Visiting students

The basic hours are as follows:

• Weekdays 8:30am to 6:00pm
• Weekends 8:30am to 1:00pm

Weekend work is an integral part of seeing practice or elective surgical / medical rotations and we expect that during the weekends visiting students will be available to assist the veterinarians and nurses as during the week. You are here to learn all that you can, so we encourage you to see all procedures that take place. Please feel free to ask questions regarding cases when the consultation with the owner has been completed – reserve questions until the owner is not present unless you are invited by the attending senior veterinarian to ask questions. If you wish to use any cases for case reports we will try to facilitate you whenever possible, however permission must be obtained from the Clinical Director.

All students are expected to become actively involved in every aspect of the work. This will include assisting with treatments, radiographic and ultrasound examinations and routine cleaning of the theatre and barn (including ‘mucking out’ and cleaning / disinfecting stables when the occasion arises).

• Cleaning is an ongoing responsibility; everywhere must be kept as clean as possible at all times. Everybody pitches in! Following all procedures (e.g. surgery, minor surgeries, scanning and endoscopy), the equipment should be cleared away immediately and you should help the nurses and interns to do this.
• Follow the procedures shown to you when handling isolation horses. Never leave the box of one of these animals without cleaning up. Remove overalls, dip feet and wash hands before attending to another animal.
• Please wear footwear, which is clean and can withstand immersion into antiseptic solutions.
• There are boxes of disposable gloves all over the hospital and these should be used when handling patients with wounds or in cases of suspected contagious diseases, such as ringworm etc. Also present are hand disinfectants, which should be used regularly, particularly after handling horses with discharging wounds.

Waste management policy

It is the aim of Troytown Equine to deal with waste products in the correct manner, but also where possible to recycle products to minimize environmental impact. These guidelines explain how all waste products from the hospital should be dealt with:-

Clinical waste

• All needles and sharps should be placed in yellow solid plastic boxes for disposal.
• Used syringes, contaminated swabs, contaminated parts of bandaging material, contaminated waste from theatre, waste from laboratory and empty plastic medicine bottles should be placed in yellow bags – in the specified yellow bins.
• Used glass medicine bottles should be placed in the solid container in the nurse’s station and then transferred to the room in the new barn.
• Unused drugs must be placed in purple-topped solid yellow plastic containers.

Waste cardboard

This is to be compacted in the hay barn. The cardboard can be baled as we go along since then the baler acts as a store (avoids having loads of cardboard hanging around). Empty paper feed-bags can also be baled with the cardboard. The compactor is only to be operated by a member of staff.

Plastic

All plastic (including all plastic wrapping, plastic drip bags which have had the bottoms cut off, plastic containers) can be recycled and baled in the baler. A massive amount of plastic is required for each bale and this should be stored in the blue bin in the hayshed. Once a large amount of plastic has been collected then it can be baled (separately from the cardboard).

Mixed recyclables

The bins labelled “Mixed Recyclables” can be used for recycling bits of cardboard, plastic, office paper, shredded paper, blue paper towels, newspapers, magazines, all kinds of metal cans (aluminium and iron), plastic bottles and milk and juice cartons. Specific bins will be placed in the offices, laboratory, canteen and nurses station for collection of these recyclable products. These products can be placed in plastic bags into the orange and blue bins outside the hayshed.

Glass

Glass should be placed in bags in the store-room in the new barn, from where they will be collected when they have accumulated to a sufficient amount.

General waste and food waste

This must be kept separate and placed in the skip for general waste. Styrofoam has to be placed in the general waste since at present it cannot be recycled. Only place waste in the skip which definitely cannot be recycled – so think before you dump!!

All breaks are to be taken in the tea-room, and please tidy up after yourself. Never sit around in any other area of the hospital – remember – ‘first impressions’. Students should avoid congregating around particular cases, especially when owners are present. This can be very disconcerting for owners and compromises (they feel) the confidentiality of their consultation. Therefore, one student only should attend a case unless otherwise requested by a member of staff.

No student is to go ‘on call’ with any vet unless they check first with the veterinarians in charge at the hospital and the nurses if there is any work that needs to be done in the hospital.

All personal mobile phones must be switched off while in the hospital.

No more than two students at a time are permitted in surgery, unless prior permission is given by the surgeon. (One student is to assist with anaesthesia, and one student to assist or observe surgery.) The students in surgery will be expected to help the surgery nurse with the ‘setup’ and total cleaning of the surgery after each operation. To assist in maintaining surgical asepsis, traffic in and out of theatre must be minimised. Always wear the red theatre overalls / green scrub suits / coats provided, and take care not to touch sterile areas.

Work with horses has inherent risks. It is important that everybody is aware of potential dangers and that these dangers are minimised as far as possible. We wish to make Troytown Equine a pleasant and safe working environment – safe for staff, clients, students, visitors and patients. Each of us has a right to a safe working environment. Each of us has a responsibility in ensuring its creation and promotion.

A detailed safety statement for Troytown is kept at the front desk and this should be read in full by all students at the start of their visit. 

When handling any horse it is important that a good fitting head-collar or bridle is used along with a suitable lead rope. Addition of a chiffney bit is useful in handling yearlings and young racehorses. If in doubt then consult with the veterinary surgeon / nurse in attendance. Sedatives are used routinely in the hospital – BUT it is imperative that all concerned realise that no horse is absolutely safe, no matter what level of sedation is achieved by the administration of sedative drugs. Horses are still aware of skin sensation even during apparently deep levels of sedation and they are capable of kicking out or rearing. It is recognised that addition of butorphanol (Turbugesic) to an alpha-2 agent (Domosedan, Xylazine or Sedivet) reduces the likelihood of a horse kicking, – However it does not eliminate the risks entirely.

Students may assist in restraint of horses with the attending veterinarian. If you are in doubt or concerned for your safety or that of any other individual then you must immediately bring it to the attention of the veterinary surgeon in charge at the time. Please do not enter boxes on your own except under supervision.

Almost all of the medicines used in the hospital are a potential hazard to people. Examples include the risk of anaphylaxis (a hypersensitive / allergic type reaction) with many types of antibiotic and profound respiratory and cardiovascular depression with most anaesthetic and sedative drugs. Consequently at no time should needles, syringes, medicine bottles or drug receptacles be placed in the mouth or in the pockets of trousers or coats. If a medicine contacts the skin then the area should be washed immediately. Any incidents of accidental self-injection or needle scratches should be notified immediately.

All bottles, syringes, needles and blades are potential hazards and should be disposed of immediately in the correct receptacles.

All aspects of radiation safety that you have learned in college apply in practice too. In particular, students should wear gloves and gowns when assisting with the taking of radiographs. The gowns and gloves should be stored neatly to ensure that they are not damaged. The Bone Scanning / Scintigraphy room has its own separate set of rules and explanation of hazards – all students should familiarize themselves with safety procedures if they are assisting with bone scanning procedures. Only the minimum number of personnel should be in the x-ray area at any one time. Pregnant women and children younger than 16 should not be in the radiography room or bone scanning room whilst scanning or radiographs are being taken.

The MRI magnet is low-field (less than 0.3 Tesla) and is only a potential health risk to people with cardiac pacemakers or similar such devices. These people should not enter the room. Please note that the magnet is not strong enough to pull metal from hands (such as axes, chairs, fire-fighting equipment etc.) – which can happen in large magnets in human hospitals.

We view safety as absolutely paramount for all staff, clients and visitors. Consequently, anybody found disregarding these recommendations or acting in contravention to the safety statement and endangering themselves or others will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

Whilst you are a visitor, we expect you to treat every member of our team and clients with respect and courtesy. The positive contributions you make during your stay will be both noted and appreciated. 

At any stage during your stay, please feel free to discuss any difficulties or problems you may encounter with any member of staff. You know what they say about a problem shared! 

Failure to observe the above guidelines may result in your being asked to leave. 

Anybody wishing to see practice again should book well in advance and you can hopefully be given priority.