Professionalism and Geneva Guidelines
Preparing for your
assignment/shift
You must ensure that you know and understand the exact details
of your assignment/shift. Allow plenty of travel time. If for some
reason you are running late to an assignment/shift, please call us
on free phone 0800 436 382 and we will inform the
hospital/facility.
Dress code
Our dress code has been designed to ensure the highest standards
of presentation and professionalism. When working in a clinical
setting, health staff are required to wear a Geneva Health uniform,
which is clean, fresh and creaseless, and their Geneva Name Badge.
Community Support Workers are not required to wear a uniform but
must wear their Name Badge.
Please also be aware that:
- any jewellery worn must be appropriate
- identification badges need to be worn on the outside of your
uniform at all times
- covered shoes to be low-heeled and either black or navy; no
running shoes to be worn (community support workers are the only
exception to this rule)
- trousers must be black/navy - no jeans or leggings please
- only wear white t-shirts or thermals under your tunic / polo
shirt
- jackets and cardigans are not to be worn during shifts at
all
- if you have been given a lanyard, please tuck this inside your
tunic / polo shirt
On arrival and during the
assignment/shift
- Introduce yourself to the nurse in charge or the
coordinator
- Identify emergency numbers and procedures, location of
equipment and emergency exits
- Receive a verbal hand-over from the previous assignment/shift
nurse. Ensure you check the needs of your patients, medication
charts, fluid balance charts, IV infusions and observations
- If you are unsure, pass on questions asked by the patient and
their family to the nurse in charge
- Always check the identification of patients before
administering medication
- Do not give IV medications unless you are IV certified with
your facility. (Speak to your Geneva Consultant about this)
- In the event of clinical deterioration of your patient, speak
with the nurse in charge and contact the doctor. Record in the
patient's notes your findings, the report you gave the doctor and
the outcome of any intervention.
- If you feel that there is nothing to do, take the initiative,
ask other staff if you can help, tidy or restock or treasure the
quality time you have to spend with your patients
- Ensure all preoperative checks are thorough and comprehensive
including checks on identification, consent, patient understanding,
NBM status, allergies and premed requirements
- Practice standard precautions at all times to protect both
yourself and your patients. Please read the Health & Safety
section in your manual for examples
- Ensure documentation on all patient records and charts is
thorough, as these are legal documents
- Give a clear, concise hand-over to the staff on the next
assignment/shift
Contact Geneva Health if:
- the duty manager changes your area of work
- you are unable to attend or are going to be late
- you finish your assignment/shift either early or late
- your availability changes
- you have any concerns about your personal safety