Veterinary Technology Handbook Appendices

I solemnly dedicate myself to aiding animals and society by providing excellent care and services for animals, by alleviating animal suffering, and promoting public health.

I accept the obligations to practice my profession conscientiously and with sensitivity, adhering to the profession’s Code of Ethics, furthering my knowledge and competence through a commitment to lifelong learning.

1. Veterinary technicians shall aid society and animals through providing excellent care and services for animals.
2. Veterinary technicians shall collaborate with members of the veterinary medical profession in efforts to ensure quality health care services for all animals.
3. Veterinary technicians shall prevent and relieve suffering of animals.
4. Veterinary technicians shall promote public health by assisting with the control of zoonotic diseases and informing the public about these diseases.
5. Veterinary technicians shall assume accountability for individual professional actions and judgments.
6. Veterinary technicians shall protect confidential information provided by clients.
7. Veterinary technicians shall safeguard the public and the profession against individuals deficient in professional competence or ethics.
8. Veterinary technicians shall assist with efforts to ensure conditions of employment consistent with excellent care of animals.
9. Veterinary technicians shall remain competent in veterinary technology through a commitment to lifelong learning.

Source: (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) NAVTA

PLAGIARISM: The unauthorized use of materials not written or created by the person claiming ownership. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Failure to acknowledge through appropriate citations any words, ideas, research, graphics, etc. produced by someone other than the person claiming authorship.
2. Turning in a homework that is produced or copied from someone else.
3. Collaborating on an assignment without the specific approval of the instructor.
4. Borrowing materials from any source—professional or amateur – and turning them in as original. (internet resources included)

CHEATING: Dishonest acts committed while being tested or evaluated. Cheating includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Copying from another person’s test or out-of-class assignments.
2. Using unauthorized test aids such as notes, drawings, books, cell phones and calculators during an examination.
3. Submitting a paper, which was turned in to another instructor in another class to fulfill part of that course’s required work unless agreed upon ahead of time by the instructor of the second course.
4. Aiding another student in dishonestly such as copying written work or sharing information during a test period.
5. Fabricating research or source materials.
6. Stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining a test from an instructor’s work area, computer files, or students who have previously taken the test.
7. Sharing test questions or answers between sections.
8. Lying, misrepresentation of facts, withholding of the truth.
9. Storing or sharing information on cell phones, calculators or other electronic devices while involved in classroom or field testing

SABOTAGE: Interference with or destruction of the work or property of another person including the misuse of computers. Sabotage includes but is not limited for the following:

• Forgery, alteration, of misuse of university documents, records, or identification.
• Obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedures, or of other authorized activities on university premises.
• Theft or damage of property of the university or of a member of the university faculty, of a university student, or of a campus visitor. Unauthorized entry to or use of university facilities.
• Misuse of computers including but not limited to:
  • Unauthorized entry into a file to use, read or alter it
  • Unauthorized transfer of a file
  • Downloading licensed software
  • Abuse of computer time
  • Infecting computers with a virus

MISCONDUCT: Violating of university rules/policies or State/Federal laws. Misconduct includes but is not limited to:

• Failure to identify one’s self when requested by university officials, or failure to comply with directions of university officials acting in the performance of their duties.
• Use, possession or distribution of alcohol, narcotics, illegal substances or dangerous drugs except as permitted by law.
• Physical abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, or conduct by any student at College sponsored or supervised functions, which threatens or endangers the health and safety of any person or creates a hostile or offensive educational environment for any person.
• Disorderly conduct that infringes upon the rights of others on university- owned property or at university-sponsored or supervised functions.
• Possession or use of firearms, explosives, dangerous chemicals, or other weapons on university-owned or controlled property or at university-sponsored functions, except as permitted by law and university regulations.
• Interfering with another student’s ability to learn, study, listen, examine, or participate both in and out of class.
• Animal care duties that are not completed, delayed, or avoided by the assigned students.
• Behavior deemed to be unethical, unprofessional, or causing conflicts.

Appendix 4: VTSU Veterinary Technology Program Student & Personnel Notice, Waste Anesthetic Gases

Appendix 5: Statement of Student’s Responsibility

Appendix 6: VTSU Randolph Veterinary Technology Documentation of Human Pre-Exposure Rabies Vaccination

Appendix 7: Pregnancy

Appendix 8: Essential Functions of Students

Appendix 9: Performance Reporting

All students participating in VET laboratory courses, including an externship, involving program teaching animals, including program-owned, shelter, or privately-owned animals, are subject to the program’s Clinical Warning system.

Should an incident occur where a student is not upholding animal or student safety policies; philosophy statement of the externship, or VTSU and Vet Tech program guidelines; that student is subject to a clinical warning. This includes clinical warnings for unprofessional or unethical behavior. The VTSU Vet Tech handbook states the following:

• “The humane treatment and care of all animals here on campus is the responsibility of students and staff. If any student is found inhumanely treating animals here on campus, it may result in receiving a failing grade and/or being dropped from the Program. All Vet Tech students participating in Vet Tech classes or labs with live teaching animals, as well as students participating in their externships, are subject to the program’s clinical warning system.
  
  Should an incident occur where a student is not caring for an animal safely (ie. letting an animal jump off an exam table), or otherwise acting unprofessionally in a manner that may negatively impact an animal’s health or well being, or that of another student, staff or faculty member in the same workspace, is subject to a clinical warning. Clinical warning forms include a section to be filled out by the program technician, faculty member, or externship supervisor detailing the incident that they witnessed. Clinical warning forms also include sections to be filled out by the program director or program technician detailing the discussion with the student as well as disciplinary action to be taken.”

Clinical Warning Description

There are 3 Clinical Warning levels. The first incident will result in a Clinical Warning level 1, second incident Clinical Warning 2, and third incident Clinical Warning 3. After 3 Clinical Warnings, students will be removed from all labs involving teaching animals or externship site for which the warnings were issued, and are subject to removal from the program. Please note that a Clinical Warning of Level II or Level III can be assigned at any time based on the severity of the incident by the program director or program technician,

Performance issues of a grave nature including, but are not limited to: serious safety violations to an animal or student, staff or faculty; actions inconsistent with scope of practice; or unlawful or unethical acts and will result in immediate removal from the lab portion of courses involving teaching animals or the externship site for which the warnings were issued and are subject to removal from the program. Clinical warnings are intended to be progressive; however, the severity of the unsatisfactory behavior may warrant starting at a Clinical Level II Warning. Egregious acts may warrant an immediate Clinical Level III Warning and dismissal from the clinical learning environment for dangerous and unsafe behavior.

At each warning step, the student has the right to initiate an Appeal which must be submitted within 48 hours in writing by email AND physical letter copy to the Vet Tech Program Director.

Students may review Clinical Warning documentation at any time with the Vet Tech Program Director or appointed Vet Tech faculty or program technicians

Level 1 Clinical Warning

A program faculty member and/or technician and the student will have a conference concerning the need for improvement of unsatisfactory or unsafe performance. A written Level I Clinical Warning report along with an Anecdotal Note describing the situation(s) will be placed in the student’s record, and the student will receive a copy of this conference form within one week of the incident. If the unsatisfactory or unsafe performance reappears, or any other pattern of inappropriate behavior occurs, a Level II Clinical Warning will be given.

Level 2 Clinical Warning

A Level II Clinical Warning may be issued for recurrence of a specific performance for which the student has previously received a Level I Clinical Warning or additional inappropriate performance of a different nature subsequent to the original Level I Clinical Warning. The program faculty and/or technician and the student will have a conference concerning the need for improvement of unsatisfactory or unsafe performance. A written Level II Clinical Warning report clearly describing the situation(s), the specific performance observed, a summary of the discussion of the specific performance, and the rationale and plan for remediation will be placed in the student’s record. The student will receive a copy of this conference form within one week of the incident.

Level 3 Final Clinical Warning

If program faculty and/or technician notes that Level II Clinical Warning performance has continued or that additional unsatisfactory performance occurred, the student will receive a Level III Clinical Warning. This will be discussed at a department meeting. The student will be required to meet with faculty and technicians to participate in the corrective action plan and goal setting. The student may bring a support person who will be a silent witness. The student on a Level III warning may be placed in a “one-on-one” clinical experience to determine whether the student can safely be supervised in a clinical group. If during the “one-on-one” experience sufficient improvement is not able to be demonstrated, the student will have earned a failing clinical or externship grade, will not be allowed to return to the clinical or externship setting, and may be dismissed from the program.

Externship site supervisors retain the right to dismiss students from an externship site at any point along the Clinical Warning process; a Clinical Level III warning is not required.

Note: If the specific unsatisfactory performance is of grave nature (as judged by faculty or program technicians, Program Director and/or Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions and/or Provost), immediate administrative dismissal may be in order. Performance of a grave nature includes, but is not limited to: serious safety violations; actions inconsistent with scope of practice; and unlawful or unethical acts. Also, at the discretion of the Vet Tech program director, or Vet Tech faculty or program
technicians, a student may be given a Level II or Level III Clinical Warning at any point in time based on the severity of the performance. Prior to an administrative dismissal, the Program Director, along with participating faculty and/or program technicians, will discuss the student’s performance with the Dean of

the School of Nursing and Health Professions and/or Provost.

Clinical Warning Appeals

Students have the right to due process. The student should send a written appeal to the Program Director within 48 hours of receiving a clinical warning that leads to dismissal from the program. While the student is in the appeals process, he/she may remain in the program and participate fully in course work that does not involve animals until a determination on the appeal is made. He/she cannot remain at an externship site during the appeal process. The only exception is the appeal of a clinical dismissal for safety violations toward other students/faculty/staff. In this case, the student will be suspended from the classroom and/or laboratory environment, until a decision regarding the appeal is final. Appeals of clinical warnings will be reviewed by the Program Director, Dept Chair and the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions. A final decision will be a made by the Program Director and Dept Chair in conjunction with the Dean of Nursing and Health Professions. The student will be notified of a final decision within 5 business days of receipt of the written student appeal.

Admission after Program Dismissal

Any student who has been dismissed from the Vet Tech program as a result of the Clinical Warning system and would like to request readmission to the VTSU Vet Tech program will submit this request in writing to the Vet Tech Program Director and Dept Chair. Such a letter should include an action plan taken by the student to alleviate or correct the problem which led to the clinical failure. All students’ petitions will be presented to the department for consideration. The department faculty and technicians will discuss the issue, and recommend readmission or not to the Program Director and Dept Chair. The student will be notified of this recommendation electronically and by letter. Students who have been out of the program for more than one year will have to repeat the entire program. Students who are eligible to return to the program and who have been out of the program for less than a year must pass a Skills Test, administered by a faculty member or designee prior to being readmitted. Additional criteria related to readmission after Clinical Warning dismissal is as follows:

• No student who has been administratively dismissed from the Vet Tech program for unsafe or egregious clinical performance will be readmitted into the Vet Tech program.
• No student will be readmitted to the program more than once.

Please download and print a copy of the Selected Zoonotic Diseases of Importance in the United States table to familiarize yourself with common zoonotic diseases you may be exposed to in the field.