Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2015

Course Code: EMPL5938C

Course Title: Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

School: 155T Vocational Health and Sciences

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5313 - Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled-Division 2 Nursing)

Course Contact: Leeanne Mond

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4837

Course Contact Email: leanne.mond@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Program Coordinator: Pamela Maher
Email: Pamela.maher@rmit.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 9925 4299

Nominal Hours: 20

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

NIL PRE REQUISITES OR CO REQUISITES

Course Description

This unit describes the communication and work practice skills and knowledge required to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the health industry context. It deals specifically with cross-cultural awareness and issues involving working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, organisations and communities
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTHIR404D Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people

Element:

1. Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work practices

 

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Acknowledge and respect the impact of events and issues in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
history during service delivery
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of and respect for the diversity of culture, skin and language groups, family
structures, art and religion in Indigenous cultures as part of service delivery

Element:

2. Reflect an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify the potential impact of cultural factors on service delivery to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander clients
2.2 Address cultural realities in order to facilitate full participation in service delivery by Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
2.3 Negotiate appropriate strategies to effectively accommodate cultural differences in the workplace
2.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective service delivery in a cross cultural context
2.5 Ensure work practices used in a cross cultural context are grounded in an awareness of one’s own
culture and the cultural realities of others

Element:

3. Communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Identify communication issues and ensure they are addressed to develop and maintain effective
relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and/or co-workers
3.2 Employ appropriate communication strategies to support a culturally safe environment for delivery of
health services
3.3 Identify ineffective and/or inappropriate communication strategies and remodel them to support
delivery of health services
3.4 Identify and utilise resources to facilitate effective communication within the workplace
3.5 Engage the services of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreters, health workers and colleagues
as cultural brokers as required to meet duty of care

Element:

4. Reflect cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Ensure workplace and professional relationships are based on mutual respect, tolerance of diversity and a
shared understanding of cultural safety
4.2 Identify critical issues influencing workplace and professional relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander co-workers and clients
4.3 Identify and utilise effective strategies to develop and maintain effective relationships with Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander co-workers and clients as appropriate
4.4 Take responsibility for revisiting strategies to assist in the resolution of any difficulties, differences or
misunderstandings that may occur

Element:

5. Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Develop and implement strategies to increase participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people in health service delivery
5.2 Ensure delivery of health care, services and programs reflect culturally safe and appropriate practice
5.3 Ensure health care, services and programs encourage self-determination and community control to
ensure improved health outcomes
5.4 Identify and utilise resources to promote effective partnerships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
people, organisations and communities
5.5 Support the development of effective partnerships between staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people and their communities to facilitate accessibility, affordability, accountability, acceptability of appropriate
healthcare and workplace services

Learning Outcomes


At the end of this course the students should be able to:


• Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander history & cultures in work practices
• Reflect an awareness of own & other cultural realities in work practices
• Communicate effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Reflect cultural safety in workplace and professional relationships
• Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities
 


Details of Learning Activities

• Formal classroom discussion.
• Group work
• Self-directed learning
• Lectures


Teaching Schedule

Lesson 1: Reflect an awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures in work place

Lesson 2: Reflect an awareness of own and other cultural realities in work practices

Lesson 3: Communicate effectively with aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Lesson 4: Reflect cultural; safety in workplace and professional relationship

Lesson 5: Work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Recommended reading:

  • Webster, M. (2005) Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary. Revised Edn. New York: Thompson-Delamar.
  • Funnell, R., Koutoukidis, G., Lawrence, K. 2009, Tabner’s Nursing Care: Theory and Practice, 5th Ed., Australia : Churchill Livingstone: Elsevier.
  • Crisp, J. & Taylor, C. 2007, 2nd ed., Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing, Australia: Harcourt, Mosby.


Overview of Assessment

Underpinning knowledge for this unit of competency will be assessed via the following methods:

  • Written Assessment
  • Field Trip Worksheet


Assessment Tasks

Field Trip Worksheet - 20%
Assignment - 80%


Assessment Matrix

Other Information

Classroom attendance 80% requirement

Field trip compulsory requirement for assessment

Assessment Process
Students are to refer to the RMIT website and orientation handouts for student information regarding requests for extension, special consideration and reasonable adjustment.

The following links contain information such as how/when to apply, the correct type of application, what documentation to complete, timeframes and other process requirements.
Requests for extension http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=8r23xxpe4fne
Special Consideration http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration
Reasonable adjustment http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kehn9bz22r41

Also refer to support services at http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=jas1bocqq6h9 for additional information or assistance. Remember that assistance is also available by keeping in contact with your unit teacher and program co-ordinator and you are encouraged to notify them as soon as possible of any issue or concerns.

It is important to note that the application for extensions, special consideration and reasonable adjustments does NOT lead to them being automatically granted. Some timeframes limit the acceptance of applications e.g. special considerations application MUST be lodged prior to or within 24 hours of the assessment date and/or time

Student Competency
In the event of the student achieving an unsatisfactory result in an assessment task, the student may be given ONE opportunity to resubmit the assessment. Re assessment opportunities are granted at the discretion of the Program Coordinator. In the event of the student receiving a second unsatisfactory grade this will result in the student failing the unit . Re-enrolment incurring fees, a possible return to class work and completion of any assessment tasks relevant at the time of the re-enrolment would be required to complete the unit of competency.

Plagiarism
RMIT University requires that you present only YOUR work for assessment. Plagiarism is a form of cheating in assessment and may occur in oral, written or visual presentations. It is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person, without appropriate referencing, as though it is your own. Penalties can include charges of academic misconduct, cancellation of results and exclusion from your course. It is also a disciplinary offence for you to allow your work to be plagiarised by another student. You are responsible for keeping your work in a secure place. When you submit work on blackboard under your logon, you are declaring that this is your own original work. Further information on plagiarism can be found at http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kkc202lwe1yv
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview