Educational Handbook for Health Personnel (WHO - OMS, 1998, 392 p.): Chapter 1: Priority health problems and educational objectives: Professional tasks and specific educational objectives

DETACH

NO HIGHLIGHTING

Educational Handbook for Health Personnel (WHO - OMS, 1998, 392 p.)

Chapter 1: Priority health problems and educational objectives

		(introduction...)
		The educational planning spiral
		The road to relevance
		System?
		The actors involved in activities related to health care
		Importance of defining professional tasks
		Selection of training goals1
		Example of services provided by rural health units1
		Types of educational objectives
		General objectives: professional functions
		Professional activities and intermediate objectives
		Building in relevance
		Professional tasks and specific educational objectives
		Identifying the components of a task
		Definition of specific educational objectives in relation to a task

Professional tasks and specific educational objectives

1.48

Having established the principal functions that outline the role of a health worker, we then went on to achieve a greater degree of precision by describing the activities corresponding to each function. Now we must go further and define each of the specific professional tasks corresponding to each activity. Let us continue with the example furnished by our Algerian colleagues.

They decided to define the tasks corresponding to activity 11.4: “Organize reception and surveillance of emergency cases” (see p. 1.43).

Here is the list:

11.4.1 Check the availability of equipment needed for emergencies (drugs, instruments, beds), using a checklist.
11.4.2 Treat, in order of urgency, several patients who arrive at once.
11.4.3 Support the vital functions of a child, in accordance with an ad hoc outline of procedures.
11.4.4 Avoid any action that could endanger the life of the child.
11.4.5 Handle the child gently.
11.4.6 Reassure the child.
11.4.7 Explain to the parents why the child must be kept in hospital.
11.4.8 Offer moral support to the parents.
11.4.9 Organize a surveillance schedule for an emergency case.
11.4.10 Decide to move the patient.
11.4.11 Plan the move.
11.4.12 Prepare a newborn baby for transfer.
11.4.13 Prepare a child for transfer.
11.4.14 Explain to the parents how the administrative structures involved in admissions and departures function.
11.4.15 Identify the various administrative structures involved in a referral.
11.4.16 Distribute work among health personnel assigned to the emergency service.
11.4.17 Elicit the reasons for various surveillance activities from nursing staff.
11.4.18 Explain the reasons for various surveillance activities to nursing staff.
11.4.19 Reassure the mother of a child admitted to hospital.

The definition of educational objectives must result from a collective effort, in which the students have a part to play.

Any hopes that teachers may have of developing the motivation of students will be realized only when the latter have really been able to make a choice, that is, to decide for themselves on the tasks (educational objectives) to be performed. For this the tasks (objectives) must be clearly defined and presented as a choice; it is even better if the students can participate in their formulation.