NZQA Expiring unit standard
24849 version 2
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Title
Conduct a patient assessment in an ambulance context
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
3
This unit standard is an introductory standard for people new to
an ambulance context.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
˗ perform a primary survey to identify any life threats in an
ambulance context;
˗ perform a secondary survey in an ambulance context;
˗ assess and record patient vital signs and explain perfusion
status in an ambulance context; and
˗ gather a patient medical history in an ambulance context.
Classification
Emergency Services > Ambulance
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and
safety prerequisites
Prerequisite: Unit 6400, Manage first aid in emergency
situations, and Unit 6401, Provide first aid, and Unit 6402,
Provide resuscitation level 2; or Unit 23406, Provide first aid for
trauma and medical emergency situations, or demonstrate
equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1
This unit standard has been designed for learning and assessment on-job or off-job.
Competency in this unit standard may be assessed in simulations.
2
Definitions
Ambulance context – situations where emergency care is delivered in a variety of
pre-hospital environments. Pre-hospital environments refer to any situation in which
people require medical assistance outside of a controlled medical environment, such
as a medical centre. Pre-hospital environments include situations both in and away
from an ambulance vehicle.
Best practice – for the purposes of this standard is a clinical technique or
methodology that has proven to be most effective at delivering a desired outcome
and is actively promoted across the ambulance and/or emergency care sector.
Clinical procedures – the written procedures particular to each ambulance service
and endorsed by Ambulance New Zealand.
Information gathered from other parties – facts such as patient’s name, patients
contact details, what happened to the patient, and so forth.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
24849 version 2
Page 2 of 4
Standing orders – written instructions issued by a medical practitioner that authorise
individuals engaged in the delivery of health services to supply and administer certain
medicines without a prescription in circumstances specified in the instruction.
Medical patient – has an illness to internal bodily functions.
Trauma patient – has sustained injury to the body from an outside force.
3
References
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996;
and all subsequent amendments and replacements.
4
Range
Performance in relation to the elements in this unit standard is to comply with current
clinical procedures and/or standing orders and/or current best practice;
and be appropriate for the patient’s condition.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Perform a primary survey to identify any life threats in an ambulance context.
Evidence requirements
1.1
The essential components of a primary survey in an ambulance context are
described.
1.2
Life threats that may be found during a primary survey in an ambulance context
are identified.
1.3
A primary survey is performed to establish if life threatening conditions are
present in an ambulance context.
Range
conscious and unconscious patients.
Outcome 2
Perform a secondary survey in an ambulance context.
Evidence requirements
2.1
The purpose of a secondary survey in an ambulance context is identified.
2.2
Conditions under which it would be inappropriate to perform a secondary survey
in an ambulance context are described.
Range
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
may include but is not limited to – a patient with a life threatening
condition found in the primary survey, conscious patient with an
isolated injury.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
2.3
24849 version 2
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A secondary survey is performed.
Range
an unconscious trauma patient, an unconscious medical patient, a
conscious trauma patient, a conscious medical patient.
Outcome 3
Assess and record patient vital signs and explain perfusion status in an ambulance
context.
Range
inclusion or exclusion of range items must be justified in relation to the patient
condition.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Vital signs are assessed and recorded to ascertain if they are within normal
parameters.
Range
3.2
includes but is not limited to – loss of consciousness, pulse,
respirations, blood pressure, skin, pupils.
Perfusion status is explained.
Range
includes but is not limited to – presence of carotid, femoral and
radial pulses, skin colour and temperature and dryness, level of
consciousness as a measure of brain perfusion.
Outcome 4
Gather a patient medical history in an ambulance context.
Evidence requirements
4.1
The components of a patient’s medical history are identified in an ambulance
context.
4.2
Information is gathered from a patient interview to establish a medical history in
an ambulance context.
4.3
Information is gathered from other parties to establish history relevant to a
patient or an event in an ambulance context.
Range
other parties may include but are not limited to – family,
bystanders, witnesses.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
24849 version 2
Page 4 of 4
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
22 August 2008
31 December 2019
Review
2
21 April 2016
31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0003
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
The Skills Organisation
SSB Code 100401
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016