Advisory no: A13/05 | Assessment of training requirements for credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers

Advisory no: A13/05

TITLE / Assessment of training requirements for credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers /
VERSION / 4.0
DATE OF PUBLICATION / 22 May 2017
REPLACES / Version 3.0 issued on 8 September 2015
STATUS / ACTIVE
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ADVISORY / Mandatory for accrediting agencies
APPROVED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY / Chief Operating Officer
REVIEW DUE DATE / 31 December 2018
INFORMATION IN THIS ADVISORY APPLIES TO / ·  All approved accrediting agencies
·  All health service organisations with credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers
KEY RELATIONSHIP / All NSQHS Standards
RESPONSIBLE OFFICER / Margaret Banks
Senior Program Director
CONTACT DETAILS / Phone: 1800 304 056
Email:
TRIM NO. / D15-15339
LINKAGES TO OTHER ADVISORIES and/or DOCUMENTATION / ·  Basic life support training: Sample risk analysis
·  Aseptic technique risk assessment matrix
ATTACHMENT / n/a
NOTES
(if applicable) / n/a

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Advisory no: A13/05 | Assessment of training requirements for credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers

Advisory no: A13/05

Assessment of training requirements for credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers

PURPOSE:

To describe assessment requirements for training of clinicians providing care in a health service organisation where there is no employment relationship.

ISSUE:

Stakeholders have raised with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) the issue of the interpretation of the term ‘clinical workforce’ and the application of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards training requirement for credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers.

The clinical workforce in the NSQHS Standards is defined as “the nursing, medical and allied health staff who provide patient care and students who provide care under supervision. This may also include laboratory scientists.”

The Commission intended that the definition of clinical workforce in the NSQHS Standards include credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers. Stakeholders have identified issues for health service organisations with the Commission applying this definition. Where credentialed medical and other clinical practitioners and visiting medical officers are not employed by a health service organisation, the mechanism and responsibility for training will vary from the employed clinical workforce.

Concern focuses on two actions where training is required in the NSQHS Standards, namely:

·  Standard 3: Preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections
Action 3.10.1: The clinical workforce is trained in aseptic technique

·  Standard 9: Recognising and responding to clinical deterioration in acute health care
Action 9.6.1: The clinical workforce is trained and proficient in basic life support.

REQUIREMENTS:

Assessors from approved accrediting agencies assessing compliance with Actions 3.10.1 and 9.6.1 of the NSQHS Standards are to apply the following arrangements.

For Action 3.10.1, health service organisations are required to provide evidence that:

·  a comprehensive organisational risk analysis of aseptic technique competencies has been undertaken

·  a plan has been developed to assess the clinical practice of aseptic technique for clinicians working in high risk areas

·  a training package for the clinical workforce in aseptic technique is available. It is anticipated the initial focus will be on employed nursing, allied health and medical staff.

For Action 9.6.1, health service organisations are required to provide evidence that:

·  a comprehensive organisational risk analysis of basic life support training needs has been undertaken

·  a plan has been developed to ensure that the clinical workforce can initiate appropriate early interventions and respond with life-sustaining measures in the event of severe or rapid deterioration

·  training in basic life support is available for the clinical workforce. It is anticipated the initial focus will be on employed nursing, allied health and medical staff.

A document Sample risk analysis: Training needs regarding basic life support is available on the Commission’s website: Sample risk analysis: Training needs regarding basic life support (https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Example-of-risk-assessment-for-BLS-training.pdf).

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