Notes for Medical Staff working in the ED

Notes for Medical Staff working in the ED (https://galwayem.ie/index.php/index.php/administration/notes-medical-staff-working-ed)

The Department must be staffed at ALL times.
Do not alter the rota or swap shifts without permission of the Duty Consultant. All rota swaps must be organised via the ED Secretary.
It is essential that you keep full, adequate and legible notes for both clinical and medico-legal reasons.
Every time you write on the ED card, SIGN it and WRITE YOUR NAME IN CAPITALS, the time, date and your MCRN under your signature. Your clinical notes constitute a legal document.
As far as possible, the Doctor requesting an x-ray should interpret it. If you request an x-ray, and then go off duty, please "hand over" the case to a colleague who will then interpret the x-rays.
There are great dangers in interpreting x-rays of a patient that you have not examined. If you have any doubts you must re-examine the patient yourself, as it is your responsibility when you discharge the patient.
If you are unsure about interpreting an x-ray, ask advice from the Middle Grade or Consultant working on the shop floor. During working hours further advice may be sought from a Radiologist.
If you request routine blood tests, whose results will be reported on the same day (eg FBC, routine biochemistry, D-dimer, CRP), it is your responsibility to check the results (and to record these in the notes).
As a general principle, patients should not be referred from the Emergency Department to the Outpatient Clinics, other than following trauma (usually # Clinic). A patient requiring an outpatient appointment should usually be referred back to their General Practitioner to arrange this.
All patients who register at the desk must be seen. If a patient has a chronic problem, they should be referred back to their own GP for treatment. Urgent treatment should be given if thought necessary.
From time to time, guidelines on the management of certain conditions will be issued, and these should be read.
Please inform one of the Consultants of any problem which arises in the running of the Department.
If you want advice on any problem, there is always a Middle Grade Doctor in the ED and there is always a Consultant on call. Where the Guidelines state: "Ask Advice", do this from the duty Consultant/ Registrar in the Emergency Department.
If in doubt about anything, ASK. Remember the nursing staff may well be able to assist – don’t be afraid to ask them for advice.