12.2 General Guidelines for Skills Lab and Simulation Labs

The following guidelines maintain safety while using the Nursing Learning Center.  It is expected that all involved in classroom, clinical, laboratory, and simulation activities will adhere to these guidelines.   

General Guidelines:  

1. All students must know and practice within the safety guidelines at all times while using the labs.  Unsafe behavior will not be tolerated and should be reported immediately to faculty. Failure to adhere to general guidelines may result in disciplinary action.  

2. All labs are locked unless occupied by faculty, staff, and/or student lab assistants.  Any breach of security must be reported immediately to the NLC Director, Chief Nurse Administrator and Campus Security.  No unsupervised students are allowed in any of the labs.   

3. Students are expected to come to labs prepared by having completed any scheduled objectives and/or assignments prior to the start of the lab/simulation periods.  Students are to have their assigned equipment and supplies necessary for the lab/simulation in their possession.  

4. Students must wear student uniforms, name badges, and stethoscopes when participating in lab/simulation activities.  

5. No open-toed shoes are allowed.  Failure to abide by this policy may require dismissal from the lab for any activities; this is an OSHA policy.  

6. Students should be knowledgeable in the care, handling and proper use of equipment prior to using it in the laboratory.  Equipment and supplies are to be used safely and for their designed purpose.  Please report any malfunctioning or broken items to the NLC Director or faculty.   

7. Access to the doorways in the labs will be free from obstruction at all times.  

8. Learning activities in the lab should be treated in the same professional manner as expected in the actual clinical setting.  This expectation includes respectful handling of manikins, equipment, resources and behavior with one another.  Manikins are to be treated with the same respect as live persons.  

9. NO EATING OR DRINKING is allowed in the labs.  

10. Absolutely no ink pens, felt-tipped markers, iodine, betadine, or KY jelly near the manikins.  These items permanently stain task trainers and manikin skins.  

11. All electronics including cell phones, cameras, camera phones, and video recorders are to be turned off during labs unless approved by faculty.  

12. All students will practice proper hand washing techniques while using the lab equipment.  

13. Gloves will be worn by students during any contact with simulated body fluids.  

14. All sharps used in the labs should be disposed of in the approved receptacle (sharps containers), which are located throughout the Nursing Learning Center.  If a sharps container is full, please inform the faculty member.  No trash is to be disposed of in the sharps container.   

15. Before leaving the lab, all students must return the environment to its original state.  All students must:   

1. Return chairs under tables.  

2. Pick up the area and discard all waste material in trash containers.  If trash is full or there is no waste container available, notify faculty.  

3. Return all lab supplies into correct containers.  

4. Place all needles and sharps in red sharps container boxes.  

5. Wipe up all spills on the floor and counter tops.  

6. Return all manikins in the manner in which they were originally set up.  

7. Straighten all bed linens and return them to their original state.  If linens are soiled, please change them.