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HLTENN052 Current

Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, advanced skills and knowledge required to identify the need for assessment, perform physical examinations and make clinical judgments using analysis and specialised skills and knowledge of pathophysiology and comprehensive clinical care and assessments.
This unit applies to enrolled nurses, registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), seeking specialisation in enrolled nurse work that is carried out in consultation and collaboration with registered nurses, and under direct or indirect supervisory arrangements aligned to the NMBA regulatory authority legislative requirements.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian Standards and industry codes of practice.

What You'll Learn

1.

  • 1.1 Apply requirements of pathophysiology of body systems to make informed judgement on actual and potential health problems
  • 1.2 Source, assess and evaluate presenting clinical health data to identify homeostasis imbalance indicating abnormal functioning of body systems.1.3. Apply active listening in interview assessment to identify, clarify and confirm health information prior to assessment

2.

  • 2.1 Obtain consent prior to preparation for planned assessments, interventions and procedures
  • 2.2 Perform head-to-toe physical assessment using evidence-based assessment tools and techniques.2.3. Apply culturally specific approach to client privacy and dignity and seek feedback on comfort level.2.4. Apply person-centred interview techniques to obtain assessment information.2.5. Identify deterioration and communicate concerns to registered nurse

3.

  • 3.1 Apply analytical questioning and diagnostic reasoning to clinical presentations, possible health conditions, illnesses and injuries to make intervention choices
  • 3.2 Perform clinical interventions and care provision based on information gathered through assessment.3.3. Establish priorities of care based on assessment outcomes and judgements made.3.4. Document assessment outcomes according to organisational policies and procedures and provide information to those involved in ongoing care of the person.3.5. Act promptly to respond to acute deterioration and deliver care

4.

  • 4.1 Provide feedback and results of clinical care and assessment using medical language and terminology
  • 4.2 Communicate and confirm outcomes, health status, current and future care, and interventions required.4.3. Assess impact of outcomes, health status and interventions.4.4. Communicate outcomes and proposed actions to registered nurse and use a collaborative approach for follow up with multidisciplinary health care team

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:
• analyse changes in a person’s health status, perform physical examinations and make sound clinical judgements for three different people presenting with a condition, illness or injury in the workplace
• interpret blood test results of three different people, analysing for abnormalities indicating changes in health status and treatment
The tasks must be undertaken in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) professional practice standards, codes and guidelines.

Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrate knowledge required to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
• communication strategies that underpin assessment and communication with the person, families, carers and other health professionals:
• mode of communication for information being provided
• interviewing techniques
• information technology and health technologies to capture clinical data for responsive coordination and dissemination to the multidisciplinary health care team
• factors for consideration when communicating with people with:
• communication related disabilities
• mental health conditions
• pharmacological and alcohol addiction and misuse
• adverse behavioural responses to unfamiliar environments.
• person under stress including trauma, death and life-threatening situations
• advanced concepts underpinning human maintenance systems including immunity and homeostasis imbalance causing physical changes associated with:
• thermoregulation
• acidosis and alkalosis
• diabetes including hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia
• nutrition, hydration and dehydration
• cancer treatment
• trauma
• infection
• poisoning
• shock
• sepsis
• clinical assessment techniques and tools used in a head-to-toe physical body examination:
• inspection and observations
• palpation
• percussion
• auscultation
• olfaction
• processes for neurological system examination
• sensory motor responses:
• neurological system
• cardiovascular and lymphatics system
• respiratory system
• gastrointestinal system
• musculoskeletal and integumentary system
• endocrine system
• renal
• metabolic
• cognitive
• reproductive
• effects of intrinsic factors on person’s condition including age and health
• effects of extrinsic factors on person’s condition including environment and medications
• techniques for evaluating common blood test results and their meaning as indicators of health conditions and illnesses:
• albumin
• arterial blood gas (ABG).
• blood sugar level (BSL), haemoglobin A1C
• blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
• calcium
• cardiac enzymes (CE)
• cholesterol
• electrolytes (EUC) including sodium, potassium, chloride urea and creatinine
• full blood count (FBC)
• high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
• iron
• low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• liver function test
• cross match.
• blood cultures
• coagulation studies (Coags)
• erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• triglycerides
• thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
• uric acid
• techniques for identifying subtle changes in a person’s condition through knowledge of a person’s patterns of responses and comparing responses over periods of time
• principles for recognising and responding to a deteriorating person and raising issues of concern about the deterioration
• socio-economic, physiological, emotional and physical variables related to clinical presentation of a person.

Assessment Conditions

To be eligible to apply for registration as an enrolled nurse and to practice in Australia, each applicant must complete a Diploma of Nursing program accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and approved as ‘an approved program of study’ by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) in accordance with the Enrolled Nurse Accreditation Standards.
For more detail visithttps://www.ahpra.gov.au.
Skills must be demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment as specified in the performance evidence that model industry operating conditions including access to real people for simulations and scenarios in enrolled nursing work.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors.
Assessors must also hold current registration as a registered nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

Foundation Skills

  • {'skill': 'Foundation Skills', 'description': 'Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.'}

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Last updated from training.gov.au: 07 April 2026