Neobook — clinical reference

Co-operation and Sharing of Responsibilities

As a Dept. we strive to provide excellent quality of healthcare to our patients and their families. Part of the quality of this package of healthcare we provide is the manner in which it is delivered by all of us. To ensure that we do live up to the ideal of being a place where we would want our own family to be treated we ought to agree to a common set of standards and norms as these relate to professional conduct.

Some guiding principles below to remind and enforce good professional behavior and ethical conduct.

Communication

The vast majority of complaints against a doctor either from a patient or from a colleague could be avoided by good communication.

When it comes to paediatric patient there are anxious caregivers hanging onto every word the healthcare professional such as yourself are telling them. Please be clear and allow for the caregivers to ask questions. Be proactive in the communication with the caregivers by encouraging them to ask questions. You may not have all the answers and that is fine. Above all be honest and tell the caregivers if you are unsure of the answer and that you will get back to them which you must. Communicate with caregivers daily if present and at least weekly if they are not in the ward, by giving them a call.

Communication with your seniors and colleagues is critical to the effective workings of a busy department such as ours. Nothing brings your overall assessment down as being non-communicative which is also seen as being discourteous, maybe rude or be apathetic towards one’s responsibilities and the duty one has to the rest of the team in the Dept.

WHILST ON DUTY ONE HAS TO BE CONTACTABLE AT ALL TIMES

Medical Records

Write detailed medical notes that are comprehensive on a daily basis
Always indicate the date and time even if writing in several times a day
Write legibly!
Document all discussions with the caregivers
For long-stay patients make a summary on a regular basis
DO NOT write any offensive messages to others in these notes
Sign clearly and ideally use a stamp or else indicate your name, and MP number.
Nothing less than complete and accurate discharge summaries are warranted.

NOTE : Medical records will be examined from time to time as part of an audit process and should one’s records be found wanting, there may be some action taken including disciplinary action if warranted.

Conflict Resolution

In the event of having a dispute with another colleague or another staff member please first try to resolve the problem at an individual level.
Do not insult or speak ill of a colleague or other staff member in front of the patients. This is most unprofessional.
If the problem is not resolved on a one-on-one basis then speak to one’s immediate senior.
Only if the problem is not resolved at lower levels should one approach the HOD and at this point you will be asked to submit the complaint in writing.

Cooperation and Sharing of Responsibilities

The Dept. of Paediatrics prides itself on being one where everyone works hard. This means that we all share the workload and are allocated tasks that are within our scope of practice and skills set.

In order for this culture of cooperation and sharing of the load it is imperative that everyone works hard. It is through everyone’s hard work and diligence that we as a Department can then provide each staff member with the necessary leeway when required in terms of time off.

One loses the privilege of having leniency being shown towards one should there be an attitude of laziness, disinterest, and poor work ethic.

Reporting of Adverse Events

It is part of one’s professional and ethical duty to report in any adverse event that one witnesses. These can be discussed with your senior prior to reporting. An adverse event is any event that has either already compromised patient care or has the potential to do so if not corrected. NOTE in pharmacologic speak an Adverse Event is an untoward and usually unexpected effect of a drug (side-effect). For the purpose of this section an adverse event is described as that above.

Life-long Learner

Medicine like science is an ever-changing field. It behoves all healthcare professionals to be keeping abreast with the changes that are occurring based on the evolving science that underpins these changes. At a departmental level we strive to keep all staff up to date with what is the most current treatment practice guideline by means of our CME programme. We expect all staff to attend the academic meetings and should there be an attendance that is lower than 80%, the HOD will reserve the right to call for a meeting with the individual to seek an explanation for his or her absence.

Time-keeping

One of the hallmarks of being a professional is the habit of good time-keeping. This means always being punctual to engagements and in fact arriving well in advance if one can. Time keeping also means getting to work before 8am and not leaving until the official end of the work day has arrived i.e. 4pm. To come late or leave early without prior permission is to ‘steal time’ from one’s employer and ultimately from one’s own professional commitment to the job.

Go the extra mile!

Our patients and their families deserve the very best care in our hands. It is our privilege to be able to serve them. It is the ethos of this department to go the extra mile when making sure that all is done to give the patient and their families the best possible care we can. This means one has to be patient with the caregivers, considerate with your time, careful with your assessments, detailed in your records, mindful with your language and attitude, and above all caring and compassionate in your approach.