Core Job Responsibilities

Table of Contents

Optimally, the TPM has educational preparation and experience in the care of injured patients.  The TPM is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the trauma program (American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma [ACS-COT], 2014). Ideally, the TPM supervises any ancillary staff needed to fulfill the requirements of the trauma system. A written job description will help define the role responsibilities and outline authority for accomplishing the goals of the trauma program.

It is the role of the TPM to assume the day-to-day responsibilities for process and performance improvement activities as applied to nursing and other ancillary personnel and should assist the Trauma Medical Director (TMD) in carrying out the same functions for the physicians’ (ACS-COT, 2014). The TPM and the TMD share the responsibility for the success of the trauma team. Like all partnerships, the TPM and TMD must support each other, share a common vision, and mutually respect each other and the members of their team. The TMD and TPM report to a different hierarchy, but both share the burden of ensuring high-quality trauma care. A clear delineation of roles and responsibilities is crucial from the outset. A trauma specific organization chart should clarify the hierarchy of the program. Boundaries, timelines, and working relationships need to be defined and discussed candidly. The logistics of accomplishing the work need to be honestly assessed and assigned. How the TMD and TPM work together as a team, who is accountable for what, and the best means of communicating (phone, email, in-person meetings) are important aspects of building the relationship.

Ideally, the TPM should be supported by the ranking administrative structure and have sufficient resources to accomplish the requirements of a highly functioning trauma system.  This can include, but is not limited to, secretarial and clinical nursing personnel to help fulfill outreach, performance improvement, and discharge planning, registry staff, injury prevention coordinator, and trauma nurse clinicians’ (ACS-COT, 2014).  Administrative and budgetary support needed for the trauma program depends on the size of the hospital and the volume of trauma patients cared for by the facility. 

The qualifications and activities the TPM should participate in, will be outlined in the subsequent chapters, but should include the following (ACS-COT, 2014):

  • Clinical activities
  • Education responsibilities
  • Performance Improvement
  • Administration
  • Supervision of the trauma registry
  • Consultant and liaison
  • Research
  • Community and national involvement in trauma care systems