Clinical Skills
At HEED Health, our training programs are designed to progressively build the clinical capabilities required for modern pre-hospital and emergency health care practice. From foundational first aid to advanced emergency interventions, each qualification equips students with the technical skills, assessment techniques, and pharmacological knowledge needed to deliver safe and effective patient care. The following tables outline the scope of clinical skills and pharmacology competencies taught across Advanced First Aid, Certificate IV in Health Care, and the Diploma in Emergency Health Care.
Clinical Skills
| Technical Skills | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
| Access | |||
| Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation | ✓ | ||
| Airway | |||
| Lateral position | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Foreign body obstruction | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suctioning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Double airway manoeuvre | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Triple airway manoeuvre | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Oropharyngeal airway | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nasopharyngeal airway | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Direct laryngoscopy | ✓ | ||
| Laryngeal mask airway | ✓ | ||
| Magill forceps | ✓ | ||
| Assessment | |||
| APGAR Score | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Blood glucose – Glucometer | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glasgow Coma Score | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Mental status | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Neurological status assessment | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Non-invasive blood pressure – manual | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Non-invasive blood pressure – auto | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pain assessment | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Perfusion status assessment | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pre-hospital stroke screening | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Primary survey | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pulse oximetry | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Secondary survey | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Tympanic temperature | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Vital signs survey | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Waveform EtCO2 | ✓ |
| Technical Skills | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
| Behavioural disturbances | |||
| Emergency examination authority (QLD or relevant state Act) | ✓ | ||
| Mental illness | ✓ | ||
| Sedation assessment tool | ✓ | ||
| Cardiac | |||
| ECG acquisition – 4 lead | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ECG interpretation – 4 lead | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cardiac monitoring | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ECG acquisition – 12 lead | ✓ | ||
| ECG interpretation – 12 lead | ✓ | ||
| ECG Interpretation | |||
| Sinus rhythm | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sinus bradycardia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sinus tachycardia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ventricular fibrillation | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ventricular tachycardia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ventricular tachycardia – pulseless | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Supraventricular tachycardia | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Premature ventricular contraction | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Asystole | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) | ✓ | ✓ | |
| STEMI | ✓ | ||
| N-STEMI | ✓ | ||
| Atrial fibrillation | ✓ | ||
| Atrial flutter | ✓ | ||
| Torsade’s de Point | ✓ | ||
| 1st degree heart block | ✓ | ||
| 2nd degree heart block – type 1 | ✓ | ||
| 2nd degree heart block – type 2 | ✓ | ||
| 3rd degree heart block | ✓ | ||
| Left bundle branch block | ✓ | ||
| Right bundle branch block | ✓ |
| Technical Skills | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
| Drug administration (routes) | |||
| Epi-pen auto injector | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inhalation | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Intramuscular | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Nebuliser | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Oral | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sublingual | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Intranasal | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Subcutaneous | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Priming of gravity flow giving set | ✓ | ||
| Extrication | |||
| Stretcher – Stryker, Ferno | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Stairchair – Stryker, Ferno | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Carry sheet | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Combi-carrier | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Patslide | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Vacuum full body mattress | ✓ | ✓ |
| Technical Skills | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
| Obstetrics | |||
| Physiological cephalic delivery | ✓ | ||
| Bimanual compression | ✓ | ||
| Breech delivery | ✓ | ||
| External aortic compression | ✓ | ||
| Nuchal cord | ✓ | ||
| Postpartum haemorrhage | ✓ | ||
| Shoulder dystocia | ✓ | ||
| Respiratory | |||
| Bag valve mask ventilation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Oxygen therapy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Emergency chest decompression – Needle (cannula) traumatic cardiac arrest | ✓ | ||
| Emergency chest decompression – Needle (cannula) tension pneumothorax | ✓ |
| Technical Skills | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
| Resuscitation | |||
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic life support algorithm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Defibrillation – Semi automatic (AED) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Defibrillation – manual | ✓ | ||
| Reversible causes of cardiac arrest | ✓ | ||
| Advanced life support algorithm | ✓ | ||
| Trauma | |||
| Arterial tourniquet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bandaging – roller bandage and sling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bandaging – Israeli emergency bandage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cervical collar – soft | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cervical collar – hard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Femoral traction splint | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Helmet removal | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Kendrick Extrication Device | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Manual in-line stabilisation | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pelvic splinting | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Vacuum splints | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Haemostatic wound dressing | ✓ | ||
| Wound packing | ✓ | ||
| Scene management / Mass casualty incidents | |||
| Scene command | ✓ | ||
| Triage – ‘Sort and Sieve’ | ✓ | ||
| CBRIE incidents | ✓ |
Pharmacology
| Pharmacology | Advanced First Aid | Certificate IV in Health Care | Diploma in Emergency Health Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenaline – Epipen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adrenaline – ampoule | ✓ | ||
| Aspirin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amiodarone | ✓ | ||
| Benzyl penicillin | ✓ | ||
| Box jellyfish antivenom | ✓ | ||
| Ceftriaxone | ✓ | ||
| Clopidogrel | ✓ | ||
| Dexamethasone | ✓ | ||
| Droperidol | ✓ | ||
| Fentanyl | ✓ | ||
| Fexofenadine | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glucagon | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glucose gel | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Glucose 10% | ✓ | ||
| Glyceryl trinitrate | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Heparin | ✓ | ||
| Hydrocortisone | ✓ | ||
| Ibuprofen | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ipratropium bromide | ✓ | ||
| Ketamine | ✓ | ||
| Loratadine | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Magnesium sulphate | ✓ | ||
| Methoxyflurane | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Metoclopramide | ✓ | ||
| Midazolam | ✓ | ||
| Morphine | ✓ | ||
| Naloxone | ✓ | ||
| Olanzapine | ✓ | ||
| Ondansetron | ✓ | ||
| Oxygen | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Oxytocin | ✓ | ||
| Paracetamol | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Salbutamol – MDI | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Salbutamol – nebulised | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sodium chloride 0.9% | ✓ | ||
| Water for injection | ✓ |