Main : Course Catalog : VA Module 1 |
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STAF114-1205 : Veterinary Assisting Module 1: The Basics of Becoming a Veterinary Assistant and an Orientation to the Veterinary Hospital
INSTRUCTOR:
Heather Howell, LVT, MBA
DATES:
December 28 - January 26, 2006
Real Time Sessions: Monday evenings January 2, 9, and 16; 9:30pm - 11:00pm ET (USA)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Goal of the course: To teach veterinary assistants, animal caretakers, and new employees necessary information so they may actively contribute to quality patient care. To impart knowledge and techniques veterinary assistants can utilize when assisting veterinarians and veterinary technicians. This course focuses primarily on companion animal practice.
Module 1 has three (3) live online real time sessions covering discussion of situations; homework reinforcing the handouts and real time sessions; interactive message boards to discuss the real time sessions and homework; and a final exam. The course offers interactive cases that each participant must complete as homework during the course. The goal of the interactive cases is to test the participant's knowledge of the material discussed in each session.
All members of the veterinary support staff may join the course and its discussions; however, this course has a basic content and is focused toward veterinary assistants, animal caretakers and new hospital employees.
Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:
Understand and discuss basic veterinary hospital issues including roles of the hospital staff and veterinary terminology, medical records charting, taking initiative to anticipate the doctor and technician's needs, hospital safely (OSHA and patient restraint/handling), communication within the hospital) and client relations.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week 1 - Hospital Definitions, Basic Terminology, and the Roles of the Veterinary Staff
Content: This session will cover the basic knowledge of how each position in a veterinary hospital contributes to the overall health of the hospital and patients and how to fit in at your new job. Basic medical records charting and veterinary terminology will also be covered to enable you to professionally interact with the staff and the clients. Taking initiative, anticipating the doctor and technician's needs, and becoming indispensable in your position will also be discussed.
Week 2 - Safety and Basic Animal Restraint/Handling
Content: This session will cover on the job safety and common hospital hazards, including how to manage such hazards. Patient restraint and handling will also be covered including restraints used for a variety of procedures. Tips on becoming proficient at handling and anticipating patients will also be discussed.
Week 3 - Client Interaction, Phone Skills, and Building the Hospital Team
Content: This session will touch on client relations, phone skills, and handling the angry or upset client. This will be valuable for all veterinary assistants, particularly those in a smaller practice where cross coverage of job positions are required. The overall goal is to familiarize staff with common client issues and be able to utilize good phone skills and etiquette to reflect well on the practice. This session will also discuss the importance of smooth interaction between positions on the veterinary team and how to become an excellent team member.
CE HOURS: 4.5 CEU's per module
TEXTBOOKS:
The following are the recommended texts for each module. For purchasing, click on the VIN Store link or go to www.store.vin.com.
Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, Fifth Edition, Dennis McCurnin, DVM, MS, W.B. Saunders Company, 1994. Purchase from the VIN Store: http://store.vin.com/custom/edit.asp?p=82142
Veterinary Medical Terminology, Dawn E. Christenson, W.B. Saunders Company, 1997. Purchase from the VIN Store: http://store.vin.com/custom/edit.asp?p=82516
Veterinary Nursing, third edition, D.R. Lane & B. Cooper, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003. Purchase from the VIN Store: http://store.vin.com/custom/edit.asp?p=91429
LIBRARY MATERIALS: Library materials will be made available prior to the topic week so participants will have plenty of time to prepare for the real time sessions and discussion.
MESSAGE BOARD DISCUSSIONS: Message board discussions regarding the topic presented will begin on the day the course opens and continue for one week following the last real time session. These discussions will be held in the VSPN CE course area.
TUITION:
$79 ($71.00 early bird special if registered before December 14, 2005).
Minimum Requirements for Online CE
** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out http://www.VSPN.org/CE
TO REGISTER:
777 West Covell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616 Copyright 2000, Veterinary Information Network, Inc. |