Application
This unit is applicable to new entrants to the veterinary industry and will provide an individual with the background and ability to carry out daily clinic routines working under supervision of a veterinarian in a veterinary clinic or similar practice. In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Maintain clinic hygiene | 1.1. All animals retained at the clinic are regularly checked for condition and vital signs with all details recorded in clinic records. 1.2. Animals are temporarily removed from appropriate housing whilst it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in accordance with clinic, occupational health and safety (OHS) and industry standards. 1.3. Animals are cleaned and returned to housing and food, water or treatment regimes are reinstated in accordance with the supervising veterinarian's instructions. 1.4. All walkways, floors and fixtures are cleaned and disinfected to maintain clinic hygiene in accordance with industry standards. 1.5. Isolation procedures are carried out in accordance with clinic policies. 1.6. Animal waste is disposed of in accordance with local government regulations. |
2. Carry out daily treatment of patients | 2.1. Treatment area is cleaned and prepared in accordance with clinic policies. 2.2. Specified treatments or daily routine procedures are carried out under instruction. 2.3. Administration of medication is carried out in accordance with legislative requirements and under veterinary supervision. 2.4. Veterinarian support routines are carried out as instructed. 2.5. Appropriate restraints are used to hold patients for examination in accordance with clinic procedures. |
3. Assist in stock control and clinic security | 3.1. Regular inventory of veterinary supplies and medicines is undertaken in accordance with clinic policies. 3.2. Medicines and supplies are ordered under direction of the duty veterinarian and qualified veterinary nurse. 3.3. Clinic stocks are checked as they are received against quantities ordered and priced. 3.4. Drugs are handled and stored securely in accordance with clinic and legislative requirements. 3.5. Clinic security measures are used in accordance with clinic procedures. |
Required Skills
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Required skills |
maintain the highest standards of hygiene and disinfection at all times to reduce the risks of infection and cross-infection quickly and accurately measure and monitor the vital signs of animals in care recognise early signs of clinical cases, such as diarrhoea, pain or unexpected bleeding, and implement appropriate responses recognise abnormality in any given patient through regular observation use positive animal behaviour responses literacy skills to read, select and apply policies and procedures, including OHS and other clinic policies and procedures; follow sequenced written instructions; and record patient details accurately and legibly oral communication skills/language required to fulfil the job role as specified by the clinic, including questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from the owner and consulting with the duty veterinarian numeracy skills required to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of social, cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities problem-solving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks use, and record the use of, chemicals and medicines in accordance with relevant state or territory legislation use, store and control veterinary medicines in a careful manner. |
Required knowledge |
animal first aid procedures and the limits (when professional help is not available) to which they should be applied animal vital signs and expected normal ranges clinic policies, including OHS requirements clinic security procedures consequences of administering prescribed medication to animals daily clinic routine procedures, including clipping nails, beaks and feathers disinfectants, cleaning agents and techniques hazards associated with the use, misuse and spillage of veterinary medicines and chemicals legislative requirements relating to the handling, storage and security of drugs, including dangerous drugs patient histories of all patients housed at the clinic relevant regulations with regard to veterinary medicines and their usage veterinary terminology pertaining to veterinarian observations of patients. |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can: clean and disinfect animal housing, treatment area and general clinic areas to maintain clinic hygiene carry out daily patient treatments and observations communicate effectively with the veterinarian and follow instructions for food, water and treatment regimes handle and restrain animals for examination as required assist in stock control including taking inventory, ordering stock as directed and checking stock when delivered. The skills and knowledge required to carry out daily clinic routines must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a veterinary practice or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions. There must be access to a range of animals and the relevant information, equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence. |
Method of assessment | To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and where possible, over a number of assessment activities. The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are: written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions third-party evidence workplace documentation portfolio. This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role. |
Guidance information for assessment | Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds). |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. 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) may also be included. | |
Range of animal species may include: | a wide range of animals typically seen in a veterinary clinic: birds dogs, cats and horses small animals (e.g. rabbits, rodents, ferrets and guinea pigs) wildlife or exotic animals (e.g. amphibians, reptiles and fish). |
Clinic facilities may include: | accommodation for a wide range of animals including: birds dogs, cats and horses small animals (e.g. rabbits, rodents, ferrets and guinea pigs) food-producing animals (e.g. cattle, pigs and sheep) wildlife or exotic animals (e.g. amphibians, reptiles and fish). |
Animal housing may include: | cages, pens, stables and yards kennels and catteries other large animal accommodation. |
OHS risks when working with animals may include: | animal bites, kicks, scratches and crush injuries biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal handling of chemicals and medicines gas leakage inhalation of aerosol particles intraocular contamination manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting needle pricks and cuts from other sharps release of infective agents (animal and human) slippery or uneven work surfaces zoonoses. |
Daily routine procedures may include: | assistance with: administering veterinary medicines under veterinary supervision maintaining fluid therapy lines clipping nails, beaks and feathers wound dressing assistance in the provision of adequate nutritional support assistance in the application of animal psychological procedures according to individual animal requirements: provision of comfort (e.g. touching, stroking, speaking, soothing and reassuring) privacy (e.g. hiding places for wildlife and shy species) monitoring vital signs. |
Forms of medication may include: | antibiotics, anthelmintics, anti-inflammatory drugs and anaesthetics, some of which may be administered only by the veterinarian. |
Legislative requirements relevant to medication administration will include: | animal codes of welfare federal, state and territory veterinary drug requirements. |
Veterinary support routines may include: | assistance with: applying casts renewing fluid therapy bags or bottles wound dressings assisting the veterinarian with: applying Elizabethan collars euthanasia. |
Security measures may include: | computer passwords deadlocks fireproof safe lighting locked cabinets for drugs and fireproof safe locked petty cash tin outside security firm security system. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Veterinary nursing |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.