Vet Suite Volunteer Module

All students who are interested in working in the vet suite and assigned there at Osceola County Animal Services must complete the following survey concerning the guidelines and expectations of the facility in general and the vet suite in particular.

Introduction

Welcome!

Our vet suite training program is designed to allow interested and qualified adults and students an opportunity to receive practical, hands - on training in a real world municipal animal shelter environment.  As such, all participants are expected to follow certain procedures as outlined in this learning module.

The vet suite is, for most volunteers, a restricted area. As an intern, you are able to enter the prep area, the surgical area and the recovery areas of the vet suite when you are scheduled to be there.

Mission Statement

To establish a stable and effective internship program within the shelter to promote animal wellness, community education and to provide essential skills to prepare our interns for a successful journey through veterinary medicine.

General Procedures

Your duties in the vet suite:

Your duties in the vet suite will be assigned by the vet suite techs. Some are very interesting and exciting, some may be more mundane. You are expected to complete any and all tasks assigned by the vet suite staff, including, but not limited to:

• observing

• retrieving and preparing supplies, including linens

• retrieving animals from other facility areas for surgery

• cleaning and sterilizing equipment

• cleaning kennels, floors, surfaces, and miscellaneous items

• preparing animals for surgery (including bathing)

• documenting medication usage

• assisting in sedation

• monitoring animal recovery

• other duties as assigned by staff

All of these functions are vital to the operation of this facility.

Expectations

Including:

• Wearing the assigned uniform, including long pants, closed - toe shoes and an OCAS shirt, if you have one. Even though it may be hot in the facility, these rules are for your safety. Interns who come to the vet suite in shorts, sandals or other inappropriate attire will be asked to leave.

• During the Covid 19 outbreak, a face mask is considered an essential part of your uniform.

• Completing all tasks, including live and online training as assigned to the best of your ability.

• Not participating in tasks for which you have neither been trained nor assigned.

• Like any other organization, we must have assigned staff and volunteers on site when scheduled. Two missed, unexcused shifts may result in dismissal from the program. Please do not expect to volunteer in the vet suite if you are not scheduled to be there.

• Interns should never be idle, or stand around talking. The most successful intern will always be engaged in a task that will assist the vet suite staff. These tasks may, at times, take the intern out of the vet suite.

• Cell phones can be a distraction and should be turned off when you are scheduled to be in the vet suite. If you must take an emergency call, please do so outside of the work area (go to the hallway, break room or lobby to make calls).

• Not chewing gum as it is not professional and is not acceptable in the vet suite.

• Approaching all tasks and expectations with honesty and integrity.

Training required prior to entering Vet Suite

All vet suite candidates must complete the following prior to starting in the facility:

• Register and complete the profile in Volgistics Volunteer management. You will be sent the link to get started.

Program dismissal

We have been very successful with our intern program and have, fortunately, not had to formally dismiss many intern volunteers. That being said, grounds for dismissal from the program would include:

• not showing up for two assigned shifts without a valid reason or notice

• defiance of a directive from vet suite or other supervisory staff

• disruptive behavior, including cell phone use in the vet suite

• consistent violation of dress code

• consistent violation of policies and procedures

• falsification of records, including volunteer hours

Tasks assigned

In most internships, some tasks are more exciting than others, but all tasks assigned must be completed.

• "I don't feel like it",

• "I don't want to" and

• "I didn't come here to do that"

are not acceptable responses to a request to complete a task. For example, if there are no towels available for the surgery, you may be asked to do some laundry. No, you did not come to OCAS to do laundry, but that is part of what is necessary to make the vet suite successful.

If you feel that you no longer want to be involved with the program because you do not like your assignment, please inform the volunteer coordinator.

Restricted areas

For the safety of our guests, animals, volunteers and employees, certain areas of the shelter are restricted and you should generally stay away from them. As a vet suite team member, you may be asked to go to one of these areas to retrieve an animal for surgery. With permission, you may go to some restricted areas.

Under no circumstances should vet suite volunteers be in three areas of the shelter:

• Surrender room, because staff does not yet know the behavior or characteristics of give up animals.

• Euthanasia room

• Any areas under construction or otherwise unavailable due to special circumstances

In most cases, volunteers and interns should not go past the Sally Port unless instructed to do so. This area contains the sick rooms. The B building where dogs that have not yet had a behavior evaluation are kept is also off limits unless the intern is instructed to retrieve or check on an animal.

Cooperation

Sometimes, very difficult decisions must be made when dealing with the animals at our shelter. These decisions are made by professionals with many years of experience. The intern needs to understand that every decision made at the facility is in the best interest of the animals and the community both of which we are charged with protecting.

Please do not post to social media sites criticisms of the facility or management as the reasons for a decision may not be either known or understood by an intern.

Please remember, we are an open access shelter, meaning we must accept virtually any animal that is brought to our door, no matter what the animal's health, age or temperament.

Intern Injury

If you are injured at the shelter, please report this immediately to the supervisor so that the proper steps can be taken to to deal with the issue. You will never be on site without supervising team members available. There are first aid kits available throughout the shelter.

Photography

Photography of animals is restricted to those in the adoptable pet areas only.

Under no circumstances should any photographs be taken in the vet suite, recovery area or building B. Also included in photography restricted areas are any animals in the pens or field behind the building.

Illness or absence of the intern

All interns are expected to be in the facility during their scheduled hours.

If an intern is going to be absent, the intern must call the main shelter number (407.742.8000) and leave a message for the vet staff and volunteer coordinator. Please inform the shelter in a timely manner of an impending absence.

If there is advanced notice of the absence(s), email must be used to inform the vet staff and volunteer coordinator. Volunteers should also remove themselves from the schedule in Volgistics.

Absences that are not called in are considered unexcused. All absences from your scheduled shift will be recorded and reported to your adviser.

What an intern will encounter

The environment in a municipal shelter can be very stressful. It is emotionally, physically and mentally, strenuous. You will see the ugly side of veterinary medicine, but you will see some pretty amazing things too. You will encounter:

• drastic changes of pace

• cruelty/neglect cases

• surgical complications

• gruesome surgical/medical procedures

• euthanasia (not directly)

Levels in the program

Level One (entry level)- Pre-surgical prep team

Level two- Animal wellness team

Level three- Surgical/Recovery team

Level one - Pre-surgical prep team

The pre-surgical prep team will prepare the surgery patients and the surgery/recovery areas for the following days surgeries.

• Weigh all surgery patients

• Bathe all dogs scheduled for surgery

• Prepare the surgical and pre-operative area by filling all consumables (alcohol, peroxide, gauze, etc..)

• Stock towels in both recovery and surgical areas

• Clean recovery cages

• Take out the trash

• Stock, food/water bowls, litter boxes and food in recovery.

• Pulling food from following days surgery patients.

Level two - The animal wellness team

The animal wellness team will be responsible for assisting with intake processing and patient wellness within the facility.

• Assisting staff with vaccines, routine testing and exams at intake or when the staff is scheduled to perform evaluations.

• Routine walk through of the facility to determine patient needs (booster vaccines, HW/Flea/Tick prevention and to observe overall wellness.

• Bringing patients and assisting with exams, restraining for exams and routine procedures ad preparing prescriptions.

Level three - The surgical/recovery team

The surgical/recovery team will have the most responsibility for their patients. This position requires an immense attention to detail as we are dealing with life and death situations. It is a position of extreme responsibility.

Surgical Team: High Level

• Pulling surgical patients

• Double check patient genders, check for tattoos and microchips

• Restraint for pre-sedation, sedation and intubation

• Prepare patients for surgery by shaving and prepping the surgical site

• Transfer the patient from prep to the surgery table while maintaining a sterile field.

• Scrub instruments and prepare surgical packs.

• Monitor vital signs during surgery

• Retrieve patients from the recovery area and bring to the vet suite.

• Administer injections.

• Maintain cleanliness of all surgical areas

• Caring for animals in recovery room by feeding, providing clean water, fresh litter boxes and administering medications.

• Ensure the recovery room is clean and ready to go for incoming patients.

• Assisting with pulling surgical patients (after the first two steps are completed)

• Monitor patient recovery, by monitoring vital signs and pulling endotracheal tubes.

• Maintain a clean environment for surgical patients (cleaning vomit, urine and feces.)

Placement and advancement

Placement and advancement will rely on a variety of factors.

• Prior work experience

• Job performance and observations

• Staff recommendations

This program content is not meant to scare you. It is meant to prepare you for the physical, mental and emotional challenges of the field of veterinary medicine.

We  encourage and challenge you to educate yourself about diseases, medications, surgical procedures, and veterinary products available.

This program will be tough on you at times and challenge your mind, but it is coming from our our desire to see you succeed and carry on our vision and passion for veterinary medicine and shelter medicine in particular.

A partnership...

A low cost veterinary clinic is to be located at Harmony High School. This clinic is a partnership between the following entities and will provide some Harmony High School student hands - on experience with animal on their own campus.

• Petsmart Charities, through a $150,000 grant

• Osceola County Animal Services

• Snip it Clinic of Kissimmee

• Osceola County School District

• Harmony High School, where the clinic will be located

Who will benefit:

• The pets of residents who meet the requirements to use the facility

• The Veterinary Tech students at Harmony High School

You will need to receive a score of at least 80% on this knowledge check.