ACEM - Policies and Regulations

01 Nov 2020

Policy on Hospital Emergency Department Services for Children

This Policy stablishes minimum standards in the provision of services to children and young persons who attend EDs. These standards relate primarily to the structure, function and services provided by EDs situated within hospitals which have a separate paediatric ward with dedicated paediatric resident staff and paediatricians on staff.

01 Aug 2019

Statement on Clinical Support Time Allocation

ACEM believes that the clinical support component of practice time for (non-director) FACEMs should be 30% and no less than 25% as measured as a total of the employed hours for each FACEM, irrespective of total hours worked.

22 Jul 2022

Statement on Climate Change

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine considers climate change and the associated health impacts to be a population health emergency. Climate change presents an immediate risk to the capacity and durability of EDs, health systems and the medical workforce.

01 Sep 2019

Guidelines on the Role of Interns in the Emergency Department

While the majority of the internship is spent under supervision in the inpatient ward environment, the emergency medicine rotation presents particular risk exposure for the intern since within the emergency department there is a greater requirement for critical decision-making, including disposition and other therapeutic interventions.

01 Nov 2018

Statement on the Cleaning of Ultrasound Transducers

ACEM recognises that current infection control processes for ultrasound machines and transducers in EDs may require change as further evidence becomes available. To this end, ACEM is actively working with ASUM and ACIPC to better determine processes and standards to ensure the provision of the best possible patient care.

01 May 2020

Statement on Gender Equity

This Statement establishes our commitment to gender equity across College activities and the broader emergency medicine (EM) workforce. It outlines objectives and practical recommendations on how ACEM and the emergency medicine community can work towards a future in which everyone working in EM can achieve their full potential.

01 Jul 2020

Policy on Family and Domestic Violence and Abuse

This Policy relates to the identification, screening, treatment and support of patients who present to the emergency department (ED) and are experiencing family and domestic violence and abuse (FDVA). It recognises that ED staff who treat and counsel patients experiencing FDVA can be vulnerable, also requiring organisational support.

29 Nov 2022

Statement on Health of People Seeking Asylum

ACEM supports the humane and dignified treatment of all refugees and asylum seekers, regardless of how they arrive. It considers offshore and regional processing centres as detrimental to health, particularly mental health. ACEM opposes mandatory detention, especially of children, and calls for an end to offshore detention.

02 Dec 2022

Policy on Extended role nursing & allied health practitioners working

Extended role nursing and allied health practitioners work with increased clinical autonomy within their scope of practice, however, remain within the ED collaborative model of care. An emergency department collaborative model of care must occur with a framework of ongoing education, training, credentialing, audit and quality improvement.

24 Mar 2023

Ensuring Correct Patient, Side and Site Procedures in EDs

Every member of staff in the ED must be vigilant that the correct patient, side and site are treated. The patient, or representative, should be involved in these processes wherever possible. If staff have any reason to believe that the incorrect patient side or site is being treated, they must act immediately without fear of criticism.