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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Demonstrate the interpretation of vital signs when providing primary emergency care or first aid 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
116501  Demonstrate the interpretation of vital signs when providing primary emergency care or first aid 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Occupational Health and Safety 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services Preventive Health 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular-Fundamental  Level 3  NQF Level 03  1 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2007-08-07  2008-02-06  SAQA 0160/05 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2009-02-06   2012-02-06  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard is replaced by: 
US ID Unit Standard Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Credits Replacement Status
254220  Provide primary emergency care/first aid as an advanced first responder  Level 3  NQF Level 03  8   

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This Unit Standard requires learners to be able to demonstrate the interpretation of vital signs when providing primary emergency care/ first aid.

Learners credited with this Unit Standard are capable of:
  • Identifying the anatomical position for taking of vital signs of the human body.
  • Monitoring of vital signs is demonstrated.
  • Interpreting and recording of vital signs. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Credits assigned to this Unit Standard are based on the assumption that learners have attained competence in terms of knowledge of medical best practice when starting to learn towards this unit standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Specific range statements are provided in the body of the Unit Standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Identify the anatomical position for taking of vital signs of the human body. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Explain the anatomical position for taking of vital signs. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Temperature (oral, armpit, rectum), Pulse (carotic, brachial, ulnar, femoral, dorsal), Respiratory (chest movements, breathing).
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The interpretation of vital signs of the human body is demonstrated. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Vital signs must include The pulse (volume, rhythm), Breathing (rhythm, volume), Temperature of the skin (cold, hot, clammy), Skin colour (flushed, pale).
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The use of senses to identify signs and symptoms of injury or illness are explained. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Sense must include Sight, Touch, Hearing, Smell.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Monitoring of vital signs is demonstrated. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The monitoring of the pulse is demonstrated in accordance with primary emergency care/first aid principals. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Pulse must include Pulse speed, Tempo, Volume, Rhythm.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The monitoring of breathing is demonstrated in accordance with primary emergency/ first aid principles. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Breathing must include Rate of breathing, Tempo of breathing.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The monitoring of the skin and identifying of skin colour is in accordance with primary emergency/ first aid principles. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Skin colour must include Temperature, Colour of the skin.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Interpret and recording of vital signs. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The assessment and the interpretation of vital signs are explained. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The recording and continuous monitoring of the vital signs is demonstrated and explained. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The interventions taken to prevent deterioration of vital signs are demonstrated. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The reporting of intervention and hand over of casualty to medical personnel is explained. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Assessment of learner achievements takes place at providers accredited by a relevant ETQA (RSA, 1998b) for the provision of programmes that result in the outcomes specified for this Unit Standard. Anyone assessing a learner against this Unit Standard must be registered as an assessor with a relevant ETQA. Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this Unit Standard must be accredited as a provider with a relevant ETQA. The relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures will oversee moderation of assessment and is responsible for moderation of learner achievements of learners who meet the requirements of this Unit Standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Learners are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the learner's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the Unit Standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. Note: The ability of the candidate to identify first aid treatment needs will improve his/her problem solving skills. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community. Note: The ability and willingness of the candidate to interact and work correctly, indicates that he/she can work effectively as a team member in the bigger organisational structure. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively. Note: The identification of conditions that may influence the performance and well being of persons and the taking of appropriate action will indicate that the candidate can organise and manage activities in his/her working environment. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. Note: The ability of the candidate to collect, organise and evaluate the necessary first aid treatment needs will indicate a level of proficiency. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively, using visual, mathematical and / or language skills in the modes of oral and / or written presentations. Note: The ability of the candidate to use visual and language skills to report on first aid treatment will indicate his/her effectiveness to communicate information in the mode of oral or written reports. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others. Note: The ability of the candidate to use science and technology effectively will contribute towards safeguarding the environment and health of others. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. Note: The ability of the candidate to identify and refer anomalous conditions to an authorised person, confirms understand that a specific observation, inference, action or decision can have an interrelated effect. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    Assessors should keep the following principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this Unit Standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the learner competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the learner is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this Unit Standard, that the learner can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 254220, which is "Provide primary emergency care/first aid as an advanced first responder", Level 3, 8 credits.

    Specified requirements include legal and site-specific requirements and are contained in one or more of the following documents:

    Legal Requirements
  • Relevant Acts: e.g. Mine Health & Safety Act, 1996 (Act no 29/1996), and Minerals Act and Regulations, 1991 (Act no 50/1991), Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993).
  • Mandatory Codes of Practice
  • Chief Inspector of Mines' Directives

    Site-specific
  • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA)
  • Occupational Health and Safety Risk Management Programme
  • Managerial Instructions
  • Mine Standard Procedures
  • List of Recorded OH&S Risks
  • Equipment and Materials Specifications 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Elective  48804   National Certificate: Occupational Safety, Hygiene and Environment  Level 2  NQF Level 02  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2008-11-26  Was HW SETA until Last Date for Achievement 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.