Resident Wellness

Policy

  1. UNR Med is committed to providing a safe environment and to protecting the health and welfare of patients, students, faculty, visitors and employees as well as residents.
  2. Residents are expected to report to UNR Med programs fit for duty, which means they are able to perform their clinical duties in a safe, appropriate and effective manner showing concern, respect, care and cooperation with faculty, staff, patients and visitors.
  3. UNR Med encourages residents to seek assistance voluntarily before clinical, educational and professional performance is affected.

Resident responsibility

  1. Residents are responsible for reporting to UNR Med fit for duty and able to perform their clinical duties in a safe, appropriate and effective manner free from the adverse effects of physical, mental, emotional and personal problems including impairment due to fatigue. Residents have a professional responsibility to appear for duty appropriately rested and must manage their time before, during and after clinical assignments to prevent excessive fatigue.
  2. Residents are responsible for assessing and recognizing impairment, including illness and fatigue, in themselves and in their peers.
  3. If a resident is experiencing problems, he/she is encouraged to voluntarily seek assistance before clinical, educational and professional performance; interpersonal relationships or behavior are adversely affected. Residents, who voluntarily seek assistance for physical, mental, emotional and/or personal problems, including drug and alcohol dependency, before their performance is adversely affected, will not jeopardize their status as a resident by seeking assistance.

Residency Training Program Responsibility

  1. It is the responsibility of each program director and all faculty members to be aware of resident behavior and conduct.
  2. If a program director or faculty member observes physical, mental, or emotional problems affecting the performance of a resident, including impairment due to excessive fatigue, the member must take steps to verify the impairment and take appropriate actions.
  3. Chief residents should also be aware of the behavior and conduct of junior residents. If a Chief resident observes physical, mental, or emotional problems affecting the performance of a resident, including impairment due to excessive fatigue, the chief resident should immediately notify the program director or designee.
  4. It is the responsibility of the Program to provide reasonable accommodations (i.e. duty assignments, on-call schedules), to enable the resident to participate in mandated counseling.
  5. It is the responsibility of the Program to provide opportunities for excessively fatigued residents to take therapeutic naps and to provide safe transportation following duties.

Resources Available to all Residents

  1. Physician impairment and substance abuse, counseling and psychological services
    1. Resident physicians are provided a confidential means of seeking and obtaining treatment for addictive disease and mental or physical impairment.
    2. Subsequently the Program Director must be informed and will decide further action, if any. The Program Director will make all efforts to confirm the accuracy and the validity of the observations brought to the Program Director's attention. Added consultation should be obtained with the Chair, the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and/or the Dean of the School of Medicine.
    3. If further consultation is needed, the Program Director, in agreement with the resident, will pursue a course of action of referral of the resident to counseling/psychiatry services.
    4. Non compliance by the Resident may justify relief from patient care responsibilities or may be an indication for utilizing the disciplinary process as described. (Disciplinary procedures for Resident physicians, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals and Due Process Policy, University
      of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine)
    5. The continuing service of the Resident in patient care will depend upon expert advice regarding Resident capability, degree of disability and compliance with any planned treatment as determined by counseling/psychiatric evaluation and the Program Director. The Program Director has the responsibility to insure that these guidelines are maintained.
    6. Any continuing treatment will be monitored by the appropriate selected counseling/psychiatric entity or person, and the Program Director will be required to be aware of the outcome in determining the fitness of the Resident to return to patient care responsibility.
    7. During all phases of the counseling and consultation process, complete privacy and confidentiality for the resident must be maintained.
    8. Resident Mental Health Resources:
      1. Home Town Health Resources for Mental Health Professionals:
      2. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
      3. WorkLifeMatters is a confidential employee assistance program that provides employees and their dependents with a confidential assessment, problem identification, and assistance with certain life events.
        • They have 24 hour counseling available with licensed professionals
        • They also offer assistance with:
          • Family matters like parenting, elder care, special needs help and more
          • Financial and legal assistance
          • Wellness assistance
        • For more information call (800) 386-7055 or visit WorkLifeMatters
      4. GME Wellness Coordinator and Resident Affairs: For information about wellness resources contact Ana Vega at (775) 432-6469, aavega@med.unr.edu
      5. Office of Graduate Medical Education: The Office of Graduate Medical Education has an "open door" policy and is always available to address resident concerns. You can contact us at (775) 682-6874.
      6. Crisis Services
        • In any emergency involving physical harm or a threat to a life, please call 911 (9-911 from a campus phone) or contact the Reno Police Department Dispatch at 334-COPS (2677) immediately.
        • Crisis Call Hotline: (775) 784-8090
        • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-8255
        • Hope Line Network: (800) 784-2433
    9. Chaplains
      • How can a Chaplain offer support - Chaplains are trained clinicians who can offer support and reflective listening. They may be able to help you navigate some of the challenging situations that you are faced with during your years as a resident and beyond as a non-resident physician. They offer support with situations such as moral and ethical issues, grief and loss. They can offer spiritual support and they are also able to offer secular support. They are available Monday - Friday from 8am - 5pm but they also have on-call services for nights and weekends.
      • Renown: Brent Hoy-Bianchi - To reach spiritual care call: (775) 982-7676 e-mail choy-bianchi@renown.org
  2. Resident Guidance and Counseling for corrective action, remediation and assistance.
    1. If a serious and obvious emotional psychiatric issue exists, then prompt specialized psychiatric consultation should be obtained by the program/resident. Names of providers will be proved by the Office of Graduate Medical Education.
    2. If a social or maladaptive or gender/cultural/ethnic issue exists; (for example, sexual harassment), counseling regarding these concerns may be accessed through the Human Resources Office.
    3. Contacts:
      1. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) WorkLifeMatters is a confidential employee assistance program that provides employees and their dependents with a confidential assessment, problem identification, and assistance with certain life events. For more information call (800) 386-7055 or visit WorkLifeMatters.
      2. The Office of Graduate Medical Education has an "open door" policy and is always available to address resident concerns. You can contact us at (775) 682-6874.
      3. Human Resources: Jaymi Powney Personnel Analyst/UNR Med Faculty, LOAs, Residents and Postdoc Contracts (775) 784-6213 | jpowney@unr.edu