Application
This unit describes the nursing skills and knowledge required to work in a primary health care environment including community-based, educational, occupational and informal settings, and in general practice.
Primary health care involves a person-centred and holistic approach to health care. It is made accessible to people by being located as close as possible to where they live, and supporting their full participation in a spirit of self-reliance and self-determination.
This unit applies to enrolled nursing work carried out in consultation and collaboration with registered nurses and under supervisory arrangements aligned to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia regulatory authority legislative requirements.
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 required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. |
1. Work as part of an interdisciplinary health care team in a primary health care environment | 1.1 Apply principles of primary health care and work within the philosophical framework supporting primary health care system 1.2 Identify the primary health care service model and the roles and professional expertise of various members of the interdisciplinary health care team 1.3 Undertake effective decision-making and initiate action based on results of clinical assessment and in collaboration with various members of the interdisciplinary health care team |
2. Recognise impact of a health problem on a person in the primary health care environment | 2.1 Define health issues for the community or target group of the primary health care service, and reflect this knowledge in own work 2.2 Recognise clinical manifestations of health conditions affecting the health status of the person requiring primary health care 2.3 Review the person’s records to determine priorities and potential areas of risk for implementation of primary health care 2.4 Discuss information gained from assessment of the person with appropriate members of the interdisciplinary health care team 2.5 Discuss the physical, psychological and social impacts of a health problem on daily living activities with the person and, with the person’s consent, with family or carer 2.6 Identify actual or potential environmental health issues impacting the person requiring primary health care in consultation and collaboration with the registered nurse |
3. Provide health education and health promotion for illness prevention | 3.1 Identify health literacy issues that potentially inhibit the person’s capacity to access, understand, evaluate and communicate information to maintain and improve their health 3.2 Adopt strategies to support the person’s capacity to gain and understand information 3.3 Support the person to engage in illness prevention through health promotion programs to meet the person’s needs 3.4 Contribute to health policy in the primary health care environment and participate in health education programs for the person and community groups |
4. Perform nursing interventions that support a person’s health care needs | 4.1 Ensure nursing interventions reflect the person’s needs and individuality including considering cultural, religious, age and gender issues and the person’s physical, psychological and social needs 4.2 Implement nursing interventions using respectful practices that also support the person’s dignity and privacy 4.3 Encourage the person, family or carer to assist with the person’s self-care care as appropriate 4.4 Plan and adjust nursing interventions to assist the person to meet their daily living activities 4.5 Identify and prioritise nursing interventions according to the person’s needs 4.6 Initiate appropriate first aid and other emergency treatment according to organisation policy and procedure |
5. Evaluate outcomes of planned primary health care and promote suitable resources | 5.1 Monitor, evaluate and document the person’s response to nursing interventions and their progress toward primary health goals, and report findings to relevant interdisciplinary health care team 5.2 Identify community and other resources to match the person’s needs, and provide the person, family or carer with information on available resources and how to access them |
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:
undertaken nursing work in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia professional practice standards, codes and guidelines
analysed health information and the clinical presentation of 1 person in the workplace to reach a substantiated conclusion about possible nursing interventions related to their primary health care needs, in consultation with a registered nurse
reviewed and updated a plan of care for 1 person to address their specific primary health care needs.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
health challenges facing Australian communities
environmental health issues facing Australian communities
philosophy underpinning primary health care
care of a confused person
care of a person with dementia
emergency and first aid management of conditions and injuries
age specific health issues for infants, children, adolescents, adults and older people
community and in-hospital resources and services available for medical conditions
critical thinking and problem-solving strategies
evidence-based practice
health, including the illness continuum
literature and professional bodies associated with primary health care management
variety of forms of service delivery models including preventative, curative and rehabilitative.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment as specified in the performance evidence. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources in line with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council’s Standards including:
clinic room for the purpose of assessment
progressive notes of a person’s medical history, de-identified for simulation
organisation policy and procedures on which the candidate bases the planning
modelling of industry operating conditions including access to real people for simulations and scenarios in enrolled nursing work.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
In addition, hold current registration as a Registered Nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.