Purdue University Veterinary Hospital Policy for PVM Student Access

We understand that access to the Veterinary Hospital is an important learning tool throughout your student years here in the College. It is also important however, that you realize there are rules and regulations which must be observed.

4th year veterinary students have free access to the clinic so that they can care for their patients. 3rd year veterinary students will need access to the areas of the hospital where their junior clinics are being carried out. 1st, 2nd  and 3rd year veterinary students may be told by instructors to visit interesting cases in the hospital and are allowed to do so if the policies below are followed. Veterinary technician students have time in the hospital throughout their curriculum so they will also be in the hospital during those clinic times.

1. If you have no classes that require you to be in the clinics, however you want to visit or are told to examine an animal by an instructor, please make sure that all visits are made only during the week (8am-6pm) with no weekend visits.
2. You are allowed to read the medical records of cases in the hospital, but please remember that medical records are legal documents and are considered as confidential information between the client and their doctors.  You must treat these records as such and not talk about the case outside the hospital. The following are all considered a breach of confidentiality and are strictly prohibited: verbally sharing information, sharing written documents, or placing pictures which include any patient involvement on Face Book, My Space, Twitter, etc., or on a cell phone. No pictures may be taken of client animals without the client’s permission. Additionally any photos taken of people in the hospital must have their direct approval prior to publication.
3. Only PVM students and staff are allowed in the hospital unless the person is here as a client with their animal or on a tour approved by Student Services. Please do not bring friends or family into the hospital with you when you visit.
4. If you are visiting or working in the hospital, appropriate clothing should be worn, i.e. coveralls, lab coats, smocks, closed toe shoes.  You must look professional at all times since clients may be present anywhere, at any time. Please be careful what you say because an owner might be one of those people who over hears you.
5. A PVM ID badge should always be worn.  Please introduce yourself if you go into a ward or area of the hospital where employees are working so that they know you are a student and have permission to be there.
6. Please do not prop open any locked internal or external doors of Lynn Hall and the hospital. The safety of the people working in the hospital and the safety of the patients is everyone’s responsibility.
7. You are not allowed to work on your own animals in the hospital unless the animal has been properly admitted through the reception desk area, and the clinician on the case allows it. If the animal needs medical attention, it should be admitted as a patient and be treated by a veterinarian.
8. You must not open stall doors or cage doors to look at or handle client-owned animals unless you are in the company of a senior student, technician, or clinician involved with the case.
9. The following areas are off-limits unless you are working on a case or unless special permission is obtained from the clinician in charge of the case:  LA and SA surgery areas, SA and LA ICU, and LA and SA isolation areas.
10. Students who are in approved volunteer status (with a signed form on file), or are part of organized volunteer groups like SVECCS ICU duty, Foal watch, etc. are allowed into all areas of the hospital where necessary to perform their duties when they are working their shifts, but are not allowed in the parts of the hospital identified above in #9 when not on duty.