Accreditation practice pointer: staff training

C8.1 A Our non-clinical staff complete training appropriate to their role and our patient population.

RACGP Standards for general practice.

The delivery of safe and quality care in general practice is a team effort, and so non-clinical practice staff must be trained appropriately to their role. Education and training encourage ongoing quality improvement and sound risk management. Training can be delivered by clinical colleagues or external providers, depending on the subject.

Non clinical staff might benefit from training in the following areas:

  • Triage

  • practice procedures

  • use of technology (hardware, systems and software)

  • first aid

  • medical terminology

  • medical practice reception

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness

  • cross-cultural safety

  • communicating with patients with communication needs (eg patients from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds or those with a communication impairment)

  • safe operation of specific equipment.

All relevant training of non-clinical staff must be recorded for Accreditation purposes.

This can be achieved through the following actions:

  • record each employee’s qualifications in employment files

  • specify required qualifications in job descriptions for each non-clinical role in the practice team

  • keep training logs that record training that non-clinical team members have completed

  • demonstrate how non-clinical practice staff are trained to facilitate the use of interpreters

  • demonstrate that practice team members seek to provide a culturally safe experience for their patients (see Criterion C2.1 – Respectful and culturally appropriate care for further information)

  • demonstrate how staff have access to cultural awareness education and ongoing cultural upskilling

  • keep a training calendar listing opportunities for professional development and training that has been completed

  • conduct annual performance reviews that identify learning and development goals

  • store documents that record training needs and training completed

  • demonstrate that non-clinical staff have undertaken infection prevention and control training appropriate to their role

  • demonstrate that non-clinical staff know who is responsible for infection prevention and control at your practice.

Margot Schoonmaker