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Resident and Fellow Policy Manual

General Conduct:

Residents shall strive for excellence in all aspects of patient care delivery and teaching.  This implies a professional demeanor and conduct both in direct patient care and in communication with family members and other health care professionals and support staff.

It is expected that wherever residents are working, courtesy, respect and collaboration will characterize the environment.  It is the responsibility of all residents to create and maintain this environment.  Expected behaviors include: talking to one another with courteous words and tone of voice, consistently exhibiting respect for the knowledge, skills and contributions of one another, and working together in a spirit of mutual help and collaboration.   No resident should exhibit insubordination toward his or her clinical supervisor.     

Discussions of patients’ clinical problems should be conducted away from patient care areas.  Discussion in hallways, elevators or any other place within earshot of any patients or visitors not only violates patient confidentiality but also may lead to serious medical/legal problems. 

No resident should leave patients under his or her care unattended, mistreat or misuse confidential or proprietary information, or release confidential information to unauthorized persons. Unauthorized access to information in the Hospital’s computer system is grounds for termination.

No resident should falsify institutional or personal records, use or be in possession of unprescribed narcotics or drugs, or steal, remove or be in unauthorized possession of hospital, Medical School or other persons’ property.

Residents shall not use alcohol or other recreational drugs when they may be called upon to provide direct patient care or advice to those providing direct care (for example, when on call).  Use of such drugs is incompatible with safe clinical performance.  

Residents shall not provide patient care under circumstances of possible physical, mental or emotional lack of fitness that could interfere with the quality of that care.  It is the responsibility of residents, upon identifying a situation in which another physician is impaired to the potential detriment of patient care, to notify the program director or Department Chair in order to arrange for alternative patient care coverage.