Inherent requirements - Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (Pathology)

Introduction

Medical laboratory science requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level.

Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in this role.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time.
• The ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.
• The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time.
• Behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and workplace learning environments.

Justification

• Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective practice.
• Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments.
• Medical laboratory science students will be exposed to emergency situations and human suffering and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period.
• Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and workplace learning settings.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Participating in tutorials, lectures, simulation laboratories and workplace learning.
• Provide consistent practice over a negotiated time frame.
• Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback.
• Coping with own emotions and behaviours and maintain a professional approach.

Verbal

Introduction

Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences.
• Ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.
• Timely clear feedback and reporting.

Justification

• Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others develops trusting relationships.
• Communication may be restricted because of limitations of the individual (e.g. injury, disease or congenital conditions).
• Speed and interactivity of communication may be critical for individual safety or treatment.
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical to individual safety, treatment and management.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety and appropriate practice.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Participating in tutorials, lectures, simulation laboratories and workplace learning.
• Responding appropriately to a change in protocol in the laboratory setting.
• Communicating in a professional manner towards other students, academics and workplace learning supervisors.

Non-verbal

Introduction

Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to medical laboratory science and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic and non-judgemental.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues.
• Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
• Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences

Justification

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships.
• Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic and professional relationships.
• Being sensitive to individual and/or cultural differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.
• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for the safe and effective observation of patient symptoms and reactions to facilitate the assessment and treatment of patients.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Recognising and responding appropriately in tutorials, lectures, simulation laboratories and workplace learning settings.

Written

Introduction

Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Justification

• Construction of written text based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice.
• Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and patient notes  is vital to provide consistent and safe patient practice.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and workplace learning settings.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Constructing an essay to academic standards.
• Accurately providing the necessary information in a lab book in a timely manner that meets professional standards.
• Producing accurate, concise and clear scientific documentation.

Knowledge and thinking skills

Introduction

Consistent knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent medical laboratory science practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
• The ability to process information relevant to practice.
• The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.

Justification

• Safe and effective delivery of nursing practice is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately

Adjustments

• Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
• Applying knowledge of policy and procedures in tutorials, simulation laboratories and workplace learning.
• Appropriately applying knowledge of policy and procedures in the laboratory and biomedical setting.

Literacy (language)

Introduction

Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• The ability to acquire information and accurately convey appropriate, effective messages.
• The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information.
• The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.

Justification

• The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective assessment, treatment and delivery of practice.
• The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for the safe and effective delivery of medical laboratory science practice.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively.
• Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments.
• Producing accurate, concise and clear scientific documentation.

Numeracy

Introduction

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• The ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Justification

• Competent application of numeracy skills is essential in nursing to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of medical laboratory science practice.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Understand and use mathematical concepts to perform accurate biomedical experiments and provide accurate, reliable data.
• Critical analysis of relevant literature, including numeracy in statistics.

Visual

Introduction

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective medical laboratory science practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.

Justification

• Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe practice of self and to others.
• Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective medical laboratory science practice.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Accurately choosing the correct reagent in laboratory experiments.
• Observing and detecting subtle changes of histological slides, specimens and experiments.

Auditory

Introduction

Auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective medical laboratory science practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.

Justification

• Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage an individual's health needs consistently and accurately.
• Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective medical laboratory science practice.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing loss must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Identifying noises indicating instability in centrifuge machines, identifying timers and alarms that are aimed at accuracy and safety in the biomedical setting.
• Detecting sounds that indicate another person in the laboratory has been injured and the affected person is in danger.

Tactile

Introduction

Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe medical laboratory science practice.

Description

Student demonstrates

• Adequate tactile function sufficient to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.

Justification

• Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect patients' physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected to provide thorough medical laboratory science practice.
• Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective medical laboratory science practice..

Adjustments

• Adjustments must have the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services

Exemplars

• Determining whether pipette tips are properly inserted, whether single or multiple fibre filters are being used.

Gross motor

Introduction

Medical laboratory science involves physical demands and requires gross motor function.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice.

Justification

• Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise practice. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments

• Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate practice.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Respond safely in emergency situations.
• Maintaining balance while safely working in the biomedical setting.
• Safely retrieve, set-up and operate equipment.

Fine motor

Introduction

Medical laboratory science is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective practice.

Justification

• Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise practice. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects and individuals. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments

• Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate practice.
• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Staining histology slides.
• Calibration of pipettes.

Introduction

Medical laboratory science requires skills to live, learn and work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly through digital technologies.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Ability to access and use technology, and adapt to technological changes.

Justification

• Having the capability to operate various digital technologies in diverse learning and workplace settings.
• Understanding appropriate use of digital technology in various settings.
• Being able to access and update a range of programmes and platforms to deliver medications, remote health practice and health promotion and client/patient education programmes

Adjustments

• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Able to use digital technology safely to use infusion pumps and other medical equipment, electronic medical records (EMR), Telehealth.
• Able to use computers to access online learning resources to support learning.

Introduction

The medical laboratory science requires the ability to understand and effectively apply various financial skills.

Description

Student demonstrates:

• Ability to manage personal finances (such as budgeting) in order to manage costs associated with workplace learning.
• Ability to plan for the future costs of workplace learning by seeking seeking financial assistance, scholarships and grants.

Justification

• Sufficient finances are required to meet the incidental costs involved with workplace learning (WPL).
• Planning and budgeting to meet these costs is important during WPL for extended periods of time when paid employment is not possible.

Adjustments

• Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with Support Services.

Exemplars

• Able to manage personal finances for study and workplace learning (WPL) requirements (such as budgeting for accommodation on WPL, internet fees, meals and associated travel).