Curriculum standards

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• demonstrate high-level communication skills, ensuring compassion and empathy
• respond to verbal and nonverbal cues and emotion while giving medical information and negotiating management plans
• explain diagnoses in context of serious illness communication, including significant investigation findings and further management options, using language appropriate to patients’ understanding and desire for information
• address questions, misunderstandings, and concerns about the condition and management options
• address prognoses if requested, demonstrating a sensitive approach and ensuring understanding of past discussions and history
• include significant others in conversations when appropriate
• communicate with other health professionals and members of the multidisciplinary team as needed
• write relevant and detailed medical record entries, including clinical assessments and management plans

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• recognise communication triggers by cues, and require further training in communication skills to support patient care
• require supervisor input for complex or highly emotional conversations
• recognise engagement with multidisciplinary colleagues to support management plans and elicit broad understanding of patients’ and family members’ distress

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• incorporate infection control into clinical practice
• participate in effective clinical handover
• recognise and effectively deal with aggressive patient behaviours through appropriate training
• obtain informed consent before undertaking any investigations or providing treatment (except in emergencies)
• contribute to monitoring and evaluation strategies around clinical assessment and management, such as clinical audits
• evaluate and explain the benefits and risks of clinical interventions based on individual patients’ circumstances
• identify evidence-based practice gaps using clinical indicators, and implement changes to improve patients’ outcomes

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• regularly self-evaluate personal clinical practice
• seek feedback on own clinical practice
• address gaps in knowledge and skills through self-directed learning and continuing professional development
• supervise junior colleagues in the provision of clinical care
• obtain informed consent before involving patients in teaching activities
• use teaching opportunities arising from clinical encounters
• use clinical encounters to educate patients on relevant aspects of health and disease

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• set clear goals and objectives for self-learning
• self-reflect frequently
• deliver teaching considering learners’ level of training

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• apply evidence-based guidelines to clinical practice
• analyse the relevant research literature in depth, and apply it to clinical practice
• support clinical research to build the palliative care evidence base

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• apply evidence-based guidelines and relevant review papers to clinical practice

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• use plain-language patient education materials, and demonstrate cultural and linguistical sensitivity
• demonstrate effective and culturally safe communication and care for Māori and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and members of other cultural groups
• use professional interpreters, health advocates, or community members to assist in communication with patients, and understand the potential limitations of each
• acknowledge patients’ beliefs and values, and how these might impact on health

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• display respect for patients’ cultures, and attentiveness to social determinants of health
• apply knowledge of the most common cultures in society to clinical practice
• appropriately access interpretive or culturally focused services

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• demonstrate professional values, including compassion, empathy, respect, integrity, and honesty to all patients
• maintain patient privacy and confidentiality according to legal guidelines
• assess patients’ capacity for decision making, involving surrogate decision makers appropriately

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• apply knowledge and clinical experience to diagnose and manage patients’ problems, making logical, rational decisions
• consider comorbidity, uncertainty, and risk when formulating differential diagnoses and management plans
• use the best available evidence for the most effective therapies and interventions to ensure quality care

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• demonstrate clinical reasoning by gathering focused information relevant to patients’ care
• recognise personal limitations and seek help in an appropriate way when required

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• work effectively as a member of multidisciplinary teams to achieve the best health outcome for patients
• identify colleagues in difficulty, and work within the appropriate structural systems to support them while maintaining patients’ safety
• refer patients appropriately

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• share relevant information with members of the health care team

Ready to perform without supervision

Expected behaviours of a trainee who can routinely perform this activity without needing supervision

The trainee will:

• aim to achieve optimal cost-effective patient care to allow maximum benefit from the available resources

Requires some supervision

Possible behaviours of a trainee who needs some supervision to perform this activity

The trainee may:

• identify and navigate components of the healthcare system relevant to patients’ care
• identify and access relevant community resources to support patient care