RACS competencies

Integrates and applies surgical knowledge, clinical skills and professional behaviour in the provision of patient care. Demonstrates cultural competence and cultural safety, accepting that unprofessional conduct affects patient care and outcomes. 

• demonstrates medical skills and expertise
• monitors and evaluates patient care
• demonstrates a patient centred approach to quality, risk and safety

Makes informed and timely decisions regarding assessment, diagnosis, preoperative preparation, surgical management and postoperative follow up. Encourages preventative health measures to optimise patient outcomes. Promotes culturally competent and culturally safe behaviours. Understands that surgery is not always the best option for patients.

• Recognises conditions and circumstances where surgery may be needed
• Plans ahead and anticipates consequences
• Considers and discusses options
• Implements and reviews decisions

Safely and effectively performs appropriate surgical procedures for optimal patient outcomes.

• Maintains technical skills.
• Operates safely within defined scope of practice.

Work in collaboration with members of interdisciplinary teams where appropriate:

• Collaborate with other professionals in the selection and use of various types of treatments assessing and weighing the indications and contraindications associated with each type.
• Effectively work with other health professionals to minimise inter-professional conflict and maximise patient care
• Demonstrate a respectful attitude towards other colleagues and members of inter-professional teams
• Develop a care plan for a patient in collaboration with members of an interdisciplinary team
• Recognise the need to refer patients to other professionals
• Initiate the resolution of misunderstandings or disputes.

Develop rapport, trust and ethical therapeutic relationships with patients and families:

• Establish positive therapeutic relationships with patients and their families
• Respect patient confidentiality, privacy and autonomy
• Respect patient diversity and difference (including gender, age, religion, culture etc).

Accurately elicit and synthesise relevant information from patients, families, colleagues and other professionals:

• Gather information about a health condition and also about a patient's beliefs, concerns, expectations and illness experience
• Identify when a patient is likely to interpret information as bad news and adjust their communication accordingly

Accurately convey relevant information and explanations to patients and families, colleagues and other professionals:

• Communicate information to patients (and their family) about procedures, potentialities and risks associated with surgery in ways that encourage their participation in informed decision making
• Communicate with the patient (and their family) the treatment options, potentials, complications, and risks associated with the use of drugs
• Appropriately adjust the way they communicate with patients to accommodate cultural and linguistic differences.

Develop a common understanding (with patients, families, colleagues and other professionals) on issues, problems and plans:

• Discuss relevant information with patients (and their family) in ways that encourage their participation in informed decision making
• Encourage patients to discuss and question
• Effectively identify and explore problems to be addressed from a patient encounter.

Identifies and responds to the health needs and expectations of patients, families, carers and members of the health team. Responds to the health needs of communities and the health system by supporting rational, evidence based measures to improve health outcomes in the wider community. Promotes cultural competence and cultural safety to improve health outcomes in the broader community.

• Cares with compassion and respect for patient rights.
• Responds to the social determinants of health.
• Demonstrates a commitment to the sustainability of the health care system.

Allocate finite healthcare resources appropriately:

• Effectively use resources to balance patient care and systemic demands
• Identify and differentiate between systemic demands and patient needs
• Apply a wide range of information to prioritise needs and demands.

Manage and lead clinical teams:

• Is respectful of the different kinds of knowledge and expertise which contribute to the effective functioning of a clinical team
• Communicate with and coordinate surgical teams to achieve an optimal surgical environment.

Manage their practice and career effectively:

• Use time management skills appropriately
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records.

Serve in administration and leadership roles, as appropriate:

• Plan relevant elements of healthcare delivery
• Chair or participate effectively in committees, meetings, etc.

Demonstrates commitment to patients, the community and the profession through the ethical practice of surgery and demonstration of cultural competence and cultural safety.

Demonstrates awareness and insight

• reflects on one's surgical practice and has insight into changes that may occur, and its implications for patients, colleagues, Trainees and the community

• makes appropriate changes to practice as areas of improvement are identified

Observes ethics and probity

• maintains standards of ethics, probity and confidentiality

• accepts the rights of the individual and acts in a respectful manner towards patients, families and carers

• works within the standards of the regulatory bodies regarding advertising and self-promotion.

Behaves in a respectful and culturally competent manner towards colleagues and team

• models a respectful and collegial attitude towards the entire health care team to contribute to an inclusive workplace

• acts as a role model for the team and actively demonstrates a zero tolerance attitude towards unprofessional conduct including discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment.

Maintains personal health and wellbeing

• maintains personal, mental and physical health for the wellbeing of the surgeon, and to optimse performance during surgical practice for the benefit of colleagues and patients.

Demonstrates ethical billing practices

• maintains billing practices that are justifiable, proportionate and reasonable, and does not exploit or financially disadvantage a patient or family

• takes responsibility to ensure that an honest and open agreement of informed financial consent occurs between the treating team and the patient or family

• ensures only appropriate surgical treatment is offered without influence of inducement of profit or personal gain.

Assume responsibility for their own ongoing learning:

• Access and interpret relevant evidence
• Integrate new learning into practice
• Document and evaluate any change in practice.

Critically evaluate medical information and its sources, and apply appropriately to practice decisions

• Draw on different kinds of knowledge in order to weigh up patients' problems in terms of context, issues, needs and consequences
• Describe the principles of critical appraisal
• Critically appraise new trends in surgery.

Facilitate the learning of patients, families, trainees, other health professionals and the community:

• Collaboratively identify the learning needs and desired learning outcomes of others
• Describe principles of learning relevant to medical education
• Develop teaching skills and facilitate medical student learning
• Provide effective feedback.

Contribute to the development, dissemination, application and translation of new medical knowledge and practices:

• Select and apply appropriate methods to address a research question
• Describe the principles of research ethics
• Conduct a systematic search for evidence.

Promotes cultural competence and cultural safety across the whole health system in order to achieve equitable healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori:

• Understands the special status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, and Māori in New Zealand as Indigenous people, and actively works to develop personal cultural competence and cultural safety skills to achieve optimal health outcomes.

Fosters a safe and respectful health care environment for all patients, families and carers:

• Creates a safe and inclusive environment that considers cultural and social determinants of health for patients, families and carers to address equitable access to health care.
• Provides safe, respectful and effective communication and care.

Promotes an inclusive and safe workplace for all colleagues and team members:

• Fosters a workplace that is inclusive of diversity of colleagues, team members and other staff.
• Helps to negotiate differences and build a common understanding in the workplace environment.
• Demonstrates self awareness of biases and works to mitigate differences in understandings.
• Provides an environment where all learners feel safe to speak up. Communicates in a respectful manner and acts as a role model in the teaching environment.

These competencies are being demonstrated through clinical skills, patient care and professional judgement across five domains:

• Cognitive – Acquisition and use of knowledge to recognise and solve real-life problems.
• Integrative – Appraisal of investigative data against patient needs in clinical reasoning, manage complexity and uncertainty, application of scientific knowledge in practice.
• Psychomotor – Procedural knowledge, technical skill, manual dexterity, and adaptability.
• Relational – The ability to communicate effectively, accountability, works with others, consultative, resolving.
• Affective/moral – Self-awareness, ethical, critically reflective, responsible, healthy, safe.

Access the Surgical Competence and Performance Guide (PDF 2.73MB).