DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Support Staff

Social Work
Occupational Therapy in the ED Department
Kaitiaki Hauora Maori
Front Door Physiotherapy
The Emergency Radiology Department
Reception/Clerical Support
Support Staff Profiles

Social Work

The ED has 1.6 FTE staff, who manage the complex social issues that are common to many of our patients. The social worker is an indispensible and intergral part of the ED Team. The service is provided seven days a week 0800-1630. An on-call arrangement exists outside of these hours.

A vast array of challenges face our staff;

Crisis intervention with families in cases of trauma/sudden death,
Liasion with GPs and referral to appropriate community agencies for follow up,
Information and referral to community services for patients with drug/alcohol dependence,
Assessment and organisation of home supports/short-term rest-home care for elderly patients to enable direct discharge,
Patient advocacy,
Assessment and referral where care and protection concerns exist for children,
Support and information to victims of domestic violence and assault, and elder abuse
Education for staff on child care and protection, and domestic violence issues.

For more information contact;
Margaret Krauss, Clinical Manager, Social Work Services
phone [03] 3640420 or margaret.krauss@cdhb.govt.nz

Occupational Therapy in the ED Department

The role of the Occupational Therapist

The Occupational Therapist works with the multidisciplinary team in discharge planning by identifying the functional abilities of the patient. The O.T. will assess the patient to determine the appropriate equipment and/or support services required ensuring the patient is able to cope at home with their injury/illness.

Assessments may include:

Home situation, the patients ability to manage within their environment.
Functional ability prior to admission and now in their current condition.
Cognitive perceptual skills pre/post incident.
Functional mobility and transfers.

Interventions that may be required by the O.T. are:

Provision of equipment to help the patient manage within their home with a short or long term disability.
Education/retraining of techniques to manage with their condition eg. Back pain, energy conservation, and hip care precautions.
Referrals to the Domiciliary O.T. service for a Home Visit.
Referrals to appropriate external community services for rehab or ongoing follow up.
Referrals to ACC for home based assistance.

Kaitiaki Hauora Maori
(Kaitiaki means to be a guardian, caretaker)

The role is to work from a Maori perspective and expectations and to provide:

A working partnership as part of Te Tiriti O Waitangi model with both Maori and staff Maori face to meet and greet (Kanohi ki te kanohi)
To lessen barriers for Maori (i.e.Liaison with kaumatua, whanau, hapu and iwi to enhance the support for the Maori client and their whanau)
To assist in addressing cultural issues for Maori which can be very specific at times (i.e. Karakia; Tissue return)
Facilitating and coordinating on-going contact with introducing patients/whanau to the service, and explaining processes and procedures as appropriate and assist in the determining the kawa (protocol) of the whanau
Participate in research and analysis of Maori health within the identified services if appropriate
Assist with the promotion and coordination of clinical and cultural development and training opportunities for Maori and non-Maori staff, under the direction of the Service Managers and Kaiarahi Roopu
Participate in communication, liaison and relevant regular meetings with CDHB Maori staff, external Maori stakeholders, community resources and agencies to ensure health priorities and health solutions are documented in the case notes contact and outcomes and ongoing support of patient

Front Door Physiotherapy

2006 saw the introduction of a full time physiotherapy service in the emergency department at Christchurch hospital. This service is the first of its kind in New Zealand and was modelled on established services in Australia and the United Kingdom.

We are currently staffed 8 - 4.30pm Mon – Fri and 8 – 12pm Sat & Sun.

The service is designed to provide comprehensive physiotherapy assessment and treatment to patients in the emergency department.

Key objectives are to:

Provide early intervention to ensure prompt recovery from injury/illness
Assist the multi-disciplinary team with discharge planning to ensure patients are safe and will cope with their injury/illness at home
Educates patients about how to manage their injury/illness
Provide access to community based physiotherapy services

Patients in the following categories may benefit from this service:

Musculo-skeletal pain and associated soft tissue injury
Falls
Altered mobility
Joint dislocations and fractures
Acute respiratory
Acute neurology

For more information, contact:

Helen Bradley, Physiotherapy Manager
Phone (03) 364 0677 or Email helen.bradley@cdhb.govt.nz

The Emergency Radiology Department

The Emergency Radiology Department is situated in the middle of the ED Department. We x-ray on average 3000 patients a month, approximately 50% of all patients who present to ED.

We have one main x-ray room which has the capacity to do all plain film x-rays including OPGs. In addition to this we have an x-ray machine in the trauma room and a mobile in the corridor which enables us to do sick patients in the resus bays.

Kerrie Rollo is the Charge Grade of this radiology department and is rostered here permanently including weekends.

Staff MRTs are rostered through on a regular basis on all three shifts. Radiographic assistants work between 10.00 - 23.00 hours to assist with data entry and menial tasks. Thursday - Monday, a ward assistant works between 12:30 - 21:00 to help us transport patients to the x-ray room. This team provides an efficient 24 hour service to the Emergency Department.

Reception/Clerical Support

The "front door" to the Department is made a more welcoming place by the friendly, caring and very experienced reception staff. A number of the reception staff have served the Department and other areas of Canterbury Health in excess of 30 years. They are the critical link in organising accurate information generated by the 72,000 patients who pass through our Department annually. They have a very challenging role, working at times under extreme pressure, but rewarded by the team environment within the department.

There are currently 28 receptionists – 5 full time, 20 part-time and 3 casuals. They work 8 hour shifts on a rotating roster providing a 24 hour/7 day a week service to ensure the smooth running of the Department and to provide clerical support to the clinical and nursing staff.

For more information contact:

Carol Le Beau or phone (03) 3640 270
Carol.lebeau@cdhb.govt.nz