Large Animal Hospital Practicum

Syllabus - Years 1-4

CONTENTS

1. Overview
2. Course Goals
3. Course Coordinators
4. In-Hospital Contacts
5. Individual Student Responsibilities
6. Schedules
7. Grading
8. General Responsibilities
9. Student Group Responsibilities

OVERVIEW

The Large Animal Hospital Practicum fulfills a variety of educational and service needs. By participation in the practicum, students gain experience in animal handling, evaluation and treatment protocols; experience the presentation of and considerations related to specific veterinary diseases; experience the responsibility of case care; develop team skills in problem solving and critical thinking; and, become familiar with the location of supplies and with procedures in the hospital in preparation for clinical rotations. Students also provide a valuable service to the Hospital by providing primary case care and service support, as well as by allowing a continuous excellent level of case care that is critical for operation of a referral hospital.

The Large Animal Hospital Practicum is required as follows:

CLASS
REQUIREMENT
Year 1 Required for all students
Year 2 Required for all students
Year 3 Required for all students until beginning of rotations (3/21/02)
Year 4

Required for all Large and Mixed Track students
beginning 3/21/02 of Year 3


 

 

 

 

 

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Large Animal Practicum Goals:

1) Provide experience in animal handling

2) Familiarize students with diagnostic and treatment protocols

3) Expose students to specific large animal conditions and the considerations related to their management

4) Introduce the responsibility of case care

5) Facilitate development of individual and team skills in problem solving and critical thinking

6) Familiarize students with the location of supplies and with procedures in the hospital

7) Provide support for continuous high quality patient care

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Course Coordinators:

YEAR
COORDINATOR
PHONE
OFFICE
EMAIL
1
 Dr. Stephanie Valberg
5-7277
 225F VTH valbe001@umn.edu
2
 Dr. Abby Sage
5-4730
 225D VTH sagex004@umn.edu
3
 Dr. Micky Trent
4-7477
 225C VTH trent001@umn.edu
4
 Dr. Trevor Ames
5-7791
 225 VTH amesx001@umn.edu

The course coordinators are responsible for the organization and evaluation of the course. If you have questions or concerns related to the structure of the course or your performance in the course, you should contact the appropriate coordinator

The course contacts are responsible for the day- to- day conduct of the course. If you have questions or concerns about assignments, case management, or the availability of enough personnel to manage the cases, first contact the lead technician on-site, then the Intern or Resident on-call.

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In-Hospital Contacts:

GROUP

IDENTIFICATION

CONTACT METHOD

LA Evening Technicians

Paul Weinand (and others)

Pager (612) 613-6977

LA Interns & Residents

LA On-Call List

Posted in LA Front Office

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Your Responsibilities:

You are required to complete all assigned shifts. Failure to complete your shifts will result in a "F "in the appropriate course and may lead to dismissal from school.

If you find that you have a scheduling conflict with a specific assigned shift it is your responsibility to find a member of your class who can cover the shift. You have been provided with a contact list of class members to assist you. In addition there will be a list of students who have not completed shifts on the student affairs web site. Contact these students first. They may only refuse a request once.

  1. Once you have found someone to cover your shift, you must email the change to Anna Jones (bystr005@umn.edu) prior to the beginning of your shift. If it is after 4:30 pm you must also call the large animal hospital lead technician on the technician pager at (612) 613-6977.

  2. If you cannot find a replacement to cover your shift you MUST do the following:
  1. If you do not complete your shift or find a replacement you will be required to complete an additional 2 shifts for the one you missed. Your name and contact information will be put on a list on the student affairs web site. Once your name is on the list, you have the right to refuse a request to cover a only once. If you have not completed your 2 additional shifts by the last week of class in Spring semester, you will be assigned a shift at the instructor's discretion during the week following final examinations. All shifts must be completed in order to pass the course.

If you are present at your LA shift and find your self short-handed, proceed as follows:
a) Missing student - notify the large animal technician
b) Missing technician - call Pat Berzins (612)624-8791; beeper (612)538-7326

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Schedules:

Shifts will be filled by the following combination of students:

Days
Times
Students

Summer, U. Term Breaks,
Exam Weeks

 All shifts 1 tech + 1 senior
Weekdays 6:00-12:30pm 1 tech + 1 senior + 2 underclassmen
Weekends 6:00-12:30pm 1 tech + 1 senior + 2 underclassmen
12:00pm-6:30pm 1 tech + 1 senior + 2 underclassmen
6:00pm-12:30am 1 tech + 1 senior + 2 underclassmen
 

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Grading:

The following are required in order to receive a passing grade in the corresponding course:

  1. Cover all assigned shifts.

  2. Compliance with all responsibilities described below.

  3. Complete and hand in to the course coordinator the checklist by the week before finals in Spring Semester.

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Responsibilities (General):

The hospital technicians are responsible for the welfare and safety of all animals housed in the Large Animal Hospital and the safety of the students. Your responsibilities include:

  1. Hourly Walk Bys: Check all animals hourly to confirm that they are not in distress (i.e., not cast in stall, in respiratory distress, bloated, etc.) and that they have clean water (unless "Off Water" sign is up).

  2. Routine Monitoring: The morning shift on weekends is responsible for performing and recording Temperature, Pulse and Respiration (TPR) checks and physical exams (PE) on all cases when senior students are not assigned to them. TPRs and PEs should be recorded on a daily progress sheet in the case's record. Physical examination should include the following:
  1. Specific Case Monitoring and Care: Individual cases may have additional parameters to monitor or treatments to give throughout any shift. Those cases with specific needs will be listed on the board next to the pharmacy. Specific parameters to monitor and treatments to be given will be listed on order sheets at each stall. Monitoring equipment is in the colic lab, foal unit and ICU. Drugs and for treatment will be located in the corresponding medication box for that stall or the refrigerator in the colic lab. Syringes, needles, and other administration equipment should be at the stall, with more available by the pharmacy or colic lab.
  2. Admissions and Discharges: Students are responsible for pre-arranged non-emergency admissions and discharges that occur during their shift. Discharge procedures are provided in the Large Animal Procedures Handout.
  3. Assist with Emergency Admissions: Students may be asked to assist with emergency admissions under the supervision of a clinician.
  4. Maintain a Safe Environment: Students must take responsibility for the safety of cases, themselves and any others in the hospital by complying with the following:
  1. Maintain a Professional Environment: Students will be viewed by clients as representatives of the College and University and should conduct themselves professionally at all times. The following rules should be applied at all times:
  1. Maintain Good Management Practices: The College and the clients are reliant upon you to transfer the appropriate information to the clinicians in charge of the case for proper ongoing care and charging. Please maintain the following practices:
  1. Cover Your Shifts! The faculty, staff and students (not to mention patients and clients) rely upon full shifts throughout the year. You must take responsibility for covering all of your shifts. Coverage means the following:

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Responsibilities by Group:

Technicians (LA Hospital):
LA technicians are employees of the VTH and are trained in the techniques and policies of the VTH. When an LA technician is present, they will assume the primary role for management of the large animal hospital practicum and of the hospital cases. They assume the following responsibilities:

  1. Confirm the treatments needed and arrange the shift members accordingly.

  2. Determine the comfort level of all shift members in large animal handling and treatment protocols and ensure appropriate assistance.

  3. Assume the responsibility for the safety of all cases and all shift members.

  4. Ensure that underclassmen learn about the cases and, whenever appropriate and safe, have opportunities to develop technical skills (remember that administration of IV injections must be approved by a clinician).

  5. Ensure that information regarding case progress and details of case care are transferred to the next shift.

  6. Contact clinicians to confirm unclear orders or to report changes in case status.

  7. Contact the Intern-on-call for additional assistance if short-handed.

  8. Fill out and turn in a shift sheet that lists all students present and any problems that arose during the shift, as well as assigning a grade for each student on the shift for review.

Seniors (LA Hospital only):
Seniors serve as the assistant manager for all students on the shift. As such they should assume the following responsibilities:

  1. Assist the lead technician in all duties assigned above.
  2. Assume technician responsibilities (with the exception of grading) on any shift without a technician.

Juniors:
Juniors serve as an assistant manager for the shift and should assist the technician and senior in all tasks. Juniors may supervise freshman and sophomores during case treatment and handling if they are comfortable and experienced in the procedure in question.

Sophomores and Freshmen:
Sophomores and Freshmen serve as assistants to the technicians, seniors and juniors on the shift. Their responsibilities include:

  1. Make comfort level with animal handling and procedures known to supervisors. They will need your accurate self-assessment to help assign tasks safely.
  2. Learn! Ask the technicians, seniors and juniors about cases and treatments. Read records and discuss them. Find out where equipment and supplies are and how they work.
  3. Assist the technicians, seniors and juniors in case care, monitoring, record keeping and hospital maintenance.
  4. If the hospital is not busy take the time to practice physical examinations on the available horses.

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© 2002 by A.M.Trent, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
Questions? Suggestions? Contact Dr. Trent at trent001@umn.edu. Last updated: 9/3/02.