First Aid for Podiatrists in Vic

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The APodA (Vic) ‘First Aid for Podiatrists’ course dates and locations are now available for booking.

This course has been developed in direct response to the Podiatry Board of Australia’s (PBA) Codes and Guidelines that apply to all practicing podiatrists throughout Australia. Minimum Standards of required CPR and First Aid for podiatrists have changed to be more extensive!

IMPORTANTLY: General Podiatrists will now be required to undergo a full day of more extensive first aid training structure to meet the codes and guidelines. This course will be valid for a 3 year period. Prescribing podiatrists now have the SAME first aid requirements as that of general podiatrists.

(Note: First Aid Training DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE to your 20 hours CPD (General podiatrists) or 30 hours CPD (Prescribing podiatrists).

The PBA will be conducting audits on Australian podiatrists to ensure requirements are being met. You are required to keep records and details of course completion. Certificates will be issued as an inclusion of the APodA (Vic.) coordinated courses.

ENSURE THAT YOU ARE COMPLYING WITH THE REQUIRED STANDARDS!!​

 

Re: First Aid for Podiatrists

Hiya MelbPod, surely in that 3 year period after initial training, the goal posts for the standards are likely to change (yet again!). Just my thoughts, Cheers,
Paul.

 

Hi Sally, how does an overseas Pod who wishes to remain Austarlian reg keep up to date with this type of thing ?

 

Hi Paul, I'm not sure I fully understand what you are asking/stating, I will do my best to answer your query -
Yes you are right, as advancements are introduced first aid courses are often updated. This will be the case with the APodA Vic course also as we are utilizing a registered training organization.
So I would expect when the 3 years comes around there will likely be changes introduced since you last undertook the course.
The 3 year period of renewal is a common standard for various first aid courses at higher levels. It is expected that you will retain essential skills for that period. Obviously, this is the minimum requirement that is needed by the registration board, if for whatever reason or peice of mind you want to undertake advanced first aid or renew your course more regularly that is fine, but over and above minimum requirements.
I hope this helps!

 

Hi Michael,
The research the APodA Vic have undertaken into requirement standards and working with a provider to meet this were purely in Victoria unfortunately. (You could come back for a holiday )
In terms of interstate and overseas providers, I could not be sure. I would advise contacting the Podiatry Board of Australia and request details directly from them into how you may be able to achieve this.
Sorry I couldn't assist more with this one, but being a state based association, obviously our focus is more local to our members.
Have a nice night,
Sally

 

Thanks Sally understand, would you by any chance have an email adress of the best person to take this up with and few other issues related to being OS. Maybe PM if you have an address if not I have a look, I tend to find the email adress on the website get "lost" in the system.

Thanks for your help.

 

I'm in a similar situation maintaining registration in NZ and Aus.
I'm making this reply off the top of my head, without having fully checked all the "facts"

so apologies for any error

I'm thinking this thread relates to a first aid reqt developed under the Vic reg's before national registration came into effect. So perhaps that will change things a bit

I tried looking around the new "national board" website for details of continuing pd requirements and wasn't successful in finding any, perhaps they have yet to be put online? or maybe I missed the tab'.


I know NSW had a requirement for workplace first aid every 3 years and update on life support in between so long as it covered use of defibrillation and adrenaline. This course was provided by various organisations including Red Cross who offer an online option with the proviso that there is a small hands on session to cover aspects of cpr. You can check it out online .

As best I know organisations like Red Cross regard their training to be "internationally standardised" so something like Life Support and First Aid could be argued to be valid despite the location it's done in.


Regards
Greg

 

Greg - it the new national requirements.
See the Guidelines here for Podiatry Guidelines for continuing professional development
http://www.podiatryboard.gov.au/en/Codes-and-Guidelines.aspx

 

Hi guys,

does anyone know the date when we are meant to have completed our First Aid?

Thanks

 

November 2011

 

Board Guidlines for Podiatrists:

"A Podiatrist must:

hold a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) certificate that includes management
of anaphylaxis and use of an Automated
External Defibrillator from an Approved Training
Organisation."

Aren't first aid certificates valid for 3 years and CPR valid for 12 months? They are two separate courses which can be run together (but do not have to be).

Hence shouldn't Podiatrists be doing a yearly CPR update (regardless of anesthetics use) according to the new PBA guidelines?

Would like some discussion and thoughts on clearing this up??

 

Paul,

This is what one of the training websites states

So not sure what the PodBoA take is on this...

Also the HLTFA201A, does not appear to provide any specific training on the management of anaphylaxis.

 

Hi Stephen,

Yes - my understanding would be you need to complete full First Aid every 3 years and CPR every year in an update. I can't find any clarification for the PBoA on their site. It would make sense though (as CPR components change quite regularly depending on the guidelines issued worldwide) for a CPR update to be mandatory every 12 months.

 

Thanks everyone I will be attending the course on Fri 19th Nov so look forward to seeing any other members there.

 

Just out of intrest how long would this be valued for am i wasting my money by attending. I practice in Victoria?

 

The National Podiatry registration requirement is for a current CPR certificate that includes management of anaphylaxis and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator from an approved training organisation.

There are ten health professions covered under National registration plan
The Chiropractic and Osteopathy boards require a Senior first aid certificate level 2.
Podiatry and Optometry require a CPR certificate. However with Optometry an exemption can be granted on application to the board.
All the other boards don't have a requirement for either the CPR or senior first aid level certificates. These include the Medical, the Nursing and Midwifery, the Pharmacy, the Psychology, the Dental and the Physotheraphy Boards.

Why do Podiatrists need a CPR certificate? Where is the evidence to support this requirement.
Only Podiatrists have the CPR requirement as I would imagine that Optometrists would apply to their Board for an exemption.

AND quess what. I believe that the podiatry board also would prefer that podiatrists have an an Automatic External defibrillator.

Podiatrists treat lower limb and the feet.

What does your insurance company say about a podiatrist treating heart patients?
Who is responsible if the Podiatrist treats the PX, they die or become a vegetable and the patient/estate sues?

Who will be providing the funding for these defibrillators and reimbursing podiatrists for the costs of the CPR course??

 

Trevor I think you are thinking too much about it - if you look at it from another angle one could say that the PBOA has the strictest and safest clinician to patient to guidlines in Australia of ANY medical profession.

I dont believe it is about "treating heart patients" but more for the use of local anaesthetics which as synthetic cocaine derivatives can have significant effect on cardiac function. EpiPen or adrenlaine administration in the case of anaphhylaxis is becoming more necessary as developed allergies to substances such as LA become more prevalent.

I also believe it is for general first aid and safety - CPR on a patient who is in cardiac and respiratory arrest will get you no where, combine CPR with defibrillator in the first 3 minutes and the survival rate for an incident like this gets much better. The issue which the patient has (i.e. cardiac arrest) may not be due to your doing, it may happen in your clinic - wouldn't you want to do your best to keep them alive in this case until paramedics arrive?

So in short - Podiatry is one of (if not THE) safest in terms of clinical patient care. I congratulate the PBoA for taking these steps, as for me it is a day course every 3 years and a 3 hour course once a year - simply for peace of mind.

Might I also add that the last full day First Aid course I did was amongst one of the most enjoyable CPE courses I have attended, mostly due to the sheenanigans of Trevor Proskowitz and Russell Rubin (who amongst being exceptional Podiatrists in their own rights) are extremely entertaining people to study with! Trevor treating Russel as a "car accident victim" for first aid certification was pure gold, not to take anything away from the issue at hand.

 

I have booked myself a place on the course for 19th Novemeber and intend to make the most of it. I am sure the expereince will be useful - just hoping I never have to use what I learn for real. But if I do I will have a much greater insight. Look forward to seeing any others there that may be attending that date.

 

Why do we need to know how to use a defibrillator?
Does anyone own one of these in their private clinic?

 

Hi

Does anyone know how I can find out who are the approved training organisations for the First Aid course? I know there is the Pod Vic course but wondered who else was approved to teach it.

Thanks

TB

 

The chance of recovery from cardiac arrest with out defribillation drops 10% every minute. So if you do the maths - the average response time for an ambulance in NSW is around the 16-19 min mark. If you don't have a defibrillator handy and have to wait 16-19 mins your patient will not survive.

That's the reason why you need to know how to use one and why you should have one. These days most are automatic and don't require you to have any real knowledge to use them - they will guide you though the process and only shock you if the correct rhythm is identified. They aren't that expensive these days either.

Does the above mean you SHOULD own one in your private clinic? Only you can answer that!