Information for Students - Riverview Hospital

The following information is intended to assist students coming to Riverview Hospital for an approved educational practicum to become oriented to the site prior to arrival.

Directional Map

Identification

Students coming to Riverview Hospital for practicums of less than 3 months duration are required to wear a school-issued name badge or identification card at all times during their placement.

Students on practicums for 3 months or longer will be issued a Riverview Hospital identification badge.  Speak to your on-site practicum supervisor upon arrival at Riverview to arrange a time to have your photo ID created.

Facility Information

Riverview Hospital is comprised of several buildings situated on a large campus.  There is ample free parking on site, but please be sure to park only in designated public parking areas.  Violators will be towed.

Bicycle racks are available for use near larger buildings.

BC Transit (Translink) buses run through the Riverview Hospital grounds.  You can visit the Translink Tripplanning Website to plan the best way to travel to the Hospital.  Enter "Riverview Hospital" as your destination.  Our address is:  2601 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam, BC, V3C 4J2.  There are bus stops located at several points on the Hospital grounds.

Food Services

Riverview Hospital offers a cafeteria service in the Valleyview Building at the east end of the site and a short-order service out of the Penn Hall Coffee Shop at the west end of the grounds.  Hours of service at both these venues are limited. 

Students attending practica on afternoon shifts may access vending machines in the Valleyview Building or Henry Esson Young Building, or may wish to bring their own lunch.  All buildings on site have staff rooms, most of which are equipped with fridges and microwave ovens.

A variety of restaurants are available at Coquitlam Centre, located approximately 4 km from Riverview Hospital, or at other locations in the Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam area.

Lockers & Showers

Unfortunately, lockers for students are very limited and not available in all areas at Riverview Hospital.  However, students may store belongings in locked staff rooms in each building.  Your on-site practicum supervisor can provide additional information about how and where to safely store your items.  All students are strongly advised not to bring expensive clothing, jewelery or other items with them on practicum.

Shower facilities are available in several locations on the Riverview Hospital grounds.  Speak to your on-site practicum supervisor about the nearest location to your assigned work area.

Computer Systems Access

Students will be granted access to Riverview Hospital and/or Provincial Health Services Authority computer systems as required to meet learning goals and objectives.

Learning needs that may involve access to computer systems should be discussed between your school placement coordinator/faculty member and your on-site practicum supervisor at the time your placement is confirmed.  Your on-site practicum supervisor will then make all the necessary arrangements to request a user account for you, as well as access to any computer application programs you will need to use.

Students granted access to Riverview Hospital/PHSA computer systems may only use computing services for purposes related to their practicum.  In addition, you must abide by all organizational policies regarding computer use, and must pay particular attention to ensure that the confidentiality of patient information is maintained at all times.  Speak to your on-site supervisor for more detailed information.

Telephone & Cell Phone Use

Telephones at Riverview Hospital are intended for business use, except in emergency situations.  There are several payphones available on the Hospital grounds for personal calls.

There are few areas at Riverview where cell phones cannot be used, however, please check with your on-site practicum supervisor to see if there is any sensitive equipment in your assigned work area prior to making a cell phone call.

Under no circumstances may students use cell phone cameras to record images of Riverview Hospital patients, client information or other documents.


For more information about how to arrange a practice education placement, or other student placement opportunities within the Provincial Health Authority, please visit the PHSA Student Practice Education Web Page.