Porter Memorial Health System
Valparaiso, Indiana
General Orientation Information for VU Pre-Med Students
ELCOME
Welcome to Porter Memorial Health System (PMHS). In keeping with our Mission, Vision, and Values, we are committed to providing students with a positive clinical or observational experience. This handout contains important information for the clinical/observational experience.
Porter Memorial Health Systems a community-based, not-for-profit, acute care hospital with a number of satellite facilities, including the Portage Community Hospital in Portage, Indiana.
Care and Services are collaboratively developed, designed and provided within the framework of the Mission, Vision, Values, and Quality Statements to meet the identified scope and complexity of health care needs of the patient, family and the community.
Porter Memorial Health System has an ongoing commitment to service excellence and comprehensive value-based health care fulfilling the needs of our Northwest Indiana communities.
To be the leader in serving all the health care needs of Porter County and Northwest Indiana directly or in a coordinated effort with selected high quality providers.
Excellence is our only standard in patient care.
Continuous Improvement - We will continually strive to improve everything we do
Courtesy - We will always treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Financial Responsibility - We will make decisions, which reflect the best balance between cost and benefit and act in a manner that conserves our resources.
Caring - We will demonstrate a caring attitude toward everyone.
Teamwork - We will develop and maintain a strong commitment to partnership.
Quality at Porter Memorial Health System is the creation of an environment of excellence in health care that meets or exceeds the needs and expectations of patients using a process of continuous improvement involving physicians, payers, Associates, and the communities we serve.
The PMHS Performance Improvement Model is FOCUS-PDCA. Performance of the organization's systems & processes are monitored, evaluated and improved continuously through improvement teams, committees, task forces, utilizing CQI principles, etc. Clinical and administrative services are evaluated through process and outcome measures utilizing a collaborative, multi disciplinary approach.
Clinical Instructors/Students attending a clinical/observational experience must be free from any type of infectious or
contagious illness or condition including such conditions as Chicken Pox (Varicella), Conjunctivitis, Diarrhea, Group A
Streptococcal, Hepatitis A, Herpes Simplex, Measles (Rubella & Rubeola), Mumps, Pertussis, Whooping Cough,
Staphylococcus Aureus, Upper Respiratory Infections, and Herpes Zoster (Shingles). Do not come to a clinical/observational experience if you have a fever or any contagious illness.
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Clinical Instructors/Students may be required to show proof of a current TB Mantoux Skin Test/Chest X-Ray, Rubella Titer, and the Hepatitis B Vaccine series. Requirements for these tests are based on the OSHA Categories that define the risk of exposure to potentially infectious equipment and/or materials including broken skin; mucous membranes; blood and other body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
PMHS requires an identification badge to be worn by all Faculty/Students any time they are in PMHS facility in a student capacity.
The Instructor’s/Student’s picture must appear on the face of the badge along with the Faculty’s/Student’s name,
educational facility name, and the words “Faculty” or “Student”. The official identification badge endorsed by the
Faculty’s/Student’s educational facility will be acceptable if it meets the criteria described above. The identification badge is to be worn on the left side of clothing, between the collar area and the chest area, at all times during a clinical experience.
The appearance of students is an extremely important part of the image that PMHS presents to patients, visitors, physicians, and the community.
 The standard is an appearance that is professional and customary for a hospital setting.
 Any questions regarding appropriateness of dress should be addressed to the Director of the area where the clinical/observational experience will occur.
 Follow the guidelines below for appropriate hospital attire:
Students must wear their approved school uniform or appropriate attire with a white lab coat anytime they are in a
PMHS facility in a student capacity.
All clothing must be appropriate for a health care setting.
Good hygiene must be followed.
Uniforms should fit properly and modestly.
Undergarments must be compatible with outerwear.
Cologne/perfume if used, must be used sparingly.
Make up should be used sparingly.
Artificial nails are prohibited.
Natural nails must not be longer than 1/8 inch from tip of finger.
Nail polish is prohibited.
Small stud earrings are allowed.
Necklaces and bracelets are not allowed.
Two finger rings that can be cleaned appropriately during hand washing may be worn.
Facial rings and tongue rings are not allowed.
Tattoos may not be visible.
Hair must be above collar length or be worn in ponytail, bun, braid, etc.
Clothes made of denim or denim like materials are not allowed.
Sweat pant material is not allowed.
See through material is not allowed.
Neon colors are not allowed.
Tight legging pants are not allowed.
Shirt/sweaters must cover midriff.
Pants must be worn at natural waist.
Shorts/skorts are not allowed.
Sleeveless shirt/sweater must be worn with an over garment with sleeves.
Capri pants are not allowed.
Sandals, clogs, mules are not allowed.
Scrub uniforms are allowed.
Shoes must be made with material meeting OSHA requirements and washable with bactericidal solution.
Hosiery must be worn.
Individual departments may have more stringent dress policies.
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It is extremely important to Porter Memorial Health System that Patients, other customers, and visitors are able to use:
The most accessible parking spaces available to the facility.
Emergency and other service vehicles have access to parking spaces as necessary to perform their duty.
It is imperative that Faculty/Students follow the parking instructions given to them.
Parking instructions may change from semester to semester, so do not assume that you may park where you parked last semester.
Under no circumstances should Faculty/Students park on the First Level of the parking garage. The First Level is
always reserved for Patients and Visitors.
Students must park in the old 3-D parking lot (on the corner of Roosevelt Road and Lincolnway, across from the Big
Wheel Restaurant) if their clinical experience begins and ends during normal shuttle hours. Normal shuttle hours are Monday th rough Friday from 5:30 am-10:30 am and 1:30 pm-6:15 pm. The shuttle makes round trips every five to ten minutes from the parking lot to the front entrance of PMH.
If the 3-D parking lot is full or the clinical experience does not begin and end during normal shuttle hours, Clinical
Instructors/Students may park in the PMH parking lot on Lincolnway, East of the Burger King restaurant. There is no shuttle from this lot to PMH.
If the 3-D parking lot and the parking lot next to Burger King are both full, or the clinical experience does not begin and end during normal shuttle hours, only then are Faculty/Students allowed to park in the PMH garage. If Faculty/Students park in the garage, there is a $0.50 fee to exit the garage. The machine that accepts the parking fee accepts only exact change.
When parking in the PMH parking garage, Faculty/Students must park on the Level assigned to the shift most of the clinical experience hours are in. Day shift may only park on levels two (2) and four (4). Afternoon shift may park on level three (3) or in the PMH parking lot on Lincolnway, East of the Burger King restaurant.
Any Faculty/Students not following the proper parking arrangements may loose their privileges to attend clinicals at PMHS facilities.
All PMHS facilities are designated smoke free. Smoking may occur only in designated smoking areas outside of PMHS facilities, never inside of a facility.
Faculty/Students may only smoke on a break, lunch, or before/after a clinical experience.
Due to the sensitivity of smoke alarms near outside stairwells, Porter Memorial Hospital has implemented new restrictions for smoking.
All Associates, patients, and visitors who wish to smoke at PMH must do so in the smoking hut located at the back of the
hospital in the physician parking lot. This revision to the Smoking policy was prompted by numerous false alarms generated by smoke drifting into the building. JCAHO standards prohibit smoking at the entrances of hospitals
Smoking at other PMHS facilities is only allowed if done 30 feet or further away from a secondary entrance of a
PMHS Facility. The front entrances and emergency entrances to all PMHS Facilities are considered primary entrances.
JCAHO standards prohibit smoking at the entrances of hospitals.
Any Faculty/Students not following the proper smoking arrangements may loose their privileges to attend clinical experiences at PMHS facilities
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Faculty/Students are required to adhere to all hospital policies and all state/federal laws and regulations regarding patient / family confidentiality / privacy during the clinical/observational experience at Porter Memorial Health System and all of its facilities.
► Faculty/Students must maintain as strictly confidential ALL patient information to which they are exposed, and furthermore respect the confidentiality of ALL patient/family identities.
► ALL patient information and ALL information on patient/family identities must only be given and/or received on a need to know basis.
► Faculty/Students may be personally liable if they violate policies or regulations by discussing any patient/family member information inappropriately.
► Patient charts are confidential records and must not be photo copied in part or in entirety by any student at
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any time. Students may write down information from the chart to look up at home or for a care plan, but should not use any identifying information regarding any particular patient (use initials only).
► Faculty/Students must not bring friends, significant others, children, or other relatives with them to the hospital when they are at a PMHS facility in a Student/Faculty capacity.
► Violation of Porter Memorial Health System's confidentiality policy may result in suspension or termination of the clinical/observational experience.
► You may hear codes called over the central address system. In the event of an actual emergency, your primary
concern is for your own personal safety. If a code is announced, contact the Department Director or Charge
Nurse/Associate within the area where your clinical/observational experience is occurring for further instructions.
This symbol is a biohazard warning sign found on items contaminated or potentially contaminated with blood, other body fluids, secretions, or excretions. Take necessary precautions when handling items displaying this symbol.
Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions work together to prevent the spread of infections (germs) from patient to patient and patients to others. Standard Precautions are used for the care of all patients since it is not always possible to tell who is infected. Use
Standard Precautions whenever there is a chance you will be exposed to broken skin; mucous membranes; blood and any other body fluids, secretions or excretions.
Alcohol Base Hand Antiseptic is conveniently available in every patient room adjacent to the entrance. To use, apply dime-sized amount of the antiseptic solution to the palm of one hand and rub over all surfaces of both hands.
It is mandatory for Faculty/Students to use the antiseptic every time a patient room is entered, for any reason.
It is mandatory for Faculty/Students to use the antiseptic every time a patient room is exited, as long as hands
have not been soiled.
If hands have been soiled and/or gloved hands have been exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials, hands must be washed with soap and water before leaving the patient room.
Transmission-Based Precautions consist of three different components, based on the route of infection. These components are
Airborne Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Contact Precautions.
► Prevent the spread of infectious dust particles or small-particle droplets that remain suspended in the air.
► Specific infectious conditions, which require a patient to be in Airborne Precautions, include chicken pox varicella,
disseminated herpes zoster, rubeola measles, mycobacterium tuberculosis, & RSV.
► Any Healthcare Worker (Including Clinical Instructor/Student) who enters a room with a patient in Airborne Precautions must wear a NIOSH/PMHS approved respirator mask.
► In order to wear a NIOSH/PMHS approved respirator mask, the HCW must be medically cleared and fit tested annually.
► Due to the cost and time involved in the testing procedures and the small number of patients annually needing Airborne
Precautions, Clinical Instructors and Students will not be medically cleared or fit tested. Faculty/Students will not be allowed
to enter any room where a patient is in Airborne Precautions.
Droplet Precautions
► Prevent the spread of infectious large-particle droplets that can be created by coughing, talking, sneezing, or certain medical procedures.
Contact Precautions
► Prevent the spread of an infectious disease by skin-to-skin contact or by contact with a contaminated object.
Special Precautions
► Prevent the spread of vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE).
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Protecting Yourself and Others
► Wash your hands and other skin surfaces immediately after touching blood, body surfaces, broken skin, or mucous membranes; after removing gloves; before touching a patient; after touching a patient; between patients; and after handling potentially contaminated items.
► Wear gloves any time contact with blood or other body substances is possible.
► Put on clean gloves just before contact with broken skin or mucous membranes.
► Always change gloves between patients and between procedures on the same patient.
► Wear a mask, face/eye protection, gown, and/or shoe covers when splashes or sprays of blood, other body fluids, secretions, or excretions are possible. Ask for assistance on choosing the correct type of PPE to wear
.
PMHS is committed to providing a safe physical environment. The hospital's bloodborne and airborne exposure control plans have been developed based on a number of control measures, each of which adds to the safety of the environment.
Students (designated as an OSHA Category 1 or 2), in a clinical/observational experience are at risk for exposure to potentially infectious equipment and/or materials including broken skin; mucous membranes; blood and other body fluids, secretions, or excretions. The bloodborne and airborne exposure control plans support the principles and practices of standard precautions, and transmission-based precautions including the use of gloves, gowns, and eye/face protection.
Gloves, gowns, and eye/face protection are referred to as personal protective equipment (PPE). The hospital's bloodborne and airborne exposure control plans are found in the Infection Control Manual located in each department and
patient care area. Refer to the exposure control plan for more information on engineering controls, work practice
controls, and safe practices related to radiation and chemicals, and for any unit/department specific information.
Refer to the MSDS Manual that is available in every department for a list of any chemical agents used in that area and appropriate precautions to take when using the chemical agents
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Emergent Care
Students in a clinical/observational experience who are injured or exposed to potentially infectious equipment and/or materials including broken skin; mucous membranes; blood and other body fluids, secretions, or excretions will be offered the services of the hospital's Emergency Department. However, all charges incurred, because of being seen in the
Emergency Department will be the responsibility of the individual who sustained the injury/exposure.
Documentation of Injury or Exposure
Report injury/exposure to the Faculty and Department Director for the area where the exposure occurred,
immediately. The Health Care Worker Risk Management Form will be completed by students in a clinical/observational experience who are injured or exposed to potentially infectious equipment and/or materials including broken skin; mucous membranes; blood and other body fluids, secretions, or excretions. This form is to be completed at the time of the occurrence and sent to the Occupational/Employee Health Office within 24 hours of the occurrence. This form is for documentation purposes only and in no way implies payment of any incurred medical/treatment costs or eligibility for compensation benefits.
Faculty/Student may use the Porter Memorial Hospital/Portage Community Hospital cafeteria for meals or breaks. In order to receive discount pricing, be sure to wear your student identification badge and remind the cashier that you are here for a clinical experience. For information on the cafeteria operating hours, check the time schedule posted at the cafeteria entrance. The Porter Memorial Hospital cafeteria is located at the South end of the main hallway, on the
Ground Floor. The Portage Community Hospital is located at the South/West end of the building, on the Main Floor.
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