General Surgery Residency Program

Fatigue Management Policy

The Department of Surgery supports high quality resident education and safe and effective patient care.

Excessive sleep loss, fatigue, and stress are serious matters that can compromise patient safety and physician well-being.

• All faculty and residents are instructed to closely observe their colleagues for any signs of fatigue or undue stress.
• Faculty and residents are expected to report concerns of resident absences, tardiness, sleepiness, inattentiveness, or other indicators of fatigue or excessive stress to the supervising attending or program director.
• Appropriate relief or backup support will be provided when patient care responsibilities are especially difficult or prolonged.

Residents who are having issues with fatigue, stress, or work/life balance should be aware of the services available through the Employee Assistance Program.

Fatigue Ride Home Policy For General Surgery Residents

The Department of Surgery Education will subsidize transportation for residents who are too fatigued to travel home safely. The cab service will drive home a fatigued resident (and drive the resident back to work the following day if necessary). This benefit is for fatigue use only.

Company Contact: 215-GET-A-CAB

Procedure: Vouchers will be available in the resident lounge on 4 Maloney in the cupboard above the computer desk. Residents must sign out the voucher(s) on the sign out sheet noting the date and time as well as the specific voucher number(s). No more than 2 vouchers should be signed out by one resident at a time.

Residents should call 215-GET-A-CAB (215-438-2222) and tell the dispatcher the pick-up location and destination. Residents should tell the dispatcher that they are using a voucher if they are not asked.

The voucher must be completed in full (the Client/Firm Charge No. Box does not need to be filled out as the vouchers are pre-printed with our account code). The resident must retain the TOP WHITE copy of the voucher and return it to the DSE office as soon as possible. Used vouchers will be reconciled on a monthly basis with the cab company. Unaccounted for vouchers will become the responsibility of the resident if not returned and deducted from their Surgcash account.

Please note that this benefit is available to General Surgery residents for the sole purpose of providing safe transportation home in the event of fatigue.