HLTPAT008 Identify and Respond to Clinical Risks in Pathology Collection

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to recognise individual risk factors, identify emergency situations, and provide emergency or first aid response to individual reactions associated with pathology specimen collection. 

This unit applies to any individual whose job role includes pathology collection. They may be working in collection centres, hospitals or in other health care environments. 

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

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

No pre-requisite units.

N/A

N/A

The foundation skills essential to performance of this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.

Digital literacy outcomes are included in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

N/A

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: 

• assessed and recognised potential clinical risks from review of information from at least 3 different individuals
• recognised adverse reactions and complications and followed organisational procedures in response to at least 3 different adverse events
• recognised adverse reactions and complications requiring first aid response and provided first aid according to organisational procedures for at least 3 of the following:
  • fainting
  • arterial puncture
  • bruising
  • excessive or prolonged bleeding
  • diabetic emergency
  • vomiting

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: 

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for emergency response, and how these are applied in organisations:
  • duty of care
  • informed consent
  • privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
  • records management
  • work health and safety
• work role boundaries:
  • scope and limitations of own role in assessing clinical risk
  • points of referral for risk situations beyond scope of own role
• standard infection control requirements for clinical procedures:
  • hand hygiene
  • use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • avoiding contact with bodily fluids
  • sharps injury prevention and treatment if sustained
  • waste management
• Individual’s information that may inform assessment of risk:
  • clinical history
  • allergies
  • current and recent medications
  • recent illnesses
  • reactions/complications to previous collection procedures
• anatomy and physiology relevant to pathology collections:
  • vascular and nervous systems, particularly the close association of blood vessels and nerves of the limbs relevant to pathology collection
  • arteries, veins and capillaries
  • heart function – significant structures, greater blood vessels that enter and exit the heart
  • direction of flow of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood through the heart and lungs
  • features of collection sites
• types and features of clinical risks commonly associated with pathology collection:
  • reactions and complications to procedure
  • infection
  • haemoconcentration
  • haemolysis
  • blood components
  • sharps injury
  • excessive bleeding
  • damage to nervous system
  • vascular damage
  • location of venous access
  • concurrent treatments and therapy
  • intravenous (IV) therapy
• emergency procedures for individual’s reactions and complications
• first aid and care protocols for:
  • fainting
  • fitting
  • arterial puncture
  • bruising
  • excessive bleeding
  • diabetic emergency
  • falls

Skills must be demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. 

The following conditions must be met for this unit: 

• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including documented emergency and first aid procedures for the candidate to follow
• modelling of industry operating conditions, including presence of situations requiring problem solving

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors and must hold this unit or demonstrate equivalent skills and knowledge to that contained within this unit 

Assessment of performance evidence may be in a workplace setting or an environment that accurately represents a real workplace.