Essential Clinical Skills for Enrolled / Division 2 Nurses

Part 1 General care 1.1 Hand hygiene 1.2 Bedmaking 1.3 Assisting the patient to ambulate 1.4 Assisting with eating and drinking 1.5 Assisting the patient to maintain personal hygiene bed bath or assisted shower, undressing/dressing, oral hygiene, eye and nasal care, shaving, hair and nail care 1.6 Assisting the patient with elimination 1.7 Patient comfort pain management (non-pharmacological interventions heat and cold) 1.8 Positioning of a dependent patient and pressure area care 1.9 Range of motion exercises Part 2 Documentation 2.1 Documentation 2.2 Clinical handover 2.3 Admissions and discharge 2.4 Health teaching Part 3 Assessment 3.1 Basic assessment 3.2 Temperature, pulse and respiration (TPR) measurement 3.3 Blood pressure measurement 3.4 Pulse oximetry 3.5 Blood glucose measurement 3.6 Mental status assessment 3.7 Neurological observation 3.8 Neurovascular observation 3.9 Pain assessment 3.10 12-Lead ECG recording Part 4 Medication 4.1 Medication administration oral, topical and suppositories 4.2 Medication administration eye drops or ointment administration 4.3 Medication administration injections Part 5 Asepsis 5.1 Aseptic technique 5.2 Dry dressing technique 5.3 Wound irrigation, wound swabs 5.4 Packing a wound 5.5 Suture, clip and staple removal 5.6 Drain removal and shortening Part 6 Acute care 6.1 Catheterisation (urinary) 6.2 Nasogastric tube insertion and feeding, gastric drainage and gastric tube feeding 6.3 Oxygen therapy via nasal cannula or various masks including nebulisers, metered dose inhalers and peak flow meters 6.4 Pre-operative care 6.5 Post-operative care 6.6 Recovery room care and handover 6.7 Suctioning of oral cavity 6.8 Tracheostomy care 6.9 Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) patient care pre and post treatment Part 7 Intravenous care 7.1 Venipuncture 7.2 Intravenous therapy (IVT) assisting with establishment 7.3 Intravenous therapy (IVT) management 7.4 Intravenous medication administration IV container 7.5 Intravenous medication administration burette 7.6 Intravenous medication administration bolus 7.7 Blood transfusion management Part 8 Specific skills 8.1 Isolation nursing 8.2 Gowning and gloving 8.3 Surgical scrub 8.4 Chest drains/underwater seal drainage management 8.5 Care of the unconscious patient Appendix I: ANMC National Competency Standards for the Enrolled Nurse (2002)