PADI RTO First Aid Student Manual

Formal feedback Ask for formal feedback or assessment from your supervisor or colleagues, known as a performance appraisal. These tools usually directly relate to your job specification and will give you feedback that relates directly to the standards expected in the workplace. Professional evelopment Research current theory and professional practice in first aid and attend training. S ek feedback from appropriate clinical expert In a casualty situation, the appropriate clinical expert could be: • Ambulance officer; • Paramedic; • Health worker; • Doctor. Seeking feedback What do we mean by ‘feedback’? Can you think of situations when you’ve been asked for your feedback? Or when you have asked for feedback (e.g., ‘What do you think of my suggestion?’) Put simply, feedback is about what you think of something you have seen or experienced (e.g., a service or product). In your feedback, you might voice a concern, complain, point out a factual error or express your opinion or thoughts. Guidelines for seeking feedback • Ask for feedback as soon as possible after you have done something that you would like feedback about. The only exception to this is if you are very angry, as it may come across as a demand rather than a request. • Ask about specific things, e.g. how they think you managed the situation. Just asking ‘What do you think of me as a first-aider?’ may be seen as an invitation for personal criticism, or it may just be confusing. • Choose the time and place for feedback. If your supervisor is obviously very busy or stressed, it may not be advisable to seek the feedback immediately. It is also not appropriate, for example, to ask for feedback in front of the families of the clients. • Sometimes immediate feedback won’t be possible. If that is the case, carefully prepare your questions as close to the event as possible. This way, when you get a chance to ask for feedback, your recollection will be better. • Ask for the feedback you want but don’t receive. Sometimes we receive feedback about certain aspects of our behaviour when it is really other aspects that we want to know about. Ask for it if you think it will be useful. • Once you ask for feedback, don’t try to tell the other person why they are wrong! It may be hard, but just keep quiet and listen. If the feedback is vague, ask for an example of what they mean. Receiving feedback Listen carefully. Don’t immediately reject or respond to the feedback. It is better to ‘digest’ what has been said. Check your understanding. Ask for clarification if you are unsure or unclear. Do with it what you will! The feedback is the giver’s opinion. You don’t have to do anything with it. You don’t have to change. It is your decision. Remember, though, if it is coming from your superior in the workplace, it may be advisable not to ignore it!

HLTAID008 MANAGE FIRST AID SERVICES AND RESOURCES

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PADI RTO