Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to complete eye health assessments, treat minor and emergency eye health issues and support clients with ongoing conditions. It also covers skills to provide resources and information about eye health to clients.
This unit is specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people working as health workers or health practitioners. They work as part of a multidisciplinary primary health care team to provide primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
No regulatory requirement for certification, occupational or business licensing is linked to this unit at the time of publication. For information about practitioner registration and accredited courses of study, contact the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA).

What You'll Learn

Assessment Requirements

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
• complete an eye health assessment of four different Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients including:
• two children
• two adults
• for each of the four clients, complete a basic external eye examination including:
• peri-orbital regions
• eyelids (inside and out), and eyelashes
• pupils
• visual acuity test measuring both near and distance vision
• retinal photography
• for each of the four clients, and according to their individual needs, provide clear information and explanations about:
• eye health conditions and treatments
• self-care preventative practices that support good eye health
• available eye health resources and support services
• treat each of the following on two occasions:
• infections, including drop administration
• presence of corneal foreign bodies
• minor ocular trauma requiring fitting of eye patch or shield
• document, in client records, accurate details of each client contact:
• health history
• observations, examinations and tests completed
• treatments, information and referrals provided
• from assessments personally completed or from case study assessment documentation, identify signs of and report on two different eye conditions which require referral.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• organisational policies and procedures for:
• maintaining eye health records
• maintaining confidentiality of client information
• for eye health:
• organisational responsibilities and role boundaries of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health care workers and practitioners
• the roles of other members of the multidisciplinary care team including medical practitioners, optometrists and ophthalmologists
• how to facilitate referrals
• key information collected and recorded in medical histories specific to eye health
• types of optical equipment used for eye health assessments and treatments including their key features and operating procedures
• different types of infection control precautions and when these would be used for different types of eye examinations and treatments
• overview anatomy and physiology of the eye:
• structure of the eye and how it functions
• normal presentation
• medical terminology and plain language usage for client explanations
• signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis and other commonly occurring eye infections, and available treatment options
• first aid procedures and standard treatment protocols for treating corneal foreign bodies and minor ocular trauma:
• wounds
• objects in the eye
• embedded object in the eye
• penetrating object from the eye
• burns
• smoke
• main types of eye health conditions affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and how to recognise these:
• refractive error
• cataracts
• diabetic retinopathy
• trachoma at different stages of severity
• trichiasis
• macular degeneration
• complications of diseases which affect eye health and their impacts including complications from diabetes
• vision issues that occur in children and how to recognise these:
• amblyopia
• strabismus
• sight and eye health problems and emergencies requiring referral, assessment and treatment by medical or eye health specialists
• self-care preventative practices for eye health:
• regular eye assessments
• healthy eating
• protection from sunlight
• protection from injury
• avoidance of smoking or other substance use
• processes and equipment used for minor spectacle adjustments and repairs
• types of practical support needed by clients to access specialist services:
• accommodation
• interpreter services
• transport
• special assistance for those with low vision
• eye health resources and support services available in the community, state or territory:
• for eye health in general and eye health conditions
• specialist services available to people of different genders and ages, and to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• how to access information about the types of information resources and services they offer
• how clients can access services and the role of health workers and practitioners in facilitating access.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a health service workplace within a multidisciplinary primary health care team.
Evidence of performance must be gathered:
• during on-the-job assessments in the workplace under live conditions while interacting with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, or
• during off-the-job assessments in the workplace, not under live conditions, using simulated activities while interacting with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
Evidence of workplace performance can be gathered and reported through third party report processes. (Refer to the Companion Volume Implementation Guide for information on third party reporting.)
Evidence can be supplemented by assessments in a simulated workplace environment using simulated activities, scenarios or case studies only when:
• the full range of situations covered by the unit cannot be provided in the individual’s workplace, or
• situations covered by the unit occur only rarely in the individual’s workplace.
Assessment must ensure the use of:
• personal protective equipment for infection control
• equipment and consumables used for eye health assessments and treatments:
• lighting aids
• Snellen Wall Chart or technological equivalent
• retinal camera
• eye drops
• eye ointment
• eye patches or shields
• clinical waste disposal bins
• visual aids, which can include an eye model, to assist with client explanations
• template forms or reports for documenting client histories, assessment details and findings
• eye care first aid procedures and standard treatment protocols used by the organisation, which can include Standard Treatment Manuals
• organisational policies and procedures for:
• maintaining eye health records
• maintaining confidentiality of client information.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations requirements for assessors, and:
• be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who has applied the skills and knowledge covered in this unit of competency through experience working as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health worker or practitioner, or
• be a registered health practitioner with experience relevant to this unit of competency and be accompanied by, or have assessments validated by, an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.

Foundation Skills

• {'skill': 'Reading skills to:', 'description': 'interpret familiar detailed organisational policies and procedures; interpret sometimes complex and unfamiliar standard treatment protocols and client records involving medical terminology and abbreviations.'}
• {'skill': 'Writing skills to:', 'description': 'use fundamental sentence structure, health terminology and abbreviations to complete forms and reports that require factual information.'}
• {'skill': 'Oral communication skills to:', 'description': 'provide unambiguous information to clients using plain language and terms easily understood; ask open and closed probe questions and actively listen to elicit information from clients and determine understanding of information provided.'}
• {'skill': 'Numeracy skills to:', 'description': 'interpret and document medical numerical abbreviations and terminology in client records.'}
• {'skill': 'Technology skills to:', 'description': 'select and use medical equipment suited to purpose of eye health assessments and treatments.'}

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