SUBJECT: Orthopedic Resident Physician Fatigue Policy
PURPOSE:
In accordance with ACGME requirements programs must:
Educate all faculty members and residents to recognize the signs of fatigue and sleep deprivation.
Educate all faculty members and residents in alertness management and fatigue mitigation processes.
Adopt fatigue mitigation processes / procedures to manage the potential negative effects of fatigue on patient care and learning, such as naps or back-up call schedules.
Franciscan Health Olympia Fields/Chicago Heights will provide adequate sleep facilities and / or safe transportation options for residents who may be too fatigued to safely return home.
POLICY:
Annually, Program Directors (or designee) will present a PowerPoint lecture from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (or similar lecture) to all orthopedic residents and hospital-based faculty. This lecture will include recognizing the signs of fatigue and sleep deprivation, strategies to manage fatigue when possible, and how to transfer clinical responsibilities. Faculty and residents must attest that they have viewed and understand all questions answered.
The resident must monitor oneself for the signs suggestive of fatigue that usually occur after prolonged periods of sleeplessness such as:
Sluggish thought patterns, inability to concentrate.
Inability to maintain wakeful state in the absence of external stimulation.
Irritability, sudden anger, intolerance.
Nausea or stomach cramps unassociated with physical illness.
Tremors, particularly intention tremors while performing delicate procedures.
The resident must stop and acquire rest when fatigued. If a resident is sufficiently fatigued to potentially impair his/her ability to perform, the resident must:
Transfer clinical responsibilities to another resident or to an attending.
If the resident cannot find another qualified person to assume these responsibilities, the supervising faculty must make arrangements to transfer the responsibilities.
The residency Program Director or his/her designee must be notified of this transfer of responsibilities.
Supervising faculty must assist with the transfer of clinical responsibilities when a resident has been identified, either by staff, other residents, or the resident him / herself as unable to perform and all attempts to transfer responsibilities to other residents have failed.
If a Resident or his/her supervising Resident or Attending feels that the Resident is too fatigued to drive home safely after duty hours are completed, the Resident has the following options:
Sleep in an available call room until able to drive safely
If no call rooms are available and the Resident lives anywhere between the hospital and home and, inclusive, a one way taxi voucher will be made available to transport the Resident from the hospital to home; the Resident must provide a receipt of the taxi ride; the Resident will be expected to arrange his/her own transportation back to the hospital.