“The Hospital Skills Program (HSP) provides a life-long pathway for self-directed medical education across three levels of agreed expertise, utilising a variety of traditional and non-traditional resources and methods appropriate to the working environment of the participant, resulting in the acquisition of a skills portfolio useful to an employer, and appropriate to the local patient community.

1. Hospital Skills Program
(HSP)
Orientation Manual
2011

2. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
Table of Contents
Hospital Skills Program …… from a Hospitalist’s Perspective ................................................................ 3
HSP Team contact details ....................................................................................................................... 4
Background to the HSP ........................................................................................................................... 5
HSP Curricula........................................................................................................................................... 6
Enrolment Form ...................................................................................................................................... 7
HSP Timeframe ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Study Leave ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Rural Procedural Training Grants .......................................................................................................... 10
HSP Governance Committee................................................................................................................. 11
HSP LHD Education Sub-Committees.................................................................................................... 11
National Registration Standards - The Medical Board of Australia ...................................................... 12
2|Page

3. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
Hospital Skills Program …… from a Hospitalist’s
Perspective
“The Hospital Skills Program (HSP) provides a life-long pathway for self-directed medical education
across three levels of agreed expertise, utilising a variety of traditional and non-traditional resources
and methods appropriate to the working environment of the participant, resulting in the acquisition
of a skills portfolio useful to an employer, and appropriate to the local patient community.
The HSP recognises the heterogeneous nature of the skills and circumstances of Career Medical
Officer-equivalent medical practitioners, their continuing value in the delivery of health services to
the population of NSW, and their right to meaningful educational opportunities in a mode
appropriate to their working lives and geographic locations.
HSP recognises that self-directed education is the realm and property of the adult learner, and that
accountability for learning remains with the individual. Therefore HSP exists firstly to identify,
coordinate and facilitate the delivery of learning opportunities, and to assist the individual to
evaluate their progress across the three levels of HSP and to plan for their own future needs.
Furthermore, the HSP provides a mechanism to align clinical learning activities with the goals of the
health system and to deliver priority education to hospital generalist doctors when this need is
identified by expert groups such as NSW Health and the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission”.
Dr Mary Webber
Hospitalist
Ryde Hospital, NSW
3|Page

4. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
HSP Team contact details
4|Page

5. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
Background to the HSP
In the NSW public health sector
there are approximately 1200
CMOs, MMOs, GP VMOs and
SRMOs working in both hospital
and community settings. Although
the largest group work in
emergency departments, this group of doctors work in other clinical
areas including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, sexual
health, aged care, child and adolescent health, justice health,
women’s health and hospital medicine.
The overarching principle of the Hospital Skills Program (HSP) is to
improve patient care and safety by enhancing the professional
development, knowledge and skills of non-specialist doctors working
in NSW public hospitals who before the HSP had no formal
professional development framework.
5|Page

6. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
HSP Curricula
At this stage, curricula have been developed for the following Core
and Specialty areas:
Emergency Department Mental Health
Aged Care Core Skills
Further curriculum development is underway in the areas of
Children’s Health, Women’s Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs,
Hospital Medicine, Indigenous Health, Sexual Health and Rural
Medicine.
6|Page

7. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
Enrolment Form
Enrolment Form
NSW HOSPITAL SKILLS PROGRAM
The information collected in this form is for use by the Local Health District for the management of the participants’
progression through the Hospital Skills program. The information will be collected and stored in accordance with the
Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.
Submit this form directly to your HSP Education Support Officer by any of the following methods:
Fax: (insert local)
Email: (insert local)
PART 1: PERSONAL INFORMATION
SURNAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE INITIAL
CONTACT
ADDRESS
SUBURB STATE POSTCODE
EMAIL
TELEPHONE MOBILE
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
CURRENT POSITION MMO
FULL TIME EQUIVALENT
CURRENT PRIMARY HOSPITAL OR HOURS
INSTITUTION OF EMPLOYMENT
DEPARTMENT
AWARD DESIGNATION AND LEVEL
OTHER HOSPITALS OF EMPLOYMENT
(OTHER THAN FOR LOCUM WORK)
DO YOU ALSO DO LOCUM WORK?
DO YOU SPECIALISE IN ONE
DISCIPLINE (E.G. EMERGENCY OR
MENTAL HEALTH)? PLEASE SPECIFY.
7|Page

8. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
HSP Timeframe
The HSP has no timeframes. The program is self-paced and there are
no restrictions for completing modules.
There is no set order by which modules
have to be completed. You may
commence study at any point within a
curriculum. There are no prerequisites or
co-requisite subjects that you must
complete prior to commencement of a
module.
The mode of delivery will vary for HSP. While the majority of the
sessions will comprise face-to-face learning at workshops and
clinical skills forums, there will also be opportunities for on-line
learning and forums, attendance at conferences and participation
through video conferencing.
The HSP is currently collaborating with specialist colleges for access
to a variety of certificate, diploma and advanced diploma
qualifications.
Study Leave
While no formal study leave has been granted to HSP participants as
yet, the Area Governance Committee will work with hospital
administration to ensure award provisions are being honoured.
Participants working as CMOs are employed under the Public
Hospital Career Medical Officers (State) Award. After 12 months
employment, a CMO is entitled to 7 days of paid leave per year for
8|Page

9. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
the purposes of Continuing Medical Education (CME) and
professional development, relevant to the
position held by the CMO. This entitlement
can accrue to a maximum of 21 days.
Approval by the hosptial is needed for this
leave.
All expenses associated with this leave
should be reimbursed by the employer,
provided that no expenses or allowances
shall be payable in respect of travel or
accommodation outside Australia, except in
respect of courses run under the auspices of a recognised
Australasian Specialist College in New Zealand. These expenses
should be reimbursed where the approved Continuing Medical
Education or professional development activity falls on days that you
would not otherwise work.
Please contact your Education Support Officer for your Official Travel
Pack.
I
9|Page

10. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
Rural Procedural Training Grants
The Rural Procedural Grants
Program (RPGP) provides funding
to assist GP proceduralists in rural
and remote areas maintain and
upgrade their skills.
The program provides grants of up
to $2000 per day (for courses of six
hours duration or more) for GPs approved in the areas of
anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery or emergency
medicine to undertake skills maintenance.
10 | P a g e

11. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
HSP Governance Committee
The HSP LHD Governance Committees (LHDGC) meet quarterly and
the purpose of this Committee is to ensure safe, high quality training
for hospital medical officers through good governance and
management of the Hospital Skills Program within the Local Health
Districts.
The LHDGC also provides opportunities for relevant groups and
individuals to discuss ideas and strategies for improving training,
including resolution of any issues at a local level and the fostering of
relationships with key stakeholders within the LHDGCs who can
contribute to training delivery as well as assessment and support of
the HSP.
Your participation in LHDGCs Meetings is welcomed and
encouraged.
HSP LHD Education Sub-Committees
The HSP LHD Education Sub-Committees (LHDESC) meets on an “as
required” basis and the purpose of the LHDESC is to ensure safe, high
quality training for hospital medical officers by developing sound
educational strategies across clinical disciplines of the Hospital Skills
Program.
The LHDESC will inform the LHD Governance Committee and provide
expert advice and guidance to the Area Director of Hospital Training
on issues relating to development and implementation of education
strategies across disciplines. The LHDESC will also provide regular
feedback to CETI - Medical Division on strategies used for assessment
of skills and competencies.
11 | P a g e

12. Clinical Education and Training Institute: Hospital Skills Program 2011
National Registration Standards - The Medical
Board of Australia
Medical practitioners who are engaged in any form of medical
practice are required to participate regularly in continuing
professional development (CPD) that is relevant to their scope of
practice in order to maintain, develop, update and enhance their
knowledge, skills and performance to ensure that they deliver
appropriate and safe care.
CPD must include a range of activities to meet individual learning
needs including practice-based reflective elements, such as clinical
audit, peer-review or performance appraisal, as well as participation
in activities to enhance knowledge such as courses, conferences
and online learning. CPD programs of medical colleges accredited by
the Australian Medical Council (AMC) meet these requirements.
Practicing non-specialist medical officers are required to complete
50 hours of CPD per year.
For more information about the National Registration Standards
(including CPD requirements) go to the following link:
http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx
12 | P a g e