We take care of patients and the department by supporting each other. Our commitment is to our community for both access and quality.

We help each take care of patients and facilitate care between our sites.



General Expectations

  • Timeliness, professionalism, prompt & clear charting, and teamwork are integral to what we do

  • Use ordersets and EntryPoint for orders whenever possible.

  • All your CT reqs have to be typed and have your DIRECT phone number. This is integral for your priority access to emergency CT’s.

  • An emerge doc has to be always reachable on shift. Please carry your cellphone with you at all times during your shift.


Scheduling

  • The online schedule on https://app.qgenda.com/login is the master schedule. It overrides any disagreements.

  • Assigned shifts by the scheduler will always remain your responsibility once published, regardless. You can arrange trades online, but they remain yours until accepted online by another physician.


Holidays & Vacations


The ED does not close, ever. So each emergency physician will be scheduled to work:


  • Either the Christmas or the New Year block each year. Those who work the Christmas block at a given year, have priority to work New Year’s the next.

  • One or two

    out of the three summer long weekends

  • March break, at least every other year

  • Either Thanksgiving or Easter weekends

ED schedules are flexible. However, prolonged blocks off are limited to


  • One Two-Week and another One-Week Block in the Summer

  • Either Christmas or New Year's Blocks (see above)

  • No more than two consecutive weeks at other times

  • Any longer times off have to be approved by the Chief of Service

  • Vacations cannot interfere with monthly shift commitment unless prior arrangements are made


Handover and Transfer of Accountability


Handover and TOA are some of the riskiest activities in Emergency Medicine practice. It is vital that you sign up for your patients immediately as you are going to care for them. While we try to minimize ED-to-ED handover, as it is known to increase risk to patients and providers alike, sometimes a handover is necessary for patient care. When it is, please make sure that you:

  • Assure a binary plan for disposition with all ground work already done before you handover

  • Provide hand written TOA with detailed ISBAR notes (a suggested TOA tool is on ERDocs.ca)

  • Change the name of the physician on the tracker to the new MRP

  • Go through the patient presentation, management, test results, expectations and plan of care with the next MRP

  • Be open to input and engaging to assure the optimal outcome for patients


Flow

  • This is our collective responsibility

  • Sign up for your patients as you go

  • Keep your tracker up-to-date at all times so other docs and nurses know what you are doing

  • Reassess your patients promptly

  • Make your referrals promptly

  • Collaborate with your charge nurse and consultants, this serves quality and flow

  • Like all of us, you are a steward of our resources, use them wisely


Education


We are a University Associated hospital, so teaching and involvement in education is part and pace of what we do

Metrics


We regularly publish ED physician metrics. Make sure you review yours wiht a lens of reflection and quality improvement. We will be soon moving to an electronic platform for live metrics.