as required
- a collaborative approach to working with the multidisciplinary health care team to support client needs
communicated effectively and in a culturally safe and appropriate manner to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women to promote community awareness of and current information about breast cancer and its signs and symptoms and risk factors. This must occur on at least one occasion in a group environment.
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.
This includes knowledge of:
early signs and symptoms of breast cancer
risk factors of early breast cancer
early detection breast cancer strategies such as:
- breast awareness
- mammography screening every two years
statistical incidence, survival and mortality rates of breast cancer in the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population compared to the whole Australian population
definition of breast cancer, including:
- Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
- early breast cancer
- secondary breast cancer
healthy lifestyle strategies to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer
the three diagnostic components (also known as triple test) of early breast cancer which are:
- medical history and clinical breast examination
- imaging-mammography and/or ultrasound
- biopsy
treatments for early breast cancer, including the aim of treatment, duration and side-effects, including:
- chemotherapy
- hormonal therapy
- radiotherapy
- surgery (mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery)
- targeted therapy
the key psychosocial issues for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer, including:
- emotional
- psychological
- physical
- practical
agencies able to provide support and assistance to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated working:
in a health service or centre
as part of a multidisciplinary 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. | ||
Learning | in order to locate, evaluate and organise information to suit intended audience and purpose | |
Numeracy | in order to interpret, calculate and express the level of incidence of cancer using ratios and percentages | |
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.