Medical Assisting: Health and safety
Health and safety
As future professionals in the healthcare and emergency services industry, students are expected to not only thoroughly learn and comply with the safety standards of their program of study, but also serve as role models. In settings in which the focus is on the patient’s health and care, it is critical that all safety protocols are followed. The safety of students, faculty, patients, and program animals is of the utmost importance.
Refer to the safety topics in the section for one’s program of study. Review the college’s Health & Safety Manual and in particular, Chapter 4 for the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Exposure Control Plan. Programs may have specific procedures relevant to their site, program of study, and facilities. The following are other college health and safety resources to be mindful of.
- PCC’s Public Safety department offers a variety of services to ensure the safety of the students
- Public Safety emergency preparedness and response and emergency procedures pages.
- Healthy campus – provides guidelines to help keep PCC’s campuses healthy.
Health profession student clinical training administrative requirements
In order for students to complete the required clinical training, PCC requires all students to meet the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) Chapter 409 – Division 30 for students in clinical training prior to clinical placement. Students are to meet any requirements mandated by their clinical site as well. A detailed description of these requirements are listed in Requirements for Clinical & Field Education. They include:
- Successfully pass a criminal background check
- Successfully pass a ten-panel drug screen
- Submit proof of current immunizations
- CPR certification: Students are required to obtain and maintain current certification in BLS (CPR) for Healthcare Providers by the American Heart Association.
- Complete Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen compliance training modules.
Insurance
Portland Community College provides Workers’ Compensation coverage for registered students working at external non-paid training and practice sites such as clinical, externship, and co-operative education sites. Students in co-operative education courses must follow the guidelines on the insurance coverage webpage to be eligible for Workers’ compensation coverage. For more information, see the US Department of Labor Workers’ Compensation website.
Portland Community College does not carry primary health insurance coverage (sometimes referred as illness, injury, and accident coverage) for students. Students are encouraged (but not required) to acquire comprehensive health and accident insurance that will provide continuous coverage during their time at the college. Students are responsible for their own health needs, health care costs, and health insurance coverage. The online Healthcare Marketplace is a good resource for finding health insurance.
Injury reporting
In the event of an injury on PCC property or at an external practice site (i.e. clinical, externship, and co-operative education sites), students should follow these steps:
- Seek medical help.
- Immediately inform the site supervisor (instructor, clinical instructor, nursing supervisor, charge nurse, preceptor) and the PCC course instructor of the incident.
- Work with the faculty department chair or program director to complete necessary forms and obtain follow-up instructions.
- If the injury occurred at an external practice site, follow-up with the site supervisor to complete additional incident reports/paperwork that may be required by the clinical site.
Specific requirements for bloodborne pathogen exposure
Follow these steps:
- Provide immediate care for the wound/exposure site:
- For emergency needlestick or other sharp medical device with human blood or other infectious bodily fluids:
- Wash needlestick site and/or potential exposure site with soap and water
- Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water
- Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline or sterile irrigates
- For emergency needlestick or other sharp medical device with human blood or other infectious bodily fluids:
- Immediately inform the site supervisor (instructor, clinical instructor, nursing supervisor, charge nurse, preceptor) and the PCC course instructor of the incident.
- Seek medical help at the nearest emergency department and inform them of the bloodborne exposure and obtain a baseline blood draw.
- Inform faculty department chair or program director what emergency department was used.
- Work with the faculty department chair or program director to complete necessary forms and obtain follow-up instructions.
- If the injury occurred at an external practice site, follow-up with the site supervisor to complete additional incident reports/paperwork that may be required by the clinical site.
For more information, see Chapter 4, Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Exposure Control Plan of the college’s Health & Safety Manual.
Timeline for all injury reporting, including bloodborne pathogen exposure
- Seek medical care immediately.
- All injuries, illnesses, property damage, motor vehicle collisions, or other incidents that occur at the college, or in the course of college business if not at the college, should be reported within 24 hours of having knowledge of the incident.
- For Workers’ Compensation claims, the law requires that a form must be filed within 5 days of notice of knowledge of a claim.
Student participation in the program requires maintenance of a level of physical and mental health that will permit successful completion of all elements of the program. If there is evidence that a student’s mental or physical condition is a contributing factor to substandard achievement in the program, the student shall be counseled to seek help from a private physician, or student Counseling Services. In the course of these procedures, it may be deemed necessary for the student to submit statements from a physician pertaining to their mental and/or physical abilities to continue in the program. In cases in which a student refuses to seek such assistance, the student will be referred to a program dismissal review process and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Support.
Injuries on campus or in lab
Any accident to the student on the campus or at a clinical affiliate must be reported to the Medical Assisting program office immediately. Please see the Insurance section and Report an injury section.