General Lab Guidelines

General Guidelines

1.  All learners must know and practice within the safety guidelines at all times while using the lab(s).

2. No lab user shall infringe upon the privacy, rights, privileges, health, or safety of other lab users.

3. All users of the lab space must act in a manner that does not disturb the academic activities occurring in the lab.

4. No unsupervised learners are allowed in the labs unless prior approval is given by simulation staff and faculty.

5. Unsafe behavior will not be tolerated and should be reported immediately to faculty or simulation staff.

6. Learners are expected to come to lab prepared by having read any scheduled lab objectives and assignments prior to the start of the lab periods. They are to have their assigned equipment and supplies necessary for the lab in their possession.

7. Adherence to the dress code is expected. You must be in uniform, or wearing a lab coat to participate in any activity in the center.

8. Learners shall report any physical limitations to their instructors as soon as possible so that necessary precautions may be taken. It is the responsibility of the faculty to determine whether a learner with physical limitations (physical injuries, illness, surgery, pregnancy, or communicable disease) is capable of safely performing the necessary skills.

9. Children and unauthorized personnel are not allowed in the labs at any time.

10. The simulation lab is not a health center for ill learners, staff or faculty and may not be used for clinical diagnosis or treatment.

11. FOOD & DRINK POLICY: No food or drink in the simulation labs.

12. FURNITURE: Moving furniture, including tables, chairs, desks, and stools without permission from faculty or simulation staff is strictly prohibited

13. SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in the ELC.

14. All electronics including cell phones, PDA’s, cameras, camera phones, and video recorders are prohibited during simulations unless preapproved.

15. Learners given permission to be in the lab without supervision by faculty or staff must vacate the room when a scheduled simulation is about to start. Room schedules are posted in the labs.  

16. Learners MUST check before entering a room if the room is in use. Under no circumstances are learners to enter a room when “TESTING IN PROGRESS” signs are posted. If a regular class is in session, learners must ask permission to come into the room from the faculty supervising that area.

17. All labs are locked unless occupied by faculty, staff and/or learners. Report any breech of security immediately to the simulation staff or Campus Police if need be.

18. All learners must agree to the terms of this policy and procedure guide before entering the simulation lab.

Equipment Use

1. All students and faculty wanting to use the lab must have proper orientation to the equipment.

2.  Learners should be knowledgeable in the care, handling and proper use of equipment prior to using it in the laboratory. Equipment and supplies are to be used safely and for their designed purpose. Please report any malfunctioning or broken items to the simulation staff.

3. Any student wishing to use the lab must notify the ELC Director and sign in on the attendance book.

4. When working with the manikins, students must wash their hands and wear gloves.

5. Supplies and equipment must not be taken out of the lab unless requested by an instructor and approved by the ELC Director. 

6. Equipment should be disposed of appropriately. (sharp’s containers, biohazard trash containers)

7. Computers and video equipment are for class purposes only.

8. Students will have proper orientation to the crash cart and the defibrillator.

9. Any disposable supplies needed must be requested to lab staff before being taken out of the cabinets.

10. Any damage to the equipment or supplies should be reported immediately to the Lab staff.

11. No markers, pens, or betadine are permitted near the mannequins.

12. Equipment requests must be submitted to the ELC Director.

13. Mannequins should be covered after use and left in the bed that they occupy.

14. Do not remove the manikin from the bed unless instructed to do so.

15.  All beds should be lowered to the ground with the bed rails down after each use. Linens should be properly placed back on the manikin after each use as if caring for a real patient

16. Unused supplies are to be left on the patient bedside table.

17. Do not use the equipment for any purpose other than specified; anyone who fails to comply with this request will be asked to leave the center.

18. No equipment or supplies may be removed from the Simulation Lab.

19. The doors of the lab will be locked at all times.

Faculty Use:

1. All faculty/instructors must be trained in debriefing before conducting a scenario.

2. Access to the Simulation Lab area is restricted to Faculty/Instructors who have regularly scheduled classes in the lab and staff who require access for administrative purposes.

3. Faculty/Instructors who are scheduled to teach in the lab can request access to the lab 30 minutes prior to the start of their simulation by contacting the simulation staff or ELC Director. All other Faculty/Instructors are required to contact Lab staff for access during the semester.

4. Contact the ELC Director via email to schedule training sessions.

5. It is recommended that Faculty/Instructors participate in a “dry run” simulation prior to their scheduled Simulation Lab time in order to provide optimal learning experiences.

6. Faculty members must be present and observing the student simulation, unless otherwise decided by ELC Director and/or faculty.

7. All faculty members present during a simulation with their student group will complete an evaluation form specific to faculty observation.

8. Faculty/Instructors are responsible for reviewing the Simulation Lab policies with their students prior to the scheduled simulation.

9. Course Coordinators must ensure that the consent for video/audio tape is available prior to the simulation experience. Students are responsible for signing this form before starting their simulation. Faculty must review the consents to ensure that each student has agreed to the video/audio taping process.

Faculty/Instructors are responsible for safety and security of the debriefing room during the debriefing session.

Student Use

1. No students are permitted in the Simulation Lab without Lab staff or Faculty/Instructor present.

2. Students must conduct themselves in a professional and academic manner. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the Simulation Lab.

3. Students are not permitted to touch any equipment in the Simulation Lab except for equipment with which they are directly working.

4. Students are required to sign a video/audio recording consent form prior to the start of the simulation.

5. Students will be held responsible for damage to the equipment as a result of not following Simulation Lab policies and procedures.

6. Misuse of any equipment by any student will result in dismissal of that student from the Simulation Lab.

7. Students are not permitted in the computer control room

8. Student remediation, additional learning experiences and clinical makeup sessions are permitted with the ELC Director’s consent and will depend on the availability of the Simulation Lab and staff.

9. Students will maintain confidentiality regarding the performance of other students in the sim lab.

Lab conduct

1. All users of the simulation lab must act in a manner that is conducive to academic learning.

2. Access to the computer control room is restricted to Faculty/Instructors, IT personnel, assigned graduate student and teaching assistants, and administrators.

3. Students are NOT permitted in the computer control room.

4. Use of the Simulation Lab beds is restricted to mannequin use only unless otherwise specified. Please do not sit or lie on Simulation Lab beds.

5. Absolutely NO food or beverages are allowed in the Simulation Lab including the computer control room.

6. Students are NOT to touch the other simulation equipment that they are not using.

7. Users of the Simulation Lab are responsible for ensuring that the lab area that they used is clean and left in good condition for the next simulation group

Confidentiality

In order to preserve the realism of the scenarios used in the ELC and to provide an equitable learning experience for each student, all persons using the ELC will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement (see attached copy of confidentiality agreement). Because every simulation has the possibility of being recorded, manikin accessibility will be treated like a real patient. Students are expected to uphold all requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and any other federal or state laws requiring confidentiality. Students agree to report any violations to the faculty or instructor.

Dress Code

Students participating in the ELC will adhere to the same clinical dress code as they would for their respective discipline. Students performing mandatory clinical skills in the 7 | Page laboratory are expected to come prepared with proper clinical attire, stethoscope, and a watch with a second hand. Students performing make-up work must also wear clinical attire.

Sharps disposal

1. Students and Faculty/Instructors are responsible for placing hypodermic needles and other “sharps” equipment into the red biohazard bins and wall-mounted containers.

2. Lab staff are responsible for ensuring adequate disposal space in the red biohazard bins and wall-mounted containers.

3. Faculty/Instructors are responsible for communicating any full red biohazard bins to the lab personnel.

Communication and Lab Equipment

All telephones, printers and other equipment in the lab are to be used for lab purposes only. All electronics are prohibited during any lab experiences. All classes in the ELC will be scheduled with the ELC Director prior to the beginning of the semester.

Inventory & Supplies

Supplies needed for each simulation will be provided. Personal clinical supplies such as stethoscope and calculator are the responsibility of the student and will not be provided. When supplies are running low, the ELC faculty should be notified. All supplies should be returned to the same cabinet in which they were found. Unless soiled, all linens should be refolded and placed back in the cabinet. All soiled linens should be placed in the linen hamper for cleaning. Many supplies are reusable and should be restocked when not being used. Needles/sharps are never to be reused under any circumstance and should be disposed of in the sharps containers. Many supplies will have expiration dates and are intended for practice, but all students should check for expiration dates on their supplies.

Clean-Up

The center should be left in the manner in which it was found, so that the following class may enjoy the lab experience. Beds should be remade and left in the lowest position with the bed rails down. Manikins are to be left in the bed or on chairs unless working on a skills assignment (i.e. lifting, moving, etc.). Curtains should be placed back up against the wall and bedside tables are to be placed at the foot of the bed. Any bedpans, urinals, or basins need to be washed, dried and placed in the bedside drawers. When leaving, the lab needs to be locked with the lights turned off. The manikins and the task trainers in the skills lab are to be cleaned with mild soap and water and then rinsed and air dried after use. These manikins are also to be left in the bed. All injection pads need to be squeezed of any fluid and left to dry. Any spray used for lubrication of the manikins needs to be used sparingly

Media: Videos, CD’s, and DVD’s

1.      The ELC has the capability of displaying a variety of media. The ELC has cameras and microphones set up in the room, which can record any activity in the room.

2.      The recording equipment is to be used by the ELC Director or the simulation lab technician and is not to be used unless proper training has been provided.

3.      Recordings in the ELC are for educational purposes and debriefing opportunities with the appropriate faculty, staff and students. The confidentiality agreement signed by students protects privacy and discourages inappropriate discussion of video contents or student’s performance in the simulation scenarios.

4.      Any viewing or publication outside of the classroom, such as posting on YouTube, is unacceptable and unethical and will result in disciplinary action from the individual’s program.

5.      Students and faculty should conduct themselves professionally as in the clinical setting since all interactions can be recorded. All recorded media will be kept on file in the ELC.

6.      Do not touch or attempt to operate ANY of the audio\visual equipment unless instructed to do so by simulation staff.