Education and Training

UNO Animal Use Training Requirements

Federal Training Requirements for Animal Users

Navigate to detailed instructions:

Animal Exposure Health Surveillance Questionnaire

CITI Program - IACUC Basics Training

UNO Animal Use Training Requirements

Training and Clearance Checklist

The following requirements must be completed prior to entering animal facilities, working with research animals, or entering areas where research animals are present at UNO:

• Participation in the UNO Occupational Health and Safety Program for Animal Exposure, including medical approval to work with animals.
• Completion of training and compliance courses for personnel safety and responsible animal care and use.
• Approval by the UNO Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Specifically, the following items must be completed:

1. Completion of OHS training module
2. Submission of the Animal Exposure Health Surveillance Questionnaire (RSS)
3. Completion of CITI IACUC Basics training
4. Species-specific training as required (contact your Lab Manager or PI)
5. Submission of a Request for Change to add personnel to an active IACUC protocol (must be completed by your Lab Manager or PI)
6. If procedural training is needed, each training must be documented on the Procedural Training Log. Once proficiency has been reached, users should update their RSS profile to indicate skill proficiency.

Email the IACUC office to request access to OHS training modules. Once all items listed above have been completed, contact the UNO Operations Manager to gain card reader access and keys to the animal facilities.

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Federal Training Requirements for Animal Users

UNO is required by Federal Regulations to provide training for all personnel involved in the use and/or care of live vertebrate animals in research, testing, and teaching.

Specifically, the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (amended September 1986) in response to the amended Animal Welfare Act (Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Public Law 99-158) requires the institution to ensure that "training or instruction is available in the humane practice of animal care and use, as well as training or instruction in research and testing methods that minimize the number of animals required to obtain valid results and minimize animal distress."

USDA Regulations [9 CFR 2:32 Federal Register 54 (168) Thursday, August 31, 1989] require the institution to make available training in:

1. Humane methods of animal maintenance and experimentation, including:
   • The basic needs of each species of animal;
   • Proper handling and care for the various species of animals used by the facility;
   • Proper pre-procedural and post-procedural care of animals; and
   • Aseptic surgical methods and procedures;
2. The concept, availability, and use of research or testing methods that limit the use of animals or minimize animal distress;
3. Proper use of anesthetics, analgesics, and tranquilizers for any species of animals used by the facility;
4. Methods whereby deficiencies in animal care and treatment are reported, including deficiencies in animal care and treatment reported by any employee of the facility.
5. Utilization of services (e.g., National Agricultural Library, National Library of Medicine) available to provide information:
   • on appropriate methods of animal care and use;
   • on alternatives to the use of live animals in research;
   • that could prevent unintended and unnecessary duplication of research involving animals; and
   • regarding the intent and requirements of the Act.

In order to comply with the aforementioned Federal requirements, a training program has been established which consists of the IACUC Basics training and Occupational Health and Safety training. Additional species-specific training may be required.

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Animal Exposure Health Surveillance Questionnaire

Training and Clearance Checklist

The Health Surveillance Questionnaire provides the Nebraska Medicine-UNO Health Center with important history related to your risk of animal exposure. This questionnaire must be completed prior to access to animal facilities or working with animals. The questionnaire is available on RSS (net.unmc.edu/rss) under the 'EHS' tab.

Documents needed for submission:

1. Demographic information
2. Outpatient Condition of Treatment (COT) form (English, Spanish)
   • COT Additional Information
   • Electronic Health Information Exchange
   • Notice of Privacy Practices
   • Patient Rights and Responsibilities
3. Vaccine history

Download all necessary demographic and COT forms in one document. (Spanish version)

**If you are under 19 years of age, please contact the Nebraska Medicine-UNO Health Center prior to completing the forms listed above.**

Failure to complete and upload the above-listed documents will result in the delay of animal clearance. These items MUST be included with your questionnaire or provided to the UNO Health Center within 30 days of completion of the Health Surveillance Questionnaire. If these items are not provided, animal clearance will be denied.

If your vaccine history is available on MavLink, refer to this document for instructions on downloading your immunization records. If required vaccines are not listed on your Immunization Record they must be obtained and provided to the UNO Health Center. If vaccines or testing are needed, please schedule an appointment with the UNO Health Center.

First time logging in to RSS? Click here for instructions.

Detailed instructions on completing the Health Surveillance Questionnaire (PDF)

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CITI Program - IACUC Basics Training

TO ENROLL IN THE CITI PROGRAM FOR UNMC/UNO, TO TAKE THE COURSES AND EXAMS:

1. Go to the CITI website and click "Register"
2. Under “Search for Organization: Enter Full or Partial Name” enter University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC/UNO) and check of the box for the Terms of Service
3. Create a profile by filling in the Personal Information
4. Create a Username and Password
5. Continue completing the profile information, STEPS 3-7
6. Click on the Animal Care and Use (ACU) radial button and hit NEXT
7. Please choose the "Working with the IACUC" radial button and hit NEXT
8. You DO NOT need to take the refresher course - hit "NOT AT THIS TIME" and NEXT
9. Please click all research animals that you will be working with. The IACUC Basic Course is all the IACUC will require you to complete. You will have the option for species specific training, that is not a requirement, but there if you want to take it.
10. Next, you will see a list of courses for you to take. The required course by the IACUC is the “Investigators, Staff and Students” that will take you to the required modules and exams (9 total) You will need to complete “The Integrity Assurance Statement” before beginning the course.
11. You must take the courses in order and complete each course and quiz before you can move on. But, you do not have to take them all in one sitting. You can log in and go back to complete.
12. Once you have completed the training, a completion report will be sent to the IACUC staff and entered into our database. For your records, you are able to print and save a copy of your completion report.
13. If you wish to log in again, use the “log in” button on the left. You can not “Log in Through My Institution”

If you have any questions, please contact 402.554.2108 or iacuc@unomaha.edu.

Download a detailed and printable instruction sheet

Click here if you have registered previously and need to add IRB and/or IACUC training.