Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to respond with urgency to perform pre-hospital evaluations, apply and maintain first aid to sustain life, and carry out triage procedures for emergency and critical care cases.

This unit applies to veterinary nurses with extensive vocational expertise who are responsible for providing advanced nursing skills for emergency procedures. It is targeted at veterinary nurses who work in a veterinary hospital or emergency/specialist veterinary practice where an extensive range of emergency and critical care procedures are performed under the supervision of a registered or specialist veterinarian in a referral centre or in an emergency centre. Veterinary nurses who work in emergency care exercise autonomy in undertaking complex work.

Legislative and regulatory requirements apply to veterinary nurses but vary according to state/territory jurisdictions. Users must check with the relevant regulatory authority before delivery.

NOTE: The terms 'occupational health and safety' (OHS) and 'work health and safety' (WHS) generally have the same meaning in the workplace. In jurisdictions where the national model WHS legislation has not been implemented, RTOs must contextualise the unit of competency by referring to current OHS legislative requirements.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Unit Sector

Veterinary Nursing (VET)

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential for performance in this unit of competency but are not explicit in the performance criteria.

Unit Mapping Information

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=b75f4b23-54c9-4cc9-a5db-d3502d154103

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

An individual demonstrating competency must satisfy all of the elements and performance criteria in this unit.

There must be evidence that the individual has:

• handled a minimum of five emergency situations and patients, including (for each):

• dealt with animals gently and calmly and exhibited appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort was minimised
• maintained hygiene and infection control to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection during emergency life support situations
• worked as a member of a team and worked closely with the supervising veterinarian in emergency life support situations

• carried out triage procedures for a minimum of two animals
• demonstrated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures on a minimum of two occasions, on a real or model animals
• demonstrated procedures for haemorrhage control on a minimum of one occasion, on a real or model animal
• successfully intubated a minimum of one patient, under supervision
• performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 240 hours of work in a veterinary practice.

Knowledge Evidence

An individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge required to perform the tasks in relation to emergency and critical care outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit. This includes knowledge of:

• anaesthesia and anaesthetic agents in emergency procedures
• animal anatomy and physiology related to emergency situations, animal health status assessment and monitoring and emergency procedures
• animal first aid techniques
• safety risks of:

• animal bites, kicks, scratches, crush injuries
• biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
• handling of chemicals and medicines
• inhalation of aerosol particles
• intraocular contamination
• manual handling including carrying, lifting and shifting
• needle stick injury and cuts from other sharps
• zoonosis

• visual assessment techniques to observe and report on animal condition and health status to the veterinarian, including:

• level of consciousness
• external bleeding
• swelling
• ataxia
• body guarding
• behaviour
• vocal sounds
• abnormal body, head or limb presentation
• presence, colour, texture and volume of discharge from any orifice

• manual assessment techniques to observe and report on animal condition and health status to the veterinarian, including:

• temperature
• pulse
• respiration
• capillary refill
• hydration status
• pupillary reflex
• mucous membrane colour
• pain or guarding on palpation

• nursing support required in first aid procedures to sustain life, including:

• performing CPR
• defibrillation
• hemorrhage control
• open-chest cardiac massage
• tracheostomy procedure
• providing intravenous fluid therapy under veterinarian direction

• techniques involved in:

• applying direct digital pressure or pressure bandages
• clearing airway
• giving oral fluids for caustic ingestion
• identifying poison evidence for snakes, toads, ticks, rat bait, snail bait, flea collars and organophosphate pesticides
• supporting penetrating foreign bodies
• supporting fractures
• ventilation and cardiac compression techniques
• emergency drug and fluid administration
• monitoring patients during and post resuscitation

• critical care procedures
• safe handling techniques for trauma patients
• medications and therapies for emergency procedures and first aid
• emergency situations that may result from specific clinical conditions
• intravenous fluid therapy applications in emergency medicine
• state or territory legislation and regulations relating to the practice of veterinary science, work health and safety and animal welfare in relation to emergency and first aid procedures
• triage purpose, procedures and priorities for emergency situations that are life threatening
• CPR procedures and protocols in line with current industry standards.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment of the skills in this unit of competency must take place under the following conditions:

• physical conditions:

• in the workplace or an environment that accurately reflects a veterinary surgery where emergency and critical care procedures are regularly performed by veterinarians

• resources, equipment and materials:

• a range of real animals in need of emergency care
• equipment, instruments and resources typically available to perform critical care procedures

• specifications:

• access to organisational policies and procedures, current legislation, regulations and relevant codes of practice

• relationships (internal and/or external):

• supervision by a registered veterinarian who regularly performs emergency and specialised critical care procedures.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

Links

Companion Volumes, including Implementation Guides, are available at VETNet: - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=b75f4b23-54c9-4cc9-a5db-d3502d154103