Standard 5: Clinical Care

Standard 5 has seven outcomes. Outcome 5.1, clinical governance, means the organisation has systems that make clinical care safe, effective and continually improving, with clear responsibilities and oversight by qualified health professionals. For care workers, the key is knowing the limits of your role: you only perform tasks you have been trained and assessed as competent to do for that person by a qualified health practitioner, and you always follow the person's care plan. This course builds knowledge only. You report clinical concerns promptly to the registered nurse or your team leader.

Outcome 5.2 covers infection prevention in clinical care, including care of wounds and devices such as catheters, and antimicrobial stewardship, which means using antibiotics only when they are really needed so they keep working. Outcome 5.3 requires medicines to be used safely, with the right medicine given to the right person at the right time. Care workers support these outcomes by using good hand hygiene around devices and wounds, reporting signs of infection, following medication assistance procedures they are trained in, and reporting any error, missed dose or side effect straight away.

Outcome 5.4, comprehensive care, means clinical needs are assessed and planned by qualified health professionals working together with the older person. Outcome 5.5, clinical safety, requires providers to identify and manage high impact, high prevalence clinical risks. These include falls, pressure injuries and wounds, pain, nutrition and hydration, swallowing and choking, continence, oral health, mental health and sensory changes. Care workers are often the first to notice early warning signs. This lesson covers what to watch for and how to escalate quickly when a person is deteriorating.

Outcome 5.6 requires good clinical care for people with cognitive impairment, including dementia and delirium. Changes in behaviour often signal an unmet need such as pain, fear, hunger or a noisy environment, and should be understood rather than simply controlled. Non medication strategies come first, and restrictive practices must only be used as a last resort under strict legal requirements. Outcome 5.7 requires palliative and end of life care that respects the person's wishes, manages pain and symptoms, and supports families. This lesson finishes with a summary of the whole Standard.

This case study follows Mrs Salma Haddad, who lives with her daughter and receives home care support, with a registered nurse visiting to dress a wound on her lower leg. During a morning visit, her support worker notices the dressing has leaked, there is a new smell, and Mrs Haddad is hot and more confused than usual. The lesson shows how to recognise possible signs of infection and deterioration, stay within your role, and escalate quickly to the registered nurse or emergency services. Key points: do not touch or redo a dressing you are not trained for, report the same day, and record clearly.

This case study follows Mr Patrick O'Brien, a resident in a residential care home who has had two near falls in the past fortnight. One night he falls while walking to the bathroom. The lesson walks through what a care worker does at the time of the fall, how the registered nurse assesses him and manages his care afterwards, and how the team reviews his falls risk with him. Key points: do not lift someone before they are checked, stay with them, call the registered nurse, record what happened, and share what you know about near falls and changes in mobility.

This final case study follows Mrs Keiko Tanaka, a resident receiving palliative care whose advance care plan says she wants to stay in her room at the home, with her family and her favourite music close by. On an afternoon shift her care worker notices signs of pain and distress, and her daughter asks for more pain relief. The lesson shows how to report symptoms promptly to the registered nurse, provide comfort within your role, support family and look after yourself. It ends with a summary of the whole course, including the reminder that it builds knowledge only.