Unit of competency

Modification History

Not applicable.

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to infants, children and adults.

The unit applies to educators and support staff working within an education and care setting who are required to respond to a first aid emergency, including asthmatic and anaphylactic emergencies.

This unit of competency may contribute towards approved first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training under the Education and Care Services National Law, and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (2011).

Specific licensing requirements, including requirements for refresher training, should be obtained from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and/or relevant state/territory Work Health and Safety Regulatory Authority.

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. Respond to an emergency situation	1.1	Recognise an emergency situation
	1.2	Identify, assess and minimise immediate hazards to health and safety of self and others
	1.3	Assess the casualty and recognise the need for first aid response
	1.4	Assess the situation and seek assistance from emergency response services
2. Apply appropriate emergency first aid procedures	2.1	Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
	2.2	Provide first aid in accordance with established first aid principles
	2.3	Ensure casualty feels safe, secure and supported
	2.4	Obtain consent from casualty, caregiver, registered medical practitioners or medical emergency services where possible
	2.5	Use available resources and equipment to make the casualty as comfortable as possible
	2.6	Operate first aid equipment according to manufacturer’s instructions
	2.8	Monitor the casualty’s condition and respond in accordance with first aid principles
3. Communicate details of the incident	3.1	Accurately convey details of the incident to emergency response services where required
	3.2	Report details of incident to supervisor
	3.3	Complete relevant workplace documentation, including incident report form
	3.4	Complete relevant workplace documentation, including incident report form
	3.5	Follow workplace procedures to report serious incidents to the regulatory authority
	3.6	Maintain confidentiality of records and information in line with statutory and/or organisational policies
4. Reflect on incident and own performance	4.1	Recognise the possible psychological impacts on self, other rescuers and children
	4.2	Talk with children about their emotions and responses to events
	4.3	Participate in debriefing with supervisor

Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills described those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Oral communication – in order to make an accurate verbal report to supervisor and emergency response services Written communication – in order to complete a written incident report in line with organisational policies The remaining foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.

Unit Mapping Information

No equivalent unit.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ced1390f-48d9-4ab0-bd50-b015e5485705

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Not applicable.

Performance Evidence

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 demonstrated evidence that the candidate has completed the following tasks at least once in line with state/territory regulations, first aid codes of practice, ARC guidelines and workplace procedures:

located and interpreted workplace policies and procedures

conducted a hazard assessment and identified strategies to minimise risk

demonstrated safe manual handling techniques

assessed airway, breathing and responsiveness of casualty

performed at least four minutes of uninterrupted CPR on an infant, a child and an adult resuscitation manikin placed on the floor, demonstrating the following techniques on each:

checking for response and normal breathing

recognising abnormal breathing

opening and clearing the airway

using correct hand location, compression depth rate in line with the ARC recommended ratio of compressions and ventilations

acting in the event of regurgitation or vomiting

following single rescuer procedure, including the demonstration of a rotation of operators with minimal interruptions to compressions

followed prompts of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

conducted a verbal secondary survey

Applied first aid procedures for the following:

allergic reactions

anaphylaxis

asthma

basic wound care

severe bleeding

burns

cardiac arrest

choking and airway obstruction

convulsions, including febrile convulsions

envenomation (using pressure immobilisation)

epilepsy and seizures

fractures, sprains and strains (using arm slings, roller bandages or other appropriate immobilisation techniques)

head injuries

poisoning

respiratory distress

shock

followed workplace procedures for reporting details of the incident, including:

providing an accurate verbal report of the incident

completing an incident, injury, trauma and illness record

responded to at least three simulated first aid scenarios contextualised to the candidate’s workplace/community setting, and involving infants and children of varying ages.

Knowledge Evidence

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:

state/territory regulations, first aid codes of practice and workplace procedures including:

ARC Guidelines for provision of CPR and first aid to infants, children and adults

guidelines from Australian national peak clinical bodies

safe work practices to minimise risks and potential hazards

first aid requirements for services under the Education and Care Services National Law

infection control principles and procedures

requirements for currency of skill and knowledge

legal, workplace and community considerations, including:

need for stress-management techniques and available support following an emergency situation, including the psychological impact on children

duty of care requirements

respectful behaviour towards a casualty

own skills and limitations

consent, including situations in which parental/caregiver consent is required

privacy and confidentiality requirements

importance of debriefing

considerations when providing first aid including:

airway obstruction due to body position

appropriate duration and cessation of CPR

appropriate use of an AED, including placement of pads for adults and children aged older than 8 years

specific considerations when using an AED on children aged between 1 and 8 years, including identification of AED with paediatric capability, paediatric voltage and use of paediatric pads

chain of survival

standard precautions and infection control

principles and procedures for application of first aid in the following scenarios:

abdominal injuries

allergic reactions, including severe reactions

anaphylaxis

bleeding control

burns

cardiac conditions

choking and airway obstruction

cold and crush injuries

diabetes

dislocations

drowning

envenomation

environmental impact (including hypothermia, hyperthermia, dehydration and heat stroke)

epilepsy

eye and ear injuries

fractures

head, neck and spinal injuries

minor skin injuries

needle stick injuries

poisoning and toxic substances

respiratory distress, including asthma and other respiratory conditions

seizures

shock

soft tissue injuries

unconsciousness, abnormal breathing or not breathing

basic anatomy and physiology relating to:

absence of normal breathing

anatomy of the external chest

specific anatomy of infant respiratory systems, including trachea, and implications for provision of CPR

basic anatomical differences between adults and children, and the implications for provision of first aid

normal clinical values for children

physiology relating to response/consciousness

symptoms and triggers of anaphylaxis

symptoms and triggers of asthma

upper airway anatomy and effect of positional change.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated working individually:

in an environment that provides realistic in-depth, industry-validated scenarios and simulations to assess candidates’ skills and knowledge.

Assessment resources must include:

infant, child and adult resuscitation manikins in line with ARC Guidelines for the purpose of assessment of CPR procedures

first aid equipment including:

roller bandages

triangular bandages

trauma dressings

at least two different types of placebo bronchodilators and a spacer device

emergency rescue blanket

at least two different types of adrenalin auto-injector training device (e.g. EpiPen and AnaPen)

an AED training device

an incident, injury, trauma and illness record, or other appropriate workplace incident report form.

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 NVR/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

In addition, assessors must hold:

a current advanced first aid certificate

OR

at least three years’ experience as a health professional, nurse or emergency services provider.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ced1390f-48d9-4ab0-bd50-b015e5485705