To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, please consider these essential skills and knowledge below. You must:

• Work with people to prepare and provide medication assistance.
• Have sound reading and numeracy levels.
• Have ability to complete medication documentation.
• Be tolerant, patient and willing to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, across various age ranges.
• Demonstrate good communication and listening skills to liaise and work with a range of people.
• Be able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Have observational skills to be able to identify changes in behaviour.
• Show problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to immediate safety risks.
• Have ability to take directions and follow instructions.
• Demonstrate sound understanding of the importance of personal and professional boundaries.
• Have good ethical behaviour.

Time Commitment – You will need to allocate appropriate time to complete this course. This includes attending classes on-site and/or online as outlined in the study mode; undertake independent study outside of class hours, including private study, assessment preparation, and research to successfully complete this course; and complete the work placement as the assessment requirement of this course.

You will need:

• Access a workplace to demonstrate the assessment requirements of this unit. This includes providing assistance with medication to at least 5 different clients according to their care plans.
• Vaccinations, prior to work placement, if requested by the workplace. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about vaccinations click here.
• Working with Children Check (WWCC), prior to work placement, if requested by the workplace. Only required if you are over 18 years old. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• National Police Clearance, prior to work placement, if requested by the workplace. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) clearance, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This information is provided directly to the workplace, not South Regional TAFE. The NDIS clearance includes a National Police Clearance. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about the NDIS click here.
• Travel to and from the suitable work environment to complete work placement.
• Work Placement, at times, that may be outside of standard South Regional TAFE student hours.

Below are some of the important personal skills you will be required to develop and demonstrate during training. These skills are highly valued by industry. 

• Respectful Communication and Empathy - Connect with people from diverse backgrounds, share information effectively. An ability to converse with clients and staff in English.
• Behaviour – Good ethical behaviour.
• Teamwork - Collaborate with allied health professionals and clients, show them respect, and be open to feedback.
• Problem Solving - There is always a solution. How do you respond to a challenge? If you identify a problem, we encourage you to ask questions, clarify as needed, and respond appropriately within your scope of practice.
• Initiative - Stay motivated, take proactive steps, and seek help when necessary.
• Planning - Manage time well. Knowing how to prioritise and completing your tasks efficiently are crucial for your success.
• Self-Management - Reflect on your performance. Reflection is a powerful tool for growth and success as a student at South Regional TAFE. Being a professional in the workplace can mean learning when to accept responsibility for your failures as often as your successes. This is how we learn!
• Learning – Recognise what your strengths already are. Then embrace all the new knowledge and experience from your South Regional TAFE journey to grow as a student. Some of the core learnings of this course include prepare for and provide medication assistance, complete medication documentation, support a client to self-administer medication and how to handle medication contingencies.
• Technology - Adapt to new tools, access digital resources, and integrate technology into your work.