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Internship in Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Nursing Manual

2018/2019

A Collaborative Project of

Zoological Society of London, London Zoo

And

School of Veterinary Nursing, The Royal Veterinary

College, University of London

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Contents

1.0 Mission Statements

1.1 ZSL Mission Statement of ZSL 1.2 Veterinary Department Mission Statement

2.0 Introduction to Internship in Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Nursing at ZSL London Zoo

3.0 Introduction to the Manual 4.0 Work Schedule Outline

4.1 Acceptable and Unacceptable Standards of Work 4.2 Absences

5.0 Health & Safety

5.1 Personal Health 5.2 Student Emergency Protocols

5.2.1 General Information 5.2.2 Fire Emergency 5.2.3 Bomb Alert 5.2.4 Animal Emergency

6.0 Veterinary Facilities

6.1 Pathology

7.0 Veterinary Responsibilities

8.0 Working with the Animal Department Staff 9.0 Transport, Parking and Accommodation 10.0 Security and Valuables 11.0 Dress Code 12.0 Resources

12.1 Computer Access 12.2 Library Access

13.0 Images, Data and Material for Presentation and Publication

14.0 Day 1 15.0 Contact Telephone Numbers 16.0 Appendices

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Directions to the London Zoo Veterinary Department Accommodation List Project Guidelines Vet Department Team

1.0 ZSL Mission Statement “To achieve and promote the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats by…”

Keeping and presenting animals at London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo in accordance with best practice.

Giving priority to species that are threatened in the wild

Increasing public understanding of animals and their welfare and of the issues involved in their conservation

Maintaining an outstanding education and information programme, particularly for school children and families

Undertaking field conservation programmes both in Britain and abroad

Developing its role as a leading centre for research and conservation biology and animal welfare

Fulfilling its role as a learned society and force for zoology and animal conservation through publications, scientific meetings, lectures, the award of prizes for outstanding achievement and the promotion of conservation policy

1.1 Veterinary Department Mission “aspires to achieve best practice in zoo and wildlife veterinary medicine” The aims and objectives of the Veterinary Services for ZSL are to:

Provide the highest quality clinical services

Investigate all significant deaths

Institute a detailed preventative medicine programme

Ensure high quality biosecurity procedures

Manage and archive records, tissues, radiographs, photographs.

Provide curatorial support through welfare auditing, exhibit design, species management advice, taxon advisory group (TAG) veterinary advisory role and dietary advice.

Teach and train masters and undergraduate veterinary students

Assist in the disease surveillance of wildlife through Natural England and other organisations.

Provide field support for ZSL’s Conservation and Institute of Zoology programmes.

Undertake applied clinically based research

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2.0 Introduction to Internship in Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Nursing at

ZSL London Zoo Welcome to the ZSL Veterinary Department. Congratulations on securing the Veterinary Nurse Intern position with us and we hope that not only will you thoroughly enjoy your year with us, but also learn a lot too. The veterinary department at London Zoo comprises of three Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinary Resident, Veterinary Pathologist, four Veterinary Nurses, Animal Keeper, Animal Welfare Officer, Microbiologist, Administrator and Pathology Technician. Alongside the Veterinary Surgeon and two Veterinary Nurses based at Whipsnade, we also work closely with all of the animal sections across the site. A department organogram is included in appendices. Working in a zoo setting is like no other type of practical veterinary nursing – many of the animals are extremely dangerous and they can become stressed very easily. Our main aim is to institute a detailed preventative health programme but when animals do become unwell we aim to work up cases in as much detail as possible to make a definitive diagnosis and a treatment plan. Often we will need to anaesthetise animals just to examine them properly which is an art and a science all of its own in the zoo setting. We take pride in having detailed medical notes using a web based system called ZIMS and we archive many samples for future reference. We have now produced this VN Intern manual which outlines what you are likely to see and do and what is expected of you. As you can imagine we are not treating animals all day as there are so many aspects to the veterinary work within zoos. Consequently, you may have the option to assist with post mortem examinations which are a really important part of zoo veterinary work. In addition you will be required to complete a research project. There will also be other daily tasks, cleaning of theatre and the opportunity to assist the Veterinary Department Animal Keeper with Husbandry and Enrichment. We all hope you have an interesting, stimulating and productive time during your Internship with us and good luck for the future.

Sophie Sparrow Senior Veterinary Nurse

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3.0 Introduction to the Manual This manual is designed to provide you with an insight into the VN internship offered here at ZSL in conjunction with the RVC. We hope that it will give you sufficient background to realise the potential of your time at ZSL and that it will provide support information you may need before and during your visit. Please take time to read this manual before starting at ZSL. Should you have any queries of a general nature then, in the first instance, please contact the Veterinary Department Administrator 0207 449 6245

4.0 Work Schedule Outline You are expected to be on site two days a week; Thursday and Friday. All work-days begin at 8.00am with the morning meeting in the staffroom. This is the forum at which the day is planned out, treatments determined and examinations scheduled. Difficult cases are discussed and ideas are exchanged. You need to attend these meetings to plan your day. Within any week there is some flexibility and the work load is varied and unpredictable as with most veterinary environments. If you have a particular interest we will try to accommodate additional opportunity for experience and learning in this area where possible. As a general guide the clinical work is performed in the mornings with the paperwork and meetings in the afternoons. You will be directly shadowing the veterinary nurses and will be involved in all of the tasks below;

- Theatre – setting up, monitoring anaesthetics, recovery of patients and any post GA care, tidying and stock control.

- Triage of cases – both out on sections and within the department. - Inpatients – Providing treatment to any sick inpatients, as well as husbandry and

enrichment tasks alongside the department animal keeper. - Lab work – running blood samples and packaging samples to send.

In addition to the above you will be required to complete research project to investigate an aspect of zoo and wildlife nursing with the findings presented at the end of the Internship. This project can be and is advised to be your final year BSc Project also. The subject for this project will be discussed and mutually agreed with the supervisors at the start of the Internship.

4.1 Acceptable and Unacceptable Standards of Work Should a Veterinary Nurse Interns standard of work, appearance, attitude, punctuality or attendance fall below the accepted standard then the matter will be raised by the Senior Veterinary Nurse or, in their absence, the supervising Veterinary Officer. Should the VN’s standards continue fall again below expectations then ZSL has the right to terminate the internship “at-will”.

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4.2 Absences You are expected to be present every scheduled workday, (Thursdays and Fridays), throughout the Internship. If you are unable to attend any of your work experience days, please inform the veterinary department by 8am on the day, if we do not hear from you we will get in touch with your emergency contact. Contact details: Department Administrator 0207 449 6245, Veterinary Department 0207 449 6675.

5.0 Health and Safety As with any internship your health and safety in the work place is paramount. All of the relevant risk assessments and supporting documents for the VN Internship will be made

available to you online ahead of your placement starting. It is ESSENTIAL that you read,

and sign all of the required documents for your placement BEFORE your placement begins. Once completed an email will be generated notifying us. Without these documents you will be unable to participate in clinical activities. Online forms must be completed in one go, it is not possible to save halfway through and go back in. http://www.zsl.org/veterinary-department-student-training-and-research-checklist (create a separate link for VN Intern as is same as staff not W/E) If there is anything you feel has not been covered in the documents or if any further health and safety advice is required before specific tasks please highlight this to a member of the veterinary team.

5.1 Personal Health As part of the link above you will have to complete a health questionnaire BEFORE starting your placement with us.

1. Everyone working within the clinical Veterinary team MUST be vaccinated with Tetanus toxoid within the last 10 years

2. Interns having any contact with the Gibbons MUST be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

3. Interns having any contact with bat species MUST be vaccinated against Rabies. (Hepatitis, Rabies and Flu vaccinations may be provided during your Internship but is assessed on a case by case basis). Please inform the veterinary department staff immediately if:

1. You are allergic to animals or animal product including bee stings etc. 2. You have any other allergies such as nut allergies or latex allergy. 3. You have any physical disability or injury that may affect your ability to lift or carry

items or may restrict your access. 4. If you suffer from Asthma and/or use inhalers. 5. You are immuno-suppressed or undergoing treatment which may affect your

immune system.

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6. You are suffering from illnesses or diseases which may be transmissible to animals including Herpes (Cold Sores), Influenza, diarrhoea, vomiting, Chicken Pox, Measles, Rubella, Shingles,

7. If you are or may be pregnant.

5.2 Intern Emergency Protocols 5.2.1 General Information

If possible report any emergency immediately to the nearest member of ZSL staff

who will take responsibility for raising the alarm. Remain calm and do not obstruct zoo staff in responding to the situation. In the unlikely situation this is not possible you should use the internal emergency number 6333. This number should ONLY be used in the event of the emergencies below.

5.2.2 Fire Emergency If you discover a fire take the following actions:

1. Inform the nearest ZSL staff member by shouting Fire ! 2. If you are near a fire alarm point, break the glass. 3. Leave the building using the nearest safe exit. Go to the Fire Assembly point, which

for the Wellcome building is in Regents park next to the zoo. 4. Inform a member of staff exactly where the fire was and what was burning (eg.

animal bedding, electrical equipment).

5.2.3 Bomb Alert In the event of a Bomb threat, the alarm signal will be sounded by security staff. You will hear a continuous two-tone note followed by this announcement ‘ATTENTION ALL STAFF AREA CHECK’. The alarm will then sound again. If you are in the Wellcome building return to either the records room or the veterinary staff room and await further instructions. If you are told to evacuate any area, or to leave the Zoo follow the instructions given by ZSL staff.

5.2.4 Animal Emergency In the event of an animal escape, you will hear a continuous two tone note, followed by a loud speaker announcement which will tell the animal escape team which section the animal is from and what it is. For Example “Tiger Territory – Tiger, Tiger” means a tiger has escaped. If you are in the veterinary building you must remain in the building and allow the

veterinary team to respond to the emergency unhindered. You will NOT be required to

take any role in the response.

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If you are out in the zoo grounds with veterinary and keeping staff you should move to the nearest building and secure yourself inside with any members of the public in the vicinity,

this will allow the veterinary and keeper teams to respond. You must NOT accompany

them or hinder them. If you see a dangerous animal roaming free in the zoo grounds you and any other people in the vicinity should move to the nearest safe location inside a building and inform the

nearest member of staff directly or by telephone to the emergency number 6333. Try to identify the species and the location of the animal.

6.0 Veterinary Facilities The veterinary building is housed within the Wellcome Building. The building is split into two halves one containing offices, laboratories and teaching facilities for the Institute of Zoology, the other half contains the clinical veterinary facilities and animal holding areas and the veterinarians offices. You will access the building each morning by the external door on to the Outer Circle (see map in Appendix), the back door of the hospital will then become the access point for the rest of the day. Both of these external doors are security controlled with a swipe card system. The main clinical area is comprised of the dispensary leading into the prep room/ICU into the main theatre, off which is a second treatment room. The pharmacy containing the firearms and controlled drugs cabinets is in the dispensary. This whole area is restricted to authorised staff only by means of a swipe card system. The food preparation areas, locker rooms, nurses office and first part of the animal accommodation is not controlled but your entry to these areas is not permitted unless you are working on clinical rotations with the veterinary department.

You may only enter the clinical areas of the hospital when instructed to do so by a

ZSL staff member and when under their supervision.

6.1 Pathology

There will be an introduction to the work of the Pathology Department with a tour of the facilities (post-mortem room, microbiology laboratory, histology trimming laboratory and basement stores) when we will discuss what we do in each area. In addition there will be a review of post-mortem room safety and etiquette and the opportunity to watch post mortems if you are interested.

7.0 Veterinary Responsibilities

Within the Veterinary Department, all staff are involved in all aspects of the work. Some of this is done on a rotational basis within the Veterinary Nurse and Veterinary Officer rotas. Ultimate responsibility for animal health rests with the veterinary surgeons. In the absence of

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any of the Department’s Veterinary Officers it is the Veterinary Nurses who are in charge and who will make all decisions concerning animal care. You will be shadowing a Veterinary Nurse during your Internship, and assisting them with a variety of VN tasks, during the year we will also have a Veterinary Student seeing practice or completing a placement with us- they will be shadowing the clinical veterinary surgeon. There may be instances where due to the nature of the work, the stress associated to the animal or space limitations (in some enclosures) you may be asked to remain outside of the enclosure or watch from the other side of a window, please understand that we only do this either for your safety or for the animal’s best interests. Please obtain permission from a member of the Veterinary Department and Keeping Staff before handling any animal for examination. Some animals are easily stressed and examinations must be minimised. All examinations and treatments must be directly supervised by a member of the Veterinary

Department unless otherwise directed. Gloves must be worn at ALL times unless you obtain approval from the clinical veterinarian.

8.0 Working With the Animal Department Staff The Animal Department staff are professionals, often with many years of experience. They have chosen this career because of their interest and they are knowledgeable about their charges, their natural history and their care in captivity. We expect the Animal Department staff to provide optimal care for their animals. In return, they expect a professional approach from the Veterinary Department and those associated with the Veterinary Department. We are presented with cases much like a client brings an animal for examination in the traditional veterinary clinic. When presented with a problem it is our goal to obtain a thorough history, perform an appropriate physical examination, determine the problem and recommend diagnostic and/or treatment options. Our relationship is very similar to the client-VN relationship to which you will have been exposed to working in general practice. Please be respectful in this relationship and maintain, at all times, client confidentiality. We work on the animals with the permission of the Animal Department Staff. All examinations, diagnostic tests, or treatments require the prior consent of the Animal Department staff, working in conjunction with the Veterinary Department. When working with them, always ask permission before doing anything with the animals under their care. Many of the Animal Department staff are experts in their chosen fields. Although they are always busy, many are willing to share their knowledge with us. If approached in a polite and professional manner, they will add additional dimensions to your time at the Zoological Society of London.

9.0 Transport, Parking and Accommodation Parking cannot be offered to you for your internship with the Veterinary Department due to very limited spaces and the requirement of a Staff parking permit.

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There is a lock-up area where push-bikes and motor-bikes can be left but you will need to have a pass code to gain access. You must let the Department Administrator know in advance if you are going to require a space. London is well-served by public transport but it can be expensive. For both underground and bus services the nearest stops are probably going to be in Camden Town. The walk from there to the Veterinary Department will take about another 15 minutes. Travel expenses will be reimbursed against receipts, to a maximum of the cost of travel to

and from Zone 6 in London (£12.00). A travel expenses form must be completed (a

template form can be found in the appendices) see appendix x ) and submitted to Emma

regularly, any expenses outstanding for more than three months will not be able to be

claimed.

10.0 Security and Valuables

There will be a small locker for your use whilst at London Zoo. ZSL assumes no responsibility for lost or stolen items. For this reason, we recommend that you lock your personal belongings in the locker provided. It is recommended that you do not leave valuables, including laptop computers and cameras, unattended while in your workplace. 11.0 Dress Code You will be provided with a uniform to wear during your internship. Due to the health and safety implications of disease risks, you must not wear the same clothes inside the zoo that you travel to work in. You will not be permitted to undertake any clinical work without changing first.

11.1 ID badges After your probation period you will be issued with a volunteer identification badge, which must be worn at all times when you are on ZSL property. This will provide limited access to the front and back door of the vet department building. The benefits of this card also include;

- Free entrance to London and Whipsnade Zoo at anytime - Discount in ZSL’s shops and canteen

12.0 Resources

12.1Computer Access You will not be provided with a specific work-station or desk, however during quieter times (afternoons) you will be able to have access to an unused computer in the Nurses office or downstairs front office in the Vet Dept. The computer can be used for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and has Internet access. There will be no email access for you within the ZSL system but your internet access will allow you to pick up email from other accounts. Internet use is monitored by our IT Department so please use the Internet only for your email and for work-related research on the web.

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You will be issued with a temporary password. In using the computer the ZSL IT Department policies must be adhered to at all times.

12.2 Library Access

This resource will be fully available to you during your internship at ZSL. There are additional small libraries with the Veterinary Department and the MSc library that can be used for reference only and should not be removed.

13.0 Images, Data and Material for Presentation and Publication All photographs and videos taken while at ZSL are for private use only. You may not publish or issue to the media photographs, items of news regarding ZSL, comments or articles of current interest (or take part in any interview) without ZSL’s prior approval. Please note this includes social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; these are semi-public, and confidential and/or damaging information can easily get into the public domain from these sources. Images may be used for conference presentations and publication only upon receipt of written permission of one of the supervising Veterinary Officer (although most reasonable requests will not be refused). You will be asked complete a media relations agreement online prior to your arrival. Client confidentiality is to be respected. All information to which there is access or contact is to be treated as confidential at all times. Written permission from one of the veterinarians or senior veterinary nurse would be required should you wish to present any information e.g. at a conference. (It is not anticipated that reasonable requests will be refused).

14.0 Day 1 Arrival – report at 08.00am to Veterinary Hospital. There you will sign in, be issued with an ID card and will be met by a member of the Veterinary Department. Please follow the dress code on page 7. You will meet with the department administrator or senior veterinary nurse for orientation and a quick guided tour of the Veterinary Department.

15.0 Contact Telephone Numbers To phone someone from inside London Zoo pick up the phone and just dial the extension number (last four digits of the phone number). Head of Veterinary Services Nic Masters 0207 449 6652 Senior Veterinary Officer Amanda Guthrie 0207 449 6524 Veterinary Officer Taina Strike 0207 449 6678 Veterinary Dept Administrator Emma Heskett 0207 449 6245 Veterinary Hospital Nurses office/phone 0207 449 6675 Pathologist Edmund Flach 0207 449 6614

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In the event of you needing to urgently contact the Department then the initial action should be to contact the Department Administrator If you cannot make contact or get a voicemail then it is best to contact the Veterinary Hospital.

Probation period Project guidelines?

Induction day

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APPENDICES

Directions to the London Zoo Veterinary Department

Vet Department Team

Where to find us

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The Veterinary Department is located in the Wellcome Building, a three minute walk from the right of the main entrance of the zoo. The Wellcome Building has a sloped driveway with yellow posts and two entrances. The Veterinary Dept is located through the furthest door of the building.

If you require and further assistance please call 0207 449 6245 or 0207 449 6675

APPENDICES

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Appendix 1

The Veterinary Department Team

Head of Veterinary Services

Nic Masters

Senior Veterinary Officer Veterinary Officers Veterinary Resident

Amanda Guthrie Fieke Molenaar (WZ) Tai Strike Steph Jayson Jo Dodds (WZ) Sophie Sparrow

Veterinary Nurses Welfare Officer In-patient Keeper

Heather MacIntosh Jo Korn Karla Berry (WZ) Sheryl Bradley Lisa Clifforde Mary-Anne Jones

Veterinary Pathologist Microbiologist Pathology Assistant Veterinary Administrator

Edmund Flach Shaheed MacGregor Tilly Dallas Emma Heskett

Senior clinical Nurses