Queensland Health Spirometry Training Program
Program objective
The Spirometry training program provides clinicians with the skills, knowledge and specific competencies required to perform spirometry to international standards and Queensland Health guidelines. Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:
- explain the purpose of spirometry testing
- identify the contraindications to spirometry testing
- conduct spirometry testing with adults and children to international standards and local guidelines
- produce acceptable and repeatable results and recognise inaccurate test performances
- interpret spirometry test results
- implement quality assurance processes to ensure the accuracy of spirometry tests.
Target audience
The target audience is:
- nurses, doctors and allied health professionals
- occupational health technicians
- medical assistants.
The program prepares participants to perform spirometry with adults or children, in tertiary healthcare facilities, community and rural health, general practice, occupational health services, outreach services, private practice specialist respiratory services, pathology services, and in research programs.
Upcoming events
The Spirometry training program is comprised of:
- online education—covering five modules
- a one day practical skills workshop
- a workplace portfolio assessment.
Successful completion of all components is required to attain a certificate of completion.
The online education is comprised of six self-paced modules that cover the background knowledge required for spirometry practice.
Completion of the online education is a pre-requisite for attendance in the practical skills workshop.
iLearn for QH learners
Log into iLearn using your Novell log-in. Instructions for access to the course are found below
Follow links to enrol into the current online Spirometry Education course.
iLearn for non-QH learners
To access the modules, you will need to register with iLearn, the QH learning management system (https://ilearn.health.qld.gov.au).
Accessing the iLearn Spirometry Education Course
The one day practical skills workshop will enable clinicians to develop and demonstrate competency in conducting a spirometry test, interpreting results and ensuring quality control of spirometry equipment and processes.
To assist in the transfer of skills into the workplace, the practical skills workshop includes the completion of a workplace portfolio assessment—to be completed in the workplace or as negotiated with the workshop assessor.
The portfolio requires at least 10 spirometry tests, including calibration reports, to be submitted. The completed portfolio must be received by the workshop trainer no more than two months after attending the workshop.
The workshop trainer will provide ongoing support towards the completion of this assessment.
Queensland Health is committed to high quality spirometry practice and requires currency of practice to be demonstrated regularly and is dependent on the industry in which it is performed.
Currency of practice can be shown through attendance at professional development activities—for example, a spirometry refresher course, observation by an approved assessor in a respiratory laboratory, observation by an approved assessor in the workplace or other means, as negotiated with an approved assessor.
Refresher training is available to participants who have previously completed a full spirometry training program and have demonstrated currency of practice. These courses are combined with the full program workshop and require completion of a pre-workshop portfolio. This assessment aims to check the effective transfer and maintenance of skills in the workplace after the initial training program completion. A portfolio assessment coversheet will be made available to participants on enrolment into the refresher course.
At the end of this workshop participants should be able to:
- Conduct a spirometry test with an adult or child patient
- Assess acceptability and repeatability criteria
- Recognise errors in the patient’s technique and assist in correcting the error
- Explain the main spirometric indices measured in the spirometry test
- Analyse and interpret spirometry test results
- Perform calibration or verification as part of an appropriate quality assurance process
On completion of the refresher course (and in addition to the learning outcomes above) participants will be able to:
- self-evaluate quality of tests performed in the workplace
- perform high quality spirometry testing to current standards including bronchodilator responsiveness assessment to a high quality
- implement and conduct regular quality control and infection control measures
The Refresher course may be delivered in a face-to-face or virtual face-to-face format.
RACGP
- The QHSTP is not an accredited/endorsed activity with RACGP or any other registration body.
- The following can be self-recorded using RACGP Quick Log.
- Certificates are awarded for all the activities below through the iLearn portal:
- Educational activity: 4 hours for completing the online Spirometry Education modules through iLearn
- Educational activity: 6 hours for the workshop attendance
- Review and performance: 5 hours for completion of workplace spirometry portfolio.
- Total number of CPD points for full program completion is 15 hours.
Other registration or accreditation bodies
- Check your registration bodies requirement for CPD.
- Total number of CPD points for full program completion is 15 hours.
- The hours of CPD allocated to the self-directed online Spirometry Education, attendance of the workshop, and completion of the portfolio are outlined above.
Refresher courses
- Refresher workshops and the pre-workshop portfolio are allocated 8 hours of CPD.
- The online Spirometry Education is not mandatory for refreshers but if completed is allocated 4 hours of CPD.
Access to the online education modules will be arranged after enrollment and payment of course fees. All other learning and assessment guides and resources will be supplied at the practical skills workshop.
Please note the following fees apply from 1 July 2024:
- $295 for Queensland Government employees (full and refresher course)
- $575 for non-Queensland Government employees Full Course (inclusive of GST)
- $355 for non-Queensland Government employees Refresher Course (inclusive of GST)
This includes online education modules, practical skills workshop (with catering) and all associated resources and assessments.
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Contact us
Phone: (07) 3139 4755
Email: QHSTP@health.qld.gov.au
Resources
Consumer feedback
Consumer Feedback regarding any aspect of the QH Spirometry Training Program is invited by all stakeholders and is outlined in the Consumer Feedback Policy