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Courses open for VSPNer registration

STAF117-0505: Vet. Asst. Module 4: Basic Concepts of anesthesia, Elective Surgery, and Emergency Medicine

INSTRUCTOR:
Heather Howell, LVT, MBA

DATES:
May 5 - June 2, 2005
Real Time Sessions: Monday evenings May 9, 16, and 23: 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 module will focus on the first few days of a veterinary assistants training. This course concentrates on teaching the basics concepts of anesthesia, surgery, and emergency medicine/triage.

All members of the veterinary support staff are encouraged to join the course and its discussions; however, this course is focused toward veterinary assistants, animal caretakers and new hospital employees.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:

COURSE OUTLINE:

Weeks 1 & 2 - Basic Concepts in Anesthesia and Elective Surgery
Content: These sessions discusses the basic concepts of anesthesia, surgery, the sterile field, and instrumentation. Routine elective procedures (ovariohysterectomy, castration, declaw, dentistry) are discussed in respect to the preparation, the procedure, potential surgical complications, and the role these surgeries play in the overall health of the pet. Client communication aspects of these topics will also be discussed. In addition, we will cover setting up for procedures, basic monitoring, and the veterinary assistant's role caring for the patient pre and post surgery.

Week 3 - Basic Concepts in Elective Surgery and Basic Concepts in Emergency Medicine/Triage.
Content: This lecture will continue to discuss the basic concepts of surgery and move on to discuss the basics of emergency situations. The basic principles of triaging the potential emergency, obtaining an accurate history from the client in the face of an emergency, and discussion of what a true emergency is will be covered. In addition, we will cover the veterinary assistant's role in setting up for emergency care, monitoring the patient and necessary emergency equipment and pharmaceuticals.

CE HOURS: 4.5 CEUs

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:
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:
$77 ($69 early bird special if registered before April 21, 2005)
Students currently enrolled in and taking at least 2 classes or 5 units at an AVMA accredited or CAAHT approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a reduced rate for this course (upon verification of student status) *VT students: You must include the following information in the comments section of the CE enrollment form in order to be eligible for this discount: your program directors name and contact information (email/phone) and school name.

TO REGISTER:

  1. Each person must individually be a registered member of VSPN (www.vspn.org). Membership in VSPN is free.
  2. Each person must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. This is our major form of communication with participants. It is highly recommended that course participants use their own, personal emails rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. VIN Member veterinarians SHOULD NOT register for their staff. Please have the staff member register through VSPN. Please email VSPNCE@vspn.org if you have questions.
*** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out www.vspn.org/CE

Note: "This course has been submitted for approval for 4.5 hours of continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB's RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education. Call VIN/VSPN for further information." (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board.)

COURSE WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND POLICY: Withdrawal prior to the listed start date of a course entitles the registrant to a complete refund or a credit toward a future VIN CE course, whichever is preferred. Withdrawal within 1 week after the listed start date (i.e. including no more than one real-time session) entitles the registrant to a credit toward any future VIN CE course. (Does not apply to courses with only one real-time session.) After the first real-time session, a registrant may withdraw due to special circumstances and receive prorated credit towards a future VIN course. These requests will be handled on an individual basis. The amount of the prorated credit will be determined based on 65% of the time remaining in the course at the time of withdrawal. It is not possible to withdrawal retroactively. Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN office at 1-800-700-INFO.
Nanette R. Walker Smith, RVT, CVT
VSPN Content Director
Nanette@vspn.org or VSPNCE@vspn.org

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