Diabetes Education and Management – Inherent Requirements

1

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

2

Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and clinical environment.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Diabetes education students will be exposed to emergency situations and human suffering and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally

4

Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical settings.

5

Exemplars:

• Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback.
• Coping with own emotions and behave effectively when dealing with individuals in the clinical and community setting.

1

Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent diabetes education and management.

2

Student demonstrates:

• Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
• Ability to process information relevant to practice.
• Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

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

4

Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded.

5

Exemplars:

• Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
• Appropriately applying knowledge of policy and procedures in the clinical and community settings.
• Know and correctly interpret a wide range of clinical information to provide safe care of the person with diabetes.

1

Foundational literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of diabetes education and management.

2

Student demonstrates the ability to:

• Accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages.
• Comprehend a range of literature and information.
• Construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• The ability to acquire and comprehend information from multiple sources and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective diabetes education and management.
• The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for safe and effective delivery of diabetes education.

4

Adjustments to address literacy issues must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.

5

Exemplars:

• Conveying a spoken message accurately and effectively in a clinical or community setting.
• Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments.
• Communication of clinical requirements and treatments, with the completion of documentation in accordance with the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) scope of practice for diabetes educators.

1

Foundational numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective diabetes education.

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Competent application of numeracy skills is essential to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of diabetes education.

4

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.

5

Exemplars:

• Critical analysis of literature which includes interpretation of tables and figures and numeracy in statistics.
• Performing accurate calculations (e.g., basic carbohydrate counting, diabetes self-management education on insulin administration).

1

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective diabetes education.

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient visual acuity is required to ensure the performance, coordination and prioritisation of assessment and intervention and to maintain consistent, accurate and safe diabetes education and to protect the safety of self and others.
• Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective diabetes education.

4

5

Exemplars:

• Ability to observe issues which may compromise the safety of the person with diabetes during delivery of diabetes self-management education.
• Observing and detecting subtle changes in skin integrity near insulin injection site, taking accurate anthropometric measurements, or observation of correct client technique of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG).

1

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient auditory acuity is required to ensure the performance, coordination and prioritisation of assessment and intervention and to maintain consistent, accurate and safe diabetes education and to protect the safety of self and others.
• Active listening during individual and group consultation is fundamental to safe and effective diabetes education.

4

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical and community practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.

5

Exemplars:

• Accurately interpreting verbal cues from clients and their family/carers.
• Accurately interpreting client statements, requests, concerns, and comments.

1

Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform safe and effective diabetes education.

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient tactile ability is required to ensure the performance, coordination and prioritisation of assessment and intervention and to maintain consistent, accurate and safe diabetes education and to protect the safety of self and others.
• Tactile examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective diabetes education.

4

Adjustments must address the need to perform a range of tasks involved in clinical and community practice. Any strategies to address the effects of tactile impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise assessment, intervention or safety.

5

Exemplars:

• Conducting foot assessments, taking anthropometric measures.
• Detecting subtle changes in skin near insulin injection site.

1

Diabetes education involves physical demands and requires gross motor function.

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care. Tasks that involve gross motor skills including 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.

4

5

Exemplars:

• Respond in client safety and emergency situations, for example recognising an acute diabetes complication and responding appropriately.
• Able to safely retrieve and utilise stock and equipment.

1

Diabetes education is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

2

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care. 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.

4

Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate diabetes education.

5

Exemplars:

• Ability to program glucometer and demonstrate correct self-monitoring of blood glucose technique.
• Able to demonstrate setting prescribed units on insulin pen and correct injecting technique.

1

Diabetes education requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time.

2

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 duty.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care.

4

5

Exemplars:

• Participating in tutorials, lectures, skills throughout the day.
• Providing consistent diabetes education services over a negotiated timeframe.

1

Verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of diabetes education and management.

2

Student demonstrates the ability to:

• Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Provide clear and timely information in the context of the situation.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Communication may be restricted to verbal because of physical 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.

4

Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety.

5

Exemplars:

• Participate productively in tutorial, simulation and clinical discussions.
• Responding appropriately to a request in the clinical or community environment.

1

Non-verbal communication is fundamental to diabetes education and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.

2

Student demonstrates:

• The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues.
• Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
• Sensitivity to individual differences.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic, work 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, work and professional relationships.
• Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.
• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective observation of client responses, symptoms, and reactions to facilitate the assessment and treatment of clients.

4

5

Exemplars:

• Recognising and responding appropriately to behavioural cues in classroom situations.
• Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in the clinical and community environments.

1

Effective written communication is a fundamental diabetes education responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.

2

Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Construction of multiple essays/assignments to academic standards is required in order to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter, procedures and professional practice.
• Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and client notes, is vital to provide consistent and safe diabetes education.

4

Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in the academic, clinical, and community settings.

5

Exemplars:

• Constructing a critical review of the literature to academic standards.
• Producing accurate, concise and clear client documentation that meets professional standards and legal requirements.