Unit of competency Outline

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Function effectively as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander worker in a mainstream health institution

Function effectively as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander worker in a mainstream health institution

Unit of competency
National Code
HLTAHW510B
State Code
D5700
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Deleted
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
25/03/2011
View on TGA
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
25/07/2011
Original Release Date
25/03/2011
Nominal Hours
30
Field of Education
061305 - Indigenous Health
Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander worker to perform effectively in a mainstream health institution, such as a hospital, mental health facility or general practice
General notes
N/A
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Clarify the institutional structure and culture
  • 1.1 Clarify organisation management structures, professional hierarchies and inter-professional dynamics and associated expectations
  • 1.2 Identify factors that may impact the provision of culturally safe care within the institution in relation to their potential to enhance and/or impede care
  • 1.3 Evaluate organisation approach and values in relation to cultural safety of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and staff
2. Apply strategies to enhance personal resilience in a cultural minority
  • 2.1 Anticipate impact of immersion in a foreign cultural environment ('culture shock')
  • 2.2 Identify mentors who can model constructive, self-protective behaviours
  • 2.3 Use colleagues with the capacity to provide personal support for reflection, debriefing, solidarity and advocacy as appropriate
  • 2.4 Access community and family support where appropriate
3. Assert own professional role and scope of practice
  • 3.1 Clarify overlapping and complementary roles of professionals in the health care team in specific mainstream health institution practice
  • 3.2 Identify level of awareness of the worker's role, knowledge and skills among other health professionals
  • 3.3 Explain own professional role and relevant demonstrated skills and knowledge to others as needed to establish professional credibility in holistic health care environment
  • 3.4 Clarify potential for own role to enhance client care in mainstream health institution
  • 3.5 Professionally assert scope of practice appropriate to own role and skills with colleagues and managers
4. Advocate for clients effectively from within the institution
  • 4.1 Clarify client needs for health care and support as appropriate to worker's role
  • 4.2 Recognise potential impacts of providing client advocacy from inside the institution
  • 4.3 Employ strategies to effectively manage conflict or resentment arising from client advocacy activities
5. Support clients to make informed choices on health care plan
  • 5.1 Use accurate information about the client's condition and health care plan as a basis for informing clients about available options
  • 5.2 Empower clients to make informed choices on health care by explaining potential consequences of available options
  • 5.3 Support clients through the continuum of care in line with own work role
6. Contribute to training of non-Indigenous staff in cultural safety
  • 6.1 Support the development and implementation of cultural safety training and orientation in the institution in line with own work role
  • 6.2 Build own tolerance and mutual respect of colleagues by seeking to understand reasons for any insensitivity or culturally unsafe practices
  • 6.3 Reinforce colleagues' application of cultural safety practices in the workplace by public and/or personal recognition
  • 6.4 Provide leadership in the design and delivery of training in culturally safe principles and practice
7. Promote organisational change to enhance institutional cultural safety
  • 7.1 Offer contribution to develop and/or refine institutional policies on cultural safety
  • 7.2 Identify change agents (managers, senior professionals, influential individuals) who may facilitate and/or champion needed organisational change
  • 7.3 Identify potential blockages to needed organisational change
  • 7.4 Mobilise available support from within the organisation to enhance institutional cultural safety
  • 7.5 Assist the institution to partner with the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community in providing culturally safe practice
RANGE STATEMENT

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.


Cultural respect
This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social well being, community capacity and governance
Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices


Community control
Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process


Supervision
Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements
References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals
A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines


Legislative requirements
Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute 'usual practice' due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by 'usual practice circumstances'
Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework


Factors which may impact provision of culturally safe care may include:
Racism
Discriminatory behaviour
Tokenism
Institutional isolation
Exclusion from team meetings, planning processes,
Access to care
Language and communication barriers
Lack of cultural respect/recognition
Devaluing worker's skills/knowledge/culture


Organisational approach and values may include:
Implicit as well as explicitly stated organisational values
Awareness of, openness to and active seeking to understand cultural difference (or lack of these)
Practices that reflect insensitivity to cultural difference
Provision of cultural safety programs


The impact of immersion in a foreign cultural environment may include:
Isolation
Downturn in performance
Drop in self esteem
Absenteeism
Burnout
Disillusionment
Physical violence
Lack of understanding of dominant culture
Opportunity to broaden cultural knowledge and contribute to change


Constructive, self-protective behaviours may include:
Debriefing
Assertive communication
Building support network
Access family and community support
Access organisational support, such as external counselling support


The potential impacts of providing client advocacy from inside an institution may include:
Conflict between the worker and staff/management of the health institution
Resentful treatment of the worker
Personal and/or organisational retribution against the worker
Negative treatment of client
Unrealistic expectations of the worker's role and ability to cope
Isolation
Changes to processes/practices to prevent future event
Effective outcome for client


Explaining potential consequences of available options may include:
Checking client's understanding of available options
Reviewing available options and their potential consequences in relation to cultural issues
EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects of assessment:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible


Conditions of assessment:
This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture
Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself
or:
accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care


Context of assessment:
Competence should be demonstrated working individually, under supervision or as part of a primary health care team working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients
Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible


Related units:
This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application
No information