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The following are policies for College of the
Redwoods LVN and RN students. These
policies apply to all students in every semester of the two nursing
programs. In addition further directives
may be instituted by individual clinical agency policies.
EUREKA CAMPUS NURSING/HEALTH OCCUPATIONS SKILLS LAB
Located on the Eureka Campus, Rooms AT 115 and 116E (707) 476-4214 (www.redwoods.edu/departments/HO/skillslab.htm) Many activities take place in the
lab; all of it centered on client care skills. Classes, skill demonstrations,
guided and independent practice sessions, video recording and viewing, all take
place in these rooms. A calendar is posted outside room AT116 stating hours
that room is in use for scheduled classes and open skills lab hours.
Resources available: The Skills Lab houses a variety of equipment and
supplies to assist students in learning and mastering skills and
knowledge. Students are encouraged to use instruments to practice
physical examination (blood cuffs, stethoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, tuning forks
etc), mannequins to practice psychomotor skills examinations of the ear, eye,
breast, prostate, pelvis; dressing changes, urinary catheter insertions, enema
administration, injection pads etc), videotapes, CD-ROMs and other media,
journals, reference materials. Skills Lab faculty and the Lab Coordinator are
available to facilitate student learning.
Practice: The Skills Lab is a place for students to practice beginning
through advanced skills. Lab time can be used for independent and small group
study/practice, demonstrations by faculty and peers and validating your
learning.
Use multi-media: While in the lab, students can view videotapes, computerized
clinical simulations, and other multi-media that have been assigned or
recommended by faculty. The Lab has 8 new computers with a wide variety of software and offers internet and email
access. Students can also use videotaping equipment for self
assessment/evaluation of psychomotor skills and simulated client interactions.
Competency verification of clinical skills: Students are required to have their
competency in performing certain skills validated. Students first receive
instruction in the skill by CR faculty. Students are then responsible to
practice the skill in the lab. Evaluation of skills can be accomplished during
scheduled class time and/or by appointment.
Skills Lab – General Guidelines
The following general guidelines for
use of the nursing skills lab have been established in a continued effort to
keep Rooms 116E and 115 available to the students and classes needing either
the services of the skills lab instructor(s) or the equipment housed in the
lab. It is hoped that adherence to these
guidelines will make most efficient use of the rooms and the student's
instructional time.
- College of the
Redwoods policy does not allow food or drinks in classrooms, and this should be
adhered to in rooms 115 and 116E as well.
- Rooms 115 and
116E will be locked when not under supervision of an instructor, the Skills Lab
coordinator, or lab assistant. Students
requiring the use of equipment/supplies should obtain them from the skills lab
personnel. Instructors and students are
asked to return equipment and supplies to their designated storage areas after
use.
- The medication
cart is designed to simulate actual med carts in hospitals and is stocked
accordingly. Students are allowed to
practice with the cart during scheduled, structured times set by the skills lab
instructor prior to testing times. Otherwise, the students do not have access to this cart in order to
maintain supplies.
- Needles and
syringes are purchased for use in the skills lab. Needles are intended for one time use only,
and should be disposed of in red biohazard containers located throughout the
lab. The contents and sterility of any
opened needle or vial cannot be guaranteed. This equipment is for practice use only, and is not intended for
injection into any person(s) at any time. All students and instructors must be aware of these at all times when
using lab supplies and equipment.
- The door between
rooms 103 and 116E must remain locked. It should be checked at 5:00 PM by person locking other doors.
- Door between
dental lab and AT 116E must be kept clear - it is a fire door.
- Soiled linen
should be placed in dirty laundry receptacles.
- Beds must be
re-made properly after use, and wall beds must be returned to the upright
(wall) position.
- If the desks,
chairs, or large supplies have been moved around, please return them to their
original position.
- Do not place
overhead viewers, tape decks, projectors or other equipment on the floor.
- Observe the instructions for manikin care. Instruction cards are placed at the head of
each bed.
- If a manikin
must be removed from the bed, place in the high-backed recliner chair or a
wheel chair, and return to bed when bed use is finished. Manikins are not to be placed on desks or on
the floor; they are very expensive and are easily broken.
- The VCR, camcorders and tripods will be stored in a
locked cupboard in Room AT 115. Contact
skills lab instructor(s) for use of this equipment.
- If equipment
or supply problems arise, leave a note for the skills lab coordinator.
- Equipment
loans are handled through the Health Occupations office and lab coordinator.
- To locate
supplies/equipment within the lab, refer to the Inventory Manual located on the
counter in AT 115.
- Video programs are
available; instructors may at times schedule and check out procedure videos for
class presentation. Video programs and
equipment are the responsibility of faculty and may not be checked out for home
use due to expense of replacement when lost and high use. Video materials are
very expensive and at times impossible to replace therefore faculty maintain
responsibility for all instructional media. All viewing must be done on campus in the nursing department or LRC.
- Students are required to purchase a Skills Practice
Kit at the beginning of each scheduled skills course. Order forms will be
provided. Kits have been custom designed
for development of psychomotor skill procedures and to facilitate classroom and
independent student practice in the skills lab.
- Instructor bins of supplies for teaching all nursing
procedures have been developed to facilitate the teaching process. See skills lab coordinator/lab assistant for
location and use in advance of scheduled classes.
The
skills lab computers are intended for student use. The computers are to be used in conjunction
with nursing course work, CAI programs, Internet access/research and other
appropriate uses.
All persons using computers in the Lab must comply with the
College of the Redwoods’ Board of Trustees policy and Administrative
Regulations regarding computer, Internet, and E-mail use.
The Board policy is available at: http://www.redwoods.edu/District/Board/Policies/bp/BP824.Htm,
and the associated Administrative Regulations are available at: http://www.redwoods.edu/District/Board/Policies/ar/AR82401.Htm.
Listed below is a summary
of the main points of these regulations.
- E-mail is not private. (Section D. preamble,
and Section D. 5 & 6)
- Some E-mail is illegal. Illegal E-mails
are prohibited. (Section D. 1)
- Internet and E-mail
may NOT be used for personal, political, or commercial use. (Section E. 1 – 5)
- CR Internet and E-mail
is for educational purposes only. (Section E. 3)
- Game playing and adult
sites are forbidden. (Section E. 3)
Game
playing, adult sites, internet chat, and instant messaging programs are
FORBIDDEN. Viewing adult sites and other offensive web sites is FORBIDDEN and
may be a prosecutable offense. Repeated abuse of this rule may result in
restriction of your computer use privileges. Violators can be banned from the
Skills Lab. Students pursuing legitimate research that may result in the
display of offensive imagery must do so under the direct supervision of Lab
Instructors or the Skills Lab Coordinator. Please for help you BEFORE you start
your research.
- The
"Safe Practice Policy" (in this handbook) shall be adhered to in the
skills laboratory.
Rooms AT 115 and AT 116E are intended for laboratory
practice by Health Occupations students, individually or in groups. To allow these students adequate equipment
use and opportunity it is asked that anyone wishing to study/read use the
library facility. The volume of students using this area (especially during
Fall semester) does not allow enough room for study areas in addition to lab
practice areas. By adhering to these
guidelines, the College of the Redwoods can continue to provide this valuable
lab opportunity to its nursing students. Thank you for your cooperation
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