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TRAINING OF CERTIFIED
HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS AS CLINIC DISPENSERS (PRA10A) The SMA Healthcare Assistants Training Programme is an ITE (Intstitute of Technical Education) certified course which was developed with a grant from Skills Development Fund to train healthcare workers at technician level. This course was developed jointly with the assistance of various professional bodies and the Ministry of Health in 1 990. The Association of Private Medical Practitioners (which was subsumed into SMA in 1994) and private hospitals were instrumental in initiating the programme. More than $250,000 was provided by the State through the SDF to develop training materials for this programme. The programme aims to train healthcare assistants to provide healthcare for inpatient, outpatient and housebound patients respectively. There are 2 main components of the programme. The first is the l-year supervised work experience in which they have to formally complete under supervision a series of defined procedures. The other component consists of attendance of a basic healthcare module and another relevant module. (Please see Appendix 1 for full details of the modules) An ITE certificate is awarded upon completion of the above two components and passing written as well as practical examinations. The training is subverted by the Skills Development Fund. REQUIREMENTS OF HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS (OUTPATIENT) The programme accepts healthcare assistants who have at least Secondary 3 education and have secured a training job, or those who have at least one year on-the-job training. ITE certification in Healthcare (Outpatient) would be awarded for clinic assistants who have completed the Basic Healthcare Module and Clinic Dispensing Module, and 40 out of 54 tasks during the Supervised Skills Training. They are also required to pass a practical examination and MCQ Tests. TRAINING IN CLINIC DISPENSING Training in clinic dispensing constitutes 37 out of 56 hours in Module 11 and 15 tasks of the 54 tasks in the Supervised Field Training (Please see Appendix 11). Besides theory examination, field trips to hospital and private pharmacies store are also part of the course. The clinic assistants are also required to pass the ITE MCO examination and practical tests as part of the ITE Course. Details of the course fees and application form can be found in Appendix Ill.
As of December 1997, a total of 2,286 healthcare assistants have participated in the Course and have received ITE certification. Many clinics now have at least one employee who has been formally trained and state-certified in this manner. The SMA will continue to help doctors provide quality care to their patients by ensuring that their clinic staff is adequately trained. We will also look into organising more training programmes for existing clinic staff who are already trained. Six workshops have been planned for 1999 as part of Continuing Medical Education for the clinic assistants. The importance of training was also deliberated in the President's Forum in the August 1998 issue of the SMA News. (Please see Appendix IV).
HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS PROGRAMMES TRAINING MODULES
MODULE 1 - BASIC HEALTHCARE MODULE (56 HOUURS)
MODULE II - DISPENSING & CLINIC PRACTICE MODULE (56 HOURS)
ITE CERTIFICATE IN HEALTHCARE REQUIREMENTS
APPENDIX II SUPERVISED FIELD TRAINING - 54 TASKS Communication 1. Explain to patients & relatives about clinic policies Health Screening and Lab. Tests 2. Take patient's heights and weights 3. Take body temperature 4. Take radial pulse 5. Take patient's respiration 6. Instruct patients on collection of urine specimens (mid-stream urine) 7. Test urine 8. Assist in venepuncture First Aid and Emergency 9. Apply bandages 10. Recognise patients that need urgent/emergency treatment Reception Duties 11. Register new patients 12. Assist flow of patients in clinic 13. Schedule patients' appointments 14. Schedule patients for outpatient diagnostic tests(X-ray, blood tests) 15. Make telephone calls to fix appointments for consultation or outpatient diagnostic procedures 16. Handle incoming telephone calls 17. Process incoming mail 18. File and retrieve record cards 19. File letters, diagnostic reports and progress notes in patients' records 20. Handle drug representatives* 21. Oversee clinic cleanliness and maintenance Assisting the Doctor 22. Prepare room for consultation 23. Provide patient privacy and chaperon patients during examination/procedures 24. Assist in rectal examination 25. Assist in gynaecological examination 26. Assist in toilet and suture/minor surgery 27. Prepare skin for surgery 28. Arrange and assist in housecalls 29. Performing ECG recording Clinical Duties 30. Test visual acuity using eye-chart 31. Test colour vision by means of lshihara chart 32. Do blood test for glucose 33. Do urine test for pregnancy 34. Sterilize instruments by boiiiing 35. Sterilize instruments by autoclave 36. Unwrap or open sterile packages maintaining sterility of contents 37. Practise handwashing technique 38. Put on sterile gloves 39. Clean wounds and change dressing Dispensing Medicine 40. Pack and label drugs dispensed* 41. Instruct patients on Use of drugs dispensed* 42. Instruct patients on use of inhalers* 43. Instruct patients on use of nebulizers* 44. Instruct patient on use of eye drops* 45. Instruct patient on use of eye ointments* 46. Instruct patient on use of ear drops* 47. Instruct patient on use of nose drops* 48. Instruct patient on use of suppositories* 49. Instruct patient on use of pessaries* 50. Instruct patient on use of skin cream* 51. Record drugs in the drug register* Drug Management 52. Order drugs and surgical supplies* 53. Receive drugs and surgical supplies* 54. Check inventory of drugs and surgical supplies* * Tasks relating to training in clinic dispensing
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