Emergency Medicine is a challenging environment, balancing patient needs, time constraints and systems pressures. When this intensifies as responsible clinicians we can ALL feel frustrated, and this can lead to Rudeness. Which, far from rectifying the issues has been show to only exacerbate the issues.
Category: Welcome to ED
First Net
Here is an introduction to using FirstNet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rANVfkbVto4&feature=youtu.be
Digital ECG
Digital ECG has now gone live on both sites.
We now have no excuse for loosing ECGs and not sending them to the wards with patients!
Please ensure you put an operator ID in as well as all the patient information to ensure the ECG transmits to EPR – if you are having problems look at the troubleshooting guide on the side of the machine.
Ensure a doctor/ACP signs all ECGs using EPR – just like when they were paper!
Quick Reference and Trouble Shooting Guide are available here Digital ECG Quick reference guide
The SOP for reviewing and signing ECGs is available here Digital ECG SOP
1. Why we get things wrong – “A tale of two systems”
Very few of us come to work intent on doing harm. However, despite that we all keep making mistakes. Most of them pass unnoticed and do little harm, although we are all aware the times they don’t, and it is not only the patient that suffers. Read more
ED essentials – for newbies
Departmental things
- Daily huddle happens at 8am, 5pm and 10pm please ensure you are there to present your patients
- Senior Reviews (ensure the review is documented):
- Child under 1yr
- Atraumatic Chest Pain >30yrs
- Abdo Pain >70yrs
- Return under 72 hrs (with the same condition)
- Nursing Roles (unique to ED)
- Nurse in Charge: They keep our department flowing, and need to know what is happening to your patients. Keep them updated with plans and referrals Or they will pester you.
- Triage Nurses: They make a triage assessments, set priority and stream the patients to the most appropriate area. (they have <5min/patient). The information they document is really important – read it! But remember its a quick initial assessment and wont be perfect.
- Multitalented HCA’s: They perform many roles in ED, bloods, cannulas, dressings, PoP’s and much more
Locum Induction
NEW locum staff we need to introduce them to our department and processes.
Complete & Sign – check list
Please familiaries yourself with the EMBeds page for ED Essentials for Newbies
Locum Doctor IT access
- Locum doctors to be assigned a unique log in by Flexible Workforce when booked for a shift.
- If the details are not communicated prior to starting the shift, this should be escalated to Flexible Workforce in hours, and the On Call IT team out of hours.
- Log in details can expire if they are not used frequently, in these instances the IT department can reactivate them.
- Locum logins should never be used due to issues with Information Governance.
Why choose EM?
It’s a good question in today’s climate of increasing patient numbers and complexity. Specialities that offer you the illusion of more control can seem attractive. But Emergency Medicine picks you, and can offer an exciting and varied career. Read more
