Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
22/07/2026 9:44 PM AWST
22/07/2026 9:44 PM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Practise in a hyperbaric environment
Practise in a hyperbaric environment
Unit of competency
National Code
HLTEN613B
HLTEN613B
State Code
D8238
D8238
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
21/07/2011
Field of Education
060301 - General Nursing
Original Release Date
21/07/2011
Nominal Hours
40
Description
DescriptorThis competency unit describes the skills and knowledge required by the advanced level Enrolled/ Division 2 nurse to deliver a high standard of care to clients receiving treatment in a hyperbaric environment
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Work in a hyperbaric environment
- 1.1 Work with an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of members of the hyperbaric unit health team
- 1.2 Identify potential causes of emergencies associated with a hyperbaric chamber and hyperbaric treatment and respond appropriately
- 1.3 Use appropriate methods to prevent emergencies in the chamber where applicable
- 1.4 Recognise and report contraindications to hyperbaric conditions for self where applicable
- 1.5 Apply procedures for infection control before, during and after treatments
- 1.6 Work with an understanding of the reason for pre-hyperbaric treatment safety checklists and participates in this process
- 1.7 Work with an awareness of rationale for staff undertaking annual hyperbaric medicals and participate in this process
- 1.8 Recognise the specific occupational health, safety and welfare conditions related to working in a hyperbaric environment
- 1.9 Recognise the potential impact of hyperbaric therapy on clients and their significant other/s
2. Contribute to holistic and specific assessment for hyperbaric treatment
- 2.1 Perform a holistic assessment of the client in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary health care team, utilising resources and tools specific to the hyperbaric unit/organisation
- 2.2 Identify possible psychological and physical complications of hyperbaric treatment and associated client education requirements
- 2.3 Discuss the physical, psychological and social impacts of hyperbaric treatment with the client and identified significant other/s (with client consent)
- 2.4 Recognise and report contraindications for hyperbaric conditions for clients
3. Plan care for clients requiring hyperbaric treatment
- 3.1 Document an individual plan of care for the client in conjunction with the health care team
- 3.2 Incorporate health teaching and discharge planning into practice in consultation/collaboration with the health care team
4. Implement appropriate care for the client
- 4.1 Perform contemporary nursing interventions for the client undergoing hyperbaric therapy
- 4.2 Correctly use specific hyperbaric chamber equipment for treatments
- 4.3 Provide client informationand education regarding hyperbaric therapy
- 4.4 Demonstrate trouble shooting skills during hyperbaric treatments
- 4.5 Monitor condition of the client undergoing hyperbaric treatment and communicate throughout the treatment to the registered nurse, technician and medical officer as appropriate
- 4.6 Document outcomes of treatments according to hyperbaric procedures and organisation policy
5. Document and evaluate outcomes of nursing interventions
- 5.1 Monitor and evaluate client response to interventions and progress toward planned goals and document according to organisation policy
- 5.2 Report outcomes of nursing interventions to the appropriate member of the healthcare team
- 5.3 Change care plans and modify nursing interventions in conjunction with the registered nurse or other member of the hyperbaric team
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.
Clients may include:
Adults
Child
Adolescent
Members of the multi-disciplinary hyperbaric health care team include:
Hyperbaric nurses (inside and outside attendant)
Hyperbaric technicians
Medical staff
Experts in fire safety, wound management and otolarynology
Allied health staff
Theories of physics include:
Boyle's law
Charle's law
Henry's law
Dalton's law
Emergencies associated with the hyperbaric chamber and treatment may include:
Fire inside the chamber
Fire outside the chamber
Emergency decompression
Explosive decompression
Uncontrolled compression
Power failure
Communication failure
Chamber atmospheric contamination
Isolation emergency eg: violence / potential violence
Pneumathorax
Cardiac arrest and airway management
Hypoglycaemia
Oxygen toxicity (CNS and pulmonary)
Complications of hyperbaric therapy may include:
Client medical emergency conditions as listed in emergencies above plus
Claustrophobia
Sinus / dental barotrauma
Lung barotrauma
Indications for hyperbaric therapy may include:
Decompression sickness
Carbon Monoxide poisoning
Smoke inhalation
Osteoradionecrosis
Selected wound healing
Mixed non aerobic and aerobic infections
Air or gas embolism
Osteomyelitis (refractory)
Gas gangrene (Clostridial Myonecrosis)
Soft tissue radionecrosis
Crush injuries / compartment syndromes
Compromised skin grafts / flaps
Thermal burns
Blood loss
Some spider bites
Exceptional blood loss
Specific assessment tools and resources for hyperbaric assessment may include:
Auroscope
Blood glucose monitoring
Oxygen perfusion
Cardiac monitoring and ECG
Pulmonary function tests
Tissue perfusion tests
Relative contraindications for hyperbaric therapy include:
Pulmonary function tests
Tissue perfusion tests
Excessive alcohol intake
Dehydration
Asthma
Anxiety states or claustrophobia
Recent dental work in the previous 24 hours
Strenuous exercise previous and after therapy
Preparing to fly within 24 hours (staff and water divers only
Client education requirements must include:
The ability of the client to comprehend the education
What is hyperbaric therapy
The reason for hyperbaric therapy
The chamber and sequence of events that occur during a treatment
Demonstration and observation of air equalisation techniques
Prohibited items in the chamber and appropriate clothing for treatments
Complications of hyperbaric treatments
Nursing interventions include but are not limited to:
Setting up the chamber for treatments
Setting up and management of breathing circuits (hood and BIBS / Scott mask )
Client preparation for treatment
Wound management
Pain management
Oral medication administration
Monitoring of intravenous infusions in the chamber
Wound care and asepsis
Suction in the chamber at depth and at surface
Chest tube drainage in the chamber
Urinary drainage in the chamber
Administration of nebulisers in the chamber
Hyperbaric specific equipment may include but is not limited to:
Suction
Scrubber
Oxygen flow meters
Marquette monitor
Communication headphones
Medical lock
Manual overboard dump
Monitor panel and ECGS
Stretcher loading equipment for Drager chamber
Hand ventilator
Fire hose
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.
Clients may include:
Adults
Child
Adolescent
Members of the multi-disciplinary hyperbaric health care team include:
Hyperbaric nurses (inside and outside attendant)
Hyperbaric technicians
Medical staff
Experts in fire safety, wound management and otolarynology
Allied health staff
Theories of physics include:
Boyle's law
Charle's law
Henry's law
Dalton's law
Emergencies associated with the hyperbaric chamber and treatment may include:
Fire inside the chamber
Fire outside the chamber
Emergency decompression
Explosive decompression
Uncontrolled compression
Power failure
Communication failure
Chamber atmospheric contamination
Isolation emergency eg: violence / potential violence
Pneumathorax
Cardiac arrest and airway management
Hypoglycaemia
Oxygen toxicity (CNS and pulmonary)
Complications of hyperbaric therapy may include:
Client medical emergency conditions as listed in emergencies above plus
Claustrophobia
Sinus / dental barotrauma
Lung barotrauma
Indications for hyperbaric therapy may include:
Decompression sickness
Carbon Monoxide poisoning
Smoke inhalation
Osteoradionecrosis
Selected wound healing
Mixed non aerobic and aerobic infections
Air or gas embolism
Osteomyelitis (refractory)
Gas gangrene (Clostridial Myonecrosis)
Soft tissue radionecrosis
Crush injuries / compartment syndromes
Compromised skin grafts / flaps
Thermal burns
Blood loss
Some spider bites
Exceptional blood loss
Specific assessment tools and resources for hyperbaric assessment may include:
Auroscope
Blood glucose monitoring
Oxygen perfusion
Cardiac monitoring and ECG
Pulmonary function tests
Tissue perfusion tests
Relative contraindications for hyperbaric therapy include:
Pulmonary function tests
Tissue perfusion tests
Excessive alcohol intake
Dehydration
Asthma
Anxiety states or claustrophobia
Recent dental work in the previous 24 hours
Strenuous exercise previous and after therapy
Preparing to fly within 24 hours (staff and water divers only
Client education requirements must include:
The ability of the client to comprehend the education
What is hyperbaric therapy
The reason for hyperbaric therapy
The chamber and sequence of events that occur during a treatment
Demonstration and observation of air equalisation techniques
Prohibited items in the chamber and appropriate clothing for treatments
Complications of hyperbaric treatments
Nursing interventions include but are not limited to:
Setting up the chamber for treatments
Setting up and management of breathing circuits (hood and BIBS / Scott mask )
Client preparation for treatment
Wound management
Pain management
Oral medication administration
Monitoring of intravenous infusions in the chamber
Wound care and asepsis
Suction in the chamber at depth and at surface
Chest tube drainage in the chamber
Urinary drainage in the chamber
Administration of nebulisers in the chamber
Hyperbaric specific equipment may include but is not limited to:
Suction
Scrubber
Oxygen flow meters
Marquette monitor
Communication headphones
Medical lock
Manual overboard dump
Monitor panel and ECGS
Stretcher loading equipment for Drager chamber
Hand ventilator
Fire hose
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 for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of performance in a work context is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of workplace situations and should occur on more than one occasion and be assessed by a registered nurse
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit is most appropriately assessed in the clinical workplace or in a simulated clinical work environment and under the normal range of clinical environment conditions
Where, for reasons of safety, access to equipment and resources and space, assessment takes place away from the workplace, simulations should be used to represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Method of assessment
Observation in the work place
Written assignments/projects
Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
Questioning - verbal or written
Role play/simulation
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
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 for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Observation of performance in a work context is essential for assessment of this unit
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of workplace situations and should occur on more than one occasion and be assessed by a registered nurse
Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit is most appropriately assessed in the clinical workplace or in a simulated clinical work environment and under the normal range of clinical environment conditions
Where, for reasons of safety, access to equipment and resources and space, assessment takes place away from the workplace, simulations should be used to represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Method of assessment
Observation in the work place
Written assignments/projects
Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
Questioning - verbal or written
Role play/simulation
Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| C9244 | HLTEN613A | Practise in a hyperbaric environment | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AVZ90 | HLTENN027 | Apply nursing practice in the hyperbaric environment | Unit of competency |
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| D111 | HLT61107 | Advanced Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled/Division 2 nursing) | Qualification |