Curriculum standards

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• advocate for patients in critical errors / ‘near misses’, and partner with patients in system improvement
• approach patient care and the healthcare system holistically, in terms of being able to identify stakeholders to participate in multidisciplinary quality improvement discussions
• discuss with patients any safety and quality concerns they have relating to their care
• enable the healthcare team to effectively communicate safety and quality concerns between team members and with patients
• implement the organisation’s open disclosure policy and statutory duty of candour
• encourage patients and carers to take an active role in advocating for their own safety and wellbeing
• verify quality and accuracy of reports or documentation generated by others and technologies, including artificial intelligence-informed large language models
• incorporate appropriate LGBTQIA+ safe language, including gender affirming language

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• demonstrate awareness of the evidence for consumer engagement and its contribution to quality improvement in health care
• apply knowledge of how health literacy might affect the way patients or populations gain access to, understand, and use health information

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• demonstrate an awareness of evolving concepts and approaches to quality and safety improvement, and management of risks within organisations
• demonstrate safety skills, including infection control, adverse event reporting, and effective clinical handover
• participate in organisational quality and safety activities, including morbidity and mortality reviews, clinical incident reviews, root cause analyses, and corrective action preventative action plans
• participate in systems for surveillance and monitoring of adverse events and ‘near misses’, including reporting such events
• ensure that identified opportunities for improvement are raised and reported appropriately
• use quality improvement methodologies (including clinical audits) and registries of data on patients’ experiences and outcomes, learnings from incidents, and complaints to improve care
• demonstrate awareness of factors that influence health care quality and safety, including the measurement and interpretation of key performance and quality indicators

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• be cognisant of a systematic approach to improving the quality and safety of health care
• demonstrate awareness of the steps required in performing quality improvement projects

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• participate in professional training in quality and safety to ensure a contemporary approach to safety system strategies
• translate quality improvement methodology into practice
• supervise and manage the performance of junior colleagues in the delivery of high-quality, safe care
• identify opportunities to increase the education and training of multidisciplinary team members in quality and service improvement

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• work within organisational quality and safety systems for the delivery of clinical care
• use opportunities to learn about safety and quality theory and systems

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• demonstrate the ability to carry out critical appraisal of the literature
• identify opportunities for research, focusing on quality and service improvements
• ensure that any protocol for human research is approved by a human research ethics committee, in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research
• demonstrate familiarity with quality improvement research guidelines

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• demonstrate awareness that patient participation in research is voluntary and based on an informed consent process regarding the purpose, methods, demands, risks, and potential benefits of the research
• demonstrate awareness of the ethics application process for conducting research and the various levels of ‘risk’ associated with clinical research

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• recognise the vulnerability of marginalised patient groups involved in quality assurance or research
• undertake professional development opportunities that address the impact of cultural bias on health outcomes

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• communicate effectively with patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• align improvement goals with the priorities of the organisation
• contribute to developing an organisational culture that enables and prioritises patients’ safety and quality

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• comply with professional regulatory requirements and codes of conduct

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• use decision-making support tools, such as guidelines, protocols, pathways, and reminders
• analyse and evaluate current care processes to improve care delivery
• explain human factors affecting safety, and describe strategies to prevent human error
• evaluate quality of processes and outcomes through well-designed quality improvement initiatives
• analyse adverse incidents using appropriate root cause / gap analysis tools to identify system failures and contributing factors
• evaluate improvement initiatives for outcomes and sustainability
• recognise own limitations and seek help, when required, in an appropriate way

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• access information and advice from other health practitioners to identify, evaluate, and improve patients’ care management
• inadequately consult with senior colleagues

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• formulate and implement quality improvement strategies with the multidisciplinary team to manage the complex care needs of patients and reduce complication risk
• promote and foster interprofessional education and collaborative practice to optimise the safety and quality of care
• foster a critical, data driven, evidence-based, multidisciplinary, and systems-orientated approach to quality and safety issues
• lead the development of project plans that identify enablers, barriers, stakeholders, and risks, and articulate implementation methods

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• demonstrate attitudes of respect and cooperation among members of different professional teams
• partner with clinicians and managers to ensure patients receive appropriate care and information on their care

Ready to perform without supervision

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

The trainee will:

• participate in all aspects of the development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of governance processes
• identify and address equity impacts on quality of care through quality improvement
• be familiar with institutional support frameworks and options when advocating for patients or disadvantaged populations
• participate regularly in multidisciplinary meetings where quality and safety issues are standing agenda items, and where innovative ideas and projects for improving care are actively encouraged
• measure, analyse, and report a set of specialty-specific process of care and outcome clinical indicators, and a set of generic safety indicators
• outline health policies relevant to society
• evaluate the quality and safety systems implemented within the workplace, and identify gaps in the structure of these systems
• devise and implement quality improvement strategies, such as clinical guidelines, reminders, academic detailing, and decision supports at a local level
• consider the importance of environmental sustainability when designing health systems and policies
• develop improvement plans that integrate local and system contexts
• establish data systems that enable regular monitoring and evaluation of processes of care and patient outcomes for specific patient populations
• develop policies informed by clinical practice
• actively and constructively advocate for individuals, populations, and health services lacking power and voice to improve care delivery
• seek to mitigate inequities of geographical isolation and lack of health service access on care provision
• encourage a culture of reporting safety incidents with a focus on systems issues and a no-blame culture
• take part in the design and implementation of the organisational systems for:
  • clinical education and training
  • defining the scope of clinical practice
  • performance monitoring and management
  • safety and quality education and training

Requires some supervision

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

The trainee may:

• maintain a dialogue with service managers about issues that affect patients’ care
• contribute to relevant organisational policies and procedures
• help shape an organisational culture that prioritises safety and quality through openness, honesty, learning, and quality improvement