Pet Therapy Team Member

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System's volunteer department is looking to grow their in-patient visiting Pet Therapy Program. We are specifically looking for certified pet therapy dog teams who can visit on Monday's, or Friday's or one of the weekend days. That said, no matter what their preferred schedule is, any certified pet therapy dogs and their handlers are welcome to apply!

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Duties:

1. Ensure that the animal is fit to serve before each visit as per policy.
2. Use visitor elevators to access patient care floors.
3. Report to the nursing staff on each unit before beginning to visit with patients and obtain information on which patients would be appropriate for visitation.
4. Adhere to policy requirements regarding appropriate areas for visitation (i.e. no visitation in areas where dialysis is being performed, food preparation, medication/treatment preparation, etc.)
5. Offer hand-sanitizer to each person before and after handling/petting the animal.
6. Tactfully, courteously and patiently interact with a diverse audience: who may be: elderly; disabled; physically and/or mentally ill or impaired; and/or socially disadvantaged.
7. Continuously interpret situations to gauge the appropriateness of animal’s participation and interaction.
8. Carefully monitor and manage the animal’s participation/interaction to ensure the safety and well-being of both humans and animals.
9. Develop a good working knowledge of SMHCS locations along with the physical layout of the hospital and the location of all departments.

1. Develop and maintain a good working knowledge of all procedures and policies, and become familiar with all new procedures as they are implemented.
2. Attend all in-services to continue to improve knowledge.
3. Refer any questions, problems, or concerns, related to the appropriate department including but not limited to housekeeping for waste removal, nursing supervisor for incidents/injuries.
4. Engage in appropriate conversation with visitors and patients during each visit.