VCOM Faculty Handbook

about an applicant with whom they have any conflict of interest, as defined by the list above, by notifying the committee chair. VCOM’s Mental Health Counselors may not assess students or make decisions about a student’s advancement, graduation, or dismissal. Email and Voice Mail All electronic communications are the property of VCOM and not considered a faculty member’s personal property. Therefore, email is not considered confidential and should be reserved for work related use only. 1. The purpose of email and voice mail is to facilitate communicating business- or work-related items in a timely and efficient manner. Email is a written means of communication and as such, all users should exercise good judgment and common sense when creating and distributing email messages. 2. Forgery (or attempted forgery) of email messages is prohibited. 3. Unauthorized actions or attempts to read, copy, modify, or delete email or voice mail messages of other users are also prohibited. 4. No messages may be transmitted under an assumed name, nor may any user attempt to obscure the origin of any message. 5. Sending unsolicited junk mail or ‘for profit’ messages is prohibited. 6. Email may be archived for back-up purposes and may be reviewed by VCOM at the time of delivery or at a later. 7. Texting, twittering, chat, instant messaging and other non-work-related emails is not allowed during work hours. Employment of Relatives Direct supervision of an employee by a direct relative(s) is generally not allowed. If two employees in the same department are family members or marry, and one is placed in the position of evaluating, rewarding, or disciplining the other, one of them must either transfer to a vacancy within three months, or must provide an alternate appropriate supervising VCOM officer with an acceptable written plan for supervision. In the alternative that a plan for supervision is not provided, the employee with the least seniority must resign or be terminated. Fatigue Mitigation Providing medical care to patients is physically and mentally demanding. Night shifts, even for those who have had enough rest, cause fatigue. VCOM has adopted fatigue mitigation processes and ensures that there are no negative consequences and/or stigma for using fatigue mitigation strategies. It is important for physicians and students to have adequate rest before and after clinical responsibilities. Signs of fatigue include: • Involuntarily nodding off

• Confusion and fearfulness • Decreased startle response • Anxiety • Social withdrawal • Degraded motor skills • Tenseness and tremors • Slower reaction time • Labile mood • Poor coordination • Difficulty with short-term recall

• Waves of sleepiness • Problems focusing • Frequent unexplained headaches • Muscular aches and pains • Blurred/double vision • Loss of appetite • Irritability/intolerance • Reduced short-term memory • Lack of interest and drive

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