SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Prepare the patient who has recovered from an acute illness for discharge 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
252104  Prepare the patient who has recovered from an acute illness for discharge 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Nursing 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services Rehabilitative Health/Services 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 7  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7  5 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard will be useful for people working as clinically focused, service orientated, independent, registered staff nurses, who are able to render basic care to persons with stable and uncomplicated general health problems, as determined by the appropriate legislative framework.

This unit standard will recognise the essential knowledge and skills required to implement measures to prepare the patient who has recovered from an acute illness for discharge, and to arrange for post discharge support. They will also be able to evaluate the process to ensure that relapses are minimized.

People credited with this unit standard are able to:
  • Assess a patient recovering from an acute illness for readiness for discharge.
  • Intervene appropriately to ensure that the patient, family and/or significant others can cope once the patient is at home.
  • Evaluate the quality of post discharge support. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms of the following outcomes or areas of learning when starting to learn towards this unit standard:
  • Activities of daily living and the requirements to carry out these activities (NQF Level 5).
  • Strategies and approaches to patient Education (NQF Level 5).
  • Health and illness behaviours.
  • Other factors that may influence ongoing recovery: psychological, socio-economic, and environmental (NQF Level 6). 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria.

    The following scope and context applies to the whole unit standard:
  • The learners will function within the scope of practice of a nurse as formulated by the SANC. 
    		•

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Assess a patient recovering from an acute illness for readiness for discharge. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Assessments conducted on recovering patients are comprehensive, and appropriate to the particular acute illness. Assessments are conducted in accordance with established procedures and protocols. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Factors related to the specific illness which are indicative of a readiness for discharge are accurately identified in accordance with health authority guidelines and generally accepted practice. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The general emotional and physical state of the patient, and their responses to the illness are determined in terms of their readiness for discharge, in accordance with established procedures and protocols. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The extent of the patient's knowledge of their illness and readiness to manage it in compliance with treatment regimes is determined during the assessment, in accordance with established procedures and protocols. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Information gathered in discussion with the patient and care givers establishes the nature and extent of support systems within the home and/or community, in relation to readiness for discharge. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Support includes:
  • Community health centre; food provision; disability grants; home care/home support; rehabilitation services.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Patient needs are determined during the assessment and matched to the nature of the environment into which the patient will be released, the availability of home and/or community's support, and the patient's access to that support. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Patients and care givers are linked to available community resources and health facilities to ensure continuity of patient care and support. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 8 
    Decisions on readiness for release are consistent with available information, and taken in accordance with established procedures and protocols. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Intervene appropriately to ensure that the patient, family and/or significant others can cope once the patient is at home. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Advice and education given to the patient, family and significant others is accurate and relevant to the illness and context. The advice provides clear guidelines for care givers in their management of the patient at home. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Advice and education provided is at a level of detail and complexity appropriate to the language and conceptual ability of care givers. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The roles of care givers and health facilities, including own role, are clearly defined in terms of responsibilities, limitations, and consequences of non-compliance. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Consequences include:

    Legal; ethical; health of the patient.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Specific health care objectives are agreed with patient and care givers in clear and measurable terms, linked to specific timeframes. Objectives provide a means for patient and care givers to monitor progress. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    The health care plan, produced in consultation with patient and care givers over the duration of the illness, details the means and resources to meet the objectives. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Resources include:

    Support groups; health facilities/clinics; community resources.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Follow up times are set and agreed with patients and care givers. The purpose of follow up sessions is clarified with respect to required actions, treatment, and/or medication. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    Opportunities for employers to support rehabilitation and health care are identified in relation to current legislation and good employment practice. Employers made aware of ways in which they can provide support, as well as the benefits of doing so. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Opportunities include:

    Reallocation of work; time to attend clinics.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Evaluate the quality of post discharge support. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Information is gathered from all significant stakeholders affected by discharge, as well as records of post discharge support. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Affected persons are debriefed in a sensitive and supportive manner, in accordance with intuitional procedures and guidelines. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Information gathered is collated and areas for improvement in discharge and post discharge support are identified, together with suggested improvements and/or recommendations to the appropriate authority. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Own role is evaluated in terms of readiness assessments, and contribution to successful discharge and post discharge support. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Information relating to post discharge support is disseminated via approved channels to assist with refinement of assessments and support. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Accreditation Options Providers of learning towards this unit standard will need to meet the accreditation requirements of the relevant ETQA.
  • Moderation Option:The moderation requirements of the relevant ETQA must be met in order to award credit to learners for this unit standard. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    The following essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Candidates are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the candidate's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the unit standard.
  • Application of models and/or theories of discharge planning.
  • Home-based care and management of patients recovering from acute illness involving all the human body systems such as: skeletal, nervous, respiratory, reproductive, renal, cardiovascular, gastro-intestinal, metabolic, sensory, integumentory, reticulo-endothelial and immune. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively, using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentations. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Notes to Assessors:

    Assessors should keep the following general principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure that evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the candidate can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent.

    The following particular issues should be taken into consideration when assessing against this unit standard:
  • The SANC guidelines are used as a reference for integrated assessment.
  • Formative Assessment: A variety of assessment strategies and/or approaches integrating theory and practice must be used. These could be tests, assignments, projects, demonstrations or clinical assessments or any other applicable method.
  • Summative: This could take a form of oral, written and/or practical assessments as agreed to with the relevant ETQA. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  59257   Bachelor of Nursing  Level 7  NQF Level 08  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 
    Elective  59236   National Diploma: Nursing  Level 5  NQF Level 05  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2020-07-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.