Procedures and Guidelines

Emergency Medicine Resident Health and Safety Policy

Categories: FRCPC Health and safety policy Emergency Medicine

FRCPC Safety Policy

Resident Health & Safety Policy

Emergency Medicine Residency Program (FRCPC)

College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

 

Residents in the Emergency Residency Training Program will adhere to the principles laid out by the Post Graduate Medical Education Resident Health & Safety Policy.  This purpose of this policy is to highlight the potential health and safety issues specific to our training program.

Body Fluid Exposures

  1. Residents must take precautions to minimize the risks of exposure to patient’s bodily fluids.  This includes, but is not limited to:
    1. Wound repair
    2. Incision & drainage of abscesses
    3. Placement of intra-venous/central venous/arterial lines
    4. Placement of thoracostomy tubes
    5. ED thoracotomy/surgical airways
    6. Intubation
    7. Violent patients (spitting)
    8. Residents will use personal protective equipment when needed including, but not limited to:
      1. Gowns
      2. Gloves
      3. Facemasks/face-shields

Radiation

  1. Residents must take precautions when portable x-rays are utilized in the ED. 
  2. Residents will use lead gowns or distance themselves safely from x-ray machines when necessary.

Infectious Patients

  1. Residents must be vigilant about the potential for communicable disease via airborne, droplet and contact spread. 
  2. As soon as residents suspect that a patient may have a communicable disease that requires isolation, they should distance themselves from the patient and institute the appropriate precautions.
  3. Residents will use personal protective equipment when assessing patients on isolation, including but not limited to:
    1. Gowns
    2. Facemasks or respirators, face-shields
    3. Gloves

Violent Patients

  1.  Residents will assess all patients for potential violence prior to assessment.
  2.  Residents will only assess patients when the risk for violence is low.
  3.  If the potential for violence exists, residents will utilize the following resources as they deem necessary:
    1. Remove all loose items (pens, stethescopes, necklaces/lanyards)
    2. Assess the patient from the door for easy exit
    3. Have a security guard escort
    4.  The resident will familiarize themselves with the emergency notification devices in the psychiatric assessment rooms in the event of unexpected violence

Travel/Transport

  1. The nature of work in residency involves travel to and from the hospital at unusual hours, and the neighborhoods in which hospitals exist are not always safe for all modes of transportation. Residents will utilize safe transport to and from work when a safety concern may exist.  This may include, but is not limited to:
    1. Walking to and from vehicles in a group, security or safewalk program
    2. Parking in a secure parkade
    3. Taxi or other ride that can pick up or drop off at entrance to hospital
    4. Residents are also expected to travel to distant sites for rotations and educational events over the course of their training.
    5. If residents feel unsafe to travel due to poor driving conditions or weather advisories, they are not to travel.
    6. If a resident feels unsafe to travel to distant site, they must notify the supervisor that they will not be travelling.
    7. If a resident feels unsafe to drive due to extreme fatigue after working for a prolonged period, they should rest prior to driving or look into alternative options.

If residents are injured or exposed to bodily fluids, they will report an injury as per the Work Related Injuries PGME Policy.