The application of this unit in the workplace - the environments, complexities and situations involved - will be written during Phase II of the Review of the PUA00 Public Safety Training Package.

This text will be useful for the purposes of job descriptions, recruitment advice or job analysis; where possible, it will not be too job specific to allow other industries to import it into other Training Packages, where feasible.

Prerequisite Unit/s

PUAEME001B Provide emergency care

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Assess casualty and develop management plan

1.1 Assessment of casualty is undertaken including vital signs, details of incident, medical/casualty history, physical appearance and other signs and symptoms

1.2 Management plan is developed taking into account available equipment, condition of patient and special requirements of certain conditions

1.3 Where possible casualty is assisted to a comfortable position suitable for implementation of management plan

1.4 Casualty is encouraged and reassured as necessary to facilitate effective treatment

1.5 Medical aid is arranged as soon as possible consistent with maintaining casualty safety

2. Check equipment

2.1 Pre-use check of safety and potential effectiveness of equipment is undertaken in accordance with operating procedures, Australian standards and regulatory requirements

2.2 Minor faults are diagnosed and repairs are carried out in accordance with organisation procedures to restore equipment to working order

2.3 Faults and defects are reported/recorded according to organisational procedures

3. Maintain unobstructed airway

3.1 Airway is cleared and maintained using non-intervention techniques where possible

3.2 Appropriate steps are taken to reduce risk to self or others of contamination by the casualty's body fluids

3.3 Where carried, suction apparatus is safely inserted into pharynx and suction initiated using approved techniques to avoid injuring casualty

4. Resuscitate casualty

4.1 Where appropriate face masks and other barriers are used according to ARC standards

5. Use oxygen to provide therapy

5.1 Where indicated, oxygen therapy is used in the ventilation of casualty

6. Recover and restore equipment

6.1 Equipment is cleaned, and discarded or disinfected, restocked and/or replenished and stored safely according to organisation procedures

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Required Skills

determining oxygen pressure and volume content of cylinders

reading oxygen content gauges

use of resuscitation equipment

Required Knowledge

air passages

Australian Resuscitation Council standards

Australian Standards relevant to resuscitation equipment

causes of hypoxia and hypoxic hypoxia

correct use of oxygen cylinders and devices

disease and chronic airways lesions (COAD/CAL)

estimation of duration of oxygen supply

importance of oxygen to the body

indicators of obstructed breathing

lower airways diseases

management of COAD/CAL casualties

possible causes of hypoventilation

precautions for safe storage and handling of oxygen cylinders

principles of operation and troubleshooting

respiratory systemlungs

resuscitation and kitsspecifications

significance of respiratory noises

signs and symptoms of chronic obstructed airways

techniques for maintenance of unobstructed airway

the mechanism of respiration

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

Use of oxygen equipment in accordance with relevant standards and guidelines

Consistency in performance

Evidence will need to be gathered over time across a range of variables

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Context of assessment

On the job or in a simulated work environment

Specific resources for assessment

determining oxygen pressure and volume content of cylinders

reading oxygen content gauges

use of resuscitation equipment

Guidance information for assessment

Information that will assist or guide assessment will be written during Phase II of the Review of the PUA00 Public Safety Training Package.

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 in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.

Advanced techniques for management of administration of oxygen and/or ventilation of the lungs are

oxygen therapy, ventilation of the lungs by expired air resuscitation without oxygen added using ancillary device

ventilation with ambient air by an operator powered resuscitationbag

valve or mask

ventilation by an oxygen powered resuscitator

Oxygen equipment is

equipment which is used for storage and delivery of oxygen for medical purposes

Resuscitation may be performed on

adults

small children under eight years

newborn babies or infants

Regulatory requirements may include

Australian Resuscitation Council

relevant State and Territory regulatory bodies

Reporting/recording faults and damage may include

verbal

filling out and processing standard form

Pre-use check may include

checking existence of suitable prominent warnings about precautions to be observed

checking for damage

to replenish and/or restore

Barriers may include

facemasks

unidirectional valves

bidirectional valves

filters

Non-intervention techniques for maintenance of unobstructed airway may include

head tilt

jaw support

jaw thrust

Inserted into pharynx

no further than the back teeth

This unit contains employability skills.