Safety in the Community: It is very important to this Agency that our staff remains safe at all times. Should you perceive a situation to be unsafe, first take appropriate steps to ensure your safety and then immediately call the Agency. The following guidelines have been established to assist you in maintaining your safety:
■ Wear your name badge at all times.
• Carry a charged cell phone at all times.
■ Call patients’ homes in advance to alert them to your estimated time of arrival.
• Know your route. If you get lost, look for a safe place to stop and ask / call for additional directions.
• If needed, ask the patient I caregiver for further directions to the home.
• Request that pets are properly secured before your arrival. If pets are known to be menacing, back away. Never extend your hand out to the pet; never run from animals. Walk slowly around animals so that you do not frighten them.
■ Do not carry a purse. Lock your purse in the trunk of your car or hide it from visibility in your car.
■ Have your nursing bag/equipment ready before exiting from the vehicle. Keep one arm free.
• Keep your vehicle in good working order and ensure it has sufficient gas.
• In the winter, store a blanket in your vehicle; in the summer, a thermos of cool water.
• Keep a snack in the glove compartment.
• If you have car trouble, turn on the emergency flashers, call for assistance and wait for the police.
• Keep your car locked when parked or driving. Keep windows closed.
• Cross to the other side of the street when passing a group of strangers [if you are uncomfortable].
• Carry car keys in your hand. The pointed ends of the keys between your fingers may make an effective weapon.
• Park in full view of the patient’s residence. Avoid parking in alleys or deserted side streets.
• Walk directly to the patient’s residence in a professional and business-like manner.
• Use common walkways in buildings. Avoid isolated stairwells.
• Always knock on the door before entering a patient’s home.
■ Notify the Agency immediately if you encounter any incident that may jeopardize your personal safety.
■ Seek medical attention as needed.
• If you feel that you are in imminent danger, dial 911.
• In the event of a robbery, never resist theft of the nursing bag.
• If patient’s relatives or neighbors become a safety problem, notify the Agency immediately of the hazard.
Sexual Harassment: Sexual Harassment toward or by any Agency employee will not be tolerated. This Agency has a zero tolerance for Sexual Harassment. Any employee who feels that he/she has been sexually harassed should report this immediately to their Manager/Supervisor. An investigation of the allegation will ensue.
Violence in the Workplace:
- No Weapons Policy:
■ Agency personnel are strictly prohibited from carrying a weapon of any kind to a patient’s home or to the Agency’s office, regardless of whether you are licensed to carry said weapon.
■ If a weapon / gun is present in the patient’s home, request that the weapon be moved to a locked location during the visit / shift.
• If the weapon / gun poses a threat to you, the patient or caregiver, and the person will not remove the weapon, discontinue the visit I shift. Inform the person of your reason for leaving.
• After leaving, call the Agency immediately.
• If the person, patient or caregiver is willing to move the weapon / gun to a safe location, you must establish a verbal or written agreement that he/she will continue to store the gun elsewhere during your shifts / visits.
Contact the Agency immediately regarding this agreement.
Revision Date: 12-2006 interview Packet