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 the workplace or a simulated workplace (defined as a supervised clinic) is essential for assessment of this unit

Assessment may contain both theoretical and practical components and examples covering a range of clinical situations

Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace

Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible

Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender

Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:

interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace

scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units

holistic/integrated assessment including:

working within the practice framework

performing a health assessment

assessing the client

planning treatment

providing treatment

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

Resources essential for assessment include:

an appropriately stocked and equipped clinic or simulated clinic environment

an appropriated stocked nutritional medicine dispensary

relevant texts journals or medical manuals

relevant paper-based/video assessment instruments

appropriate nutritional software and on line resources

skilled assessors

Method of assessment

Observation in the work place

Practical demonstration

Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge

Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice.

Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting. If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision.

Oral questioning, discussion and explanation of technique

Role play simulation

Client treatment logbooks

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

Related units:

This unit should be assessed in conjunction with the following related units:

HLTCOM404C Communicate effectively with clients

HLTNUT607B Provide the nutritional medicine treatment

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes knowledge of:

A range of alternative and complementary therapies

Basic knowledge of potential herb-nutrient interactions

Common disease states and functional problems of each bodily system, and the principles and practice of treating each system/condition

Contraindications of treatment

Dietary modification strategies and food therapy

How to select best treatment/medicine within best current practice

Less common disease states and functional problems of particular groups in society with specific needs including, but not limited to infants, children, adolescents, elderly, peri- and post- menopausal, pregnant and lactating women

Less common disease states and functional problems of the reproductive system of women and men

Less common disease states and functional problems relating to mental health

Lifestyle considerations and exercise

Medical reports and diagnostic procedure

Methods of preparing treatment and management plans (knowledge and understanding)

Nutritional medicine philosophy, principles and practice

Nutritional supplementation

Potential drug-nutrient, drug-food interactions

Relevant reference works and information sources

Research issues and their uses

Research priorities

Statistical analysis

The correct preparations required for specific treatment

The possible responses to treatments

The principles of formulation (including dosage and duration of treatment)

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes the ability to:

Access and critically evaluate reference material on the effects of current conventional drug therapies and their withdrawal

Access and interpret up-to-date information

Advise and resource the client

Analyse a complex clinical problem utilising nutritional medicine model of clinical reasoning, and utilising literature review techniques to understand the nature of the problem and its management

Apply specialised nutritional medicine therapeutic techniques to groups in the community with specific needs (e.g. infants, children, women, men, aged)

Appropriately record details of client enquiries according to clinic guidelines

Communicate information through written or verbal media

Correctly identify client information needs

Critically evaluate research

Demonstrate age appropriate communication skills in a one-to-one and group setting

Demonstrate communication skills including the ability to communicate with people from a diverse range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds

Demonstrate interpersonal and questioning skills

Discuss and determine 'level of concern' in relation to risk of complications, severity of disease process, lifestyle factors and their impact on treatment strategies, timeframe of treatment, and other factors

Discuss, identify and effectively monitor 'high level of concern' clients

Explain relevant services and case management program

Extrapolate case study information to new cases

Implement appropriate specialised nutritional medicine treatments for the prevention of health conditions associated with clients with special needs

Implement appropriate specialised nutritional medicine treatments for the management of health conditions associated with clients with special needs

Integrate knowledge of the historical, theoretical and philosophical aspects of nutritional medicine into clinical practice

Manage a specialised nutritional medicine treatment

Negotiate changes to the plan with the client

Provide client with required information

continued ...

Essential skills (contd):

Provide treatment appropriate to age and specific needs of clients (e.g. mental health issues, palliation of signs and symptoms)

Review the specialised nutritional medicine treatment, evaluating the need for on-going treatment and the need for changes to the treatment plan

Write referrals, appraisal letters for insurance companies and other documentation

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.

Knowledge of nutritional medicines means:

Nutritional medicine philosophy

first do no harm

identify and treat the causes

treat the whole person as an individual

prevention is better than cure

educate the client

the healing power of nature

Nutritional medicine principles

empiric - respect for nutritional and natural medicine philosophy, tradition and empirical observation

natural - natural is always preferable

individuality - individuals have a unique interaction with their nutritional environment

Nutritional medicine practice

diet as therapy (health maintenance, therapeutic diets, dietary modification)

therapeutic application of special and functional foods (food as medicine)

cultural dietary perspectives

therapeutic&preventive aspects of fasting/detoxification

nutrient supplementation

individual unique dietary needs

Behavioural and lifestyle strategies

Specialised nutritional medicine treatment includes:

Using a high level of nutritional medicine knowledge to enable extrapolation of case study information to new cases

Using research based evidence including literature reviews and critical assessment of research, as a tool in providing treatment

Knowledge and understanding of nutritional medicine treatment of potential conditions/disease states of particular groups in society with specific needs

Applying recommending, dispensing or prescribing diets, foods as medicine, supplements and vitamins

All treatment or care delivered meets the requirements of relevant legislation and regulations

Collaborating with or referring to other health care professionals as required

Factors which interfere with the effectiveness of treatment may include:

Other medical treatment being undertaken

Client physical and psychological readiness and/or wellness

Cultural factors

Contraindications to treatment

Post treatment activity

Client capability of implementing treatment plan (e.g. dietary changes, dosage maintenance)

Responses to reactions may include:

Adjusting treatment accordingly

Seeking appropriate expertise

Discussing reaction with the client

Adhering to clinic guidelines for response to accidents and emergencies

Using of First Aid procedures according to St Johns, Australian Red Cross or other appropriate First Aid training

Accessing local emergency services

Consent for treatment refers to:

Informed consent according to the local and national regulations and legal guidelines

Treatment is given to minors/wards of state when only parent/guardian is present

Response to enquiries may include:

Providing (or directing to) information material

Answering questions

Following up with further information

Providing of referrals

The treatment plan may include:

Prescription of nutritional supplements and vitamins

Dispensing of extemporaneous preparations

Assessment of client health may include:

Antenatal, birth and post natal period information, apgar score, birth weight and feeding method and frequency

Family history, maternal and paternal

Growth and growth patterns

Height, weight and head circumference measurements

Changes in the pattern of growth over a series of measurements

Recognise major milestones in development

Relate the major milestones in personal and social skills fine motor skills, general motor skills and language development to a simplified standard milestone chart

Life stages refers to:

Neonate (birth to 28 days)

Children

Adolescence (puberty to adulthood)

Adulthood

Old Age

Pregnancy and post natal period for women

Peri-menopausal and post menopausal state for women