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STAF142-0511: Create a Staff Handbook

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INSTRUCTOR(S): Heather Howell, RVT, LVT, MBA

COURSE OPEN: May 2-June 2, 2011

REAL TIME SESSIONS: Mondays, May 9, 16, and 23, 2011; 3:00pm-4:30pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter
Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a practice session prior to the first RTS. Times and dates will be listed in your course confirmation email. Expect to spend up to 1 hour at one of the 2-4 practice sessions held prior to the first RTS.

Level and Prerequisites: All members of the veterinary staff may benefit from the course and its discussions, however those who have the authority to set policy, and to create and implement staff policy handbooks (office managers, practice administrators, supervisors and veterinarians) may find it most pertinent. VSPN CE course open to all VIN members and VSPN members. This course has been submitted for RACE approval and VHMA for CVPM credits for veterinary technicians and veterinarians.

Course Description:
Staff handbooks are valuable for outlining hospital policies regarding employees. They are also effective for clarifying expectations management has of employees. Staff handbooks can be used as a guide for management when making decisions regarding employee issues that arise.

This intermediate level course consists of three (3) Real Time Sessions of ninety (90) minutes each covering library course materials, discussion of situations and cases, interactive message boards to discuss the Real Time Sessions, as well as a mandatory end-of-course exam. Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of course-exam is required to be considered for the certificate of completion.

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

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.

Textbook: There are no required textbooks for this course. A suggested resource is:

About the Instructors: Heather Howell has been a speaker both online and onsite for practice management and for basic veterinary assisting and veterinary technology courses since 1999. As a practice management consultant her primary focus has been with communication of the team as well as intra- and interpersonal relations.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session May 9): Why Do I Need a Staff Handbook?
Content: This session will discuss the reasons for creating a staff handbook to clarify hospital policies. Legal aspects of staff handbooks will be covered. This session will also guide the participants in considering why they are creating a staff handbook and what they hope to accomplish.

Week 2 (Real Time Session May 16): What Should I Include in the Staff Handbook?
Content: This session will cover pertinent content of a staff handbook. Participant interaction regarding what is included in their current staff handbooks will occur. Suggestions regarding what to include and suggested policies will be discussed. This session will also explore what is important to each participant to convey in their unique staff handbook via interaction with the instructor and other participants.

Week 3 (Real Time Session May 23): How Do I Write a Custom Staff Handbook?
Content: This session will cover pertinent content of a staff handbook. Participant interaction regarding what is included in their current staff handbooks will occur. Suggestions regarding what to include and suggested policies will be discussed. This session will also explore what is important to each participant to convey in their unique staff handbook via interaction with the instructor and other participants.

CE HOURS: 4.5

Tuition: $90 ($81 early bird special if enrolled by April 18, 2011).
*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 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status). 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 director's name and contact information (email/phone) and school name.

** To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first Real Time Session unless otherwise noted. If the first Real Time Session is on a weekend, course will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

**For more on how online CE works see the VSPN Participant's Resource Center

TO ENROLL:
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  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org). Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Note: "This course has been submitted for approval for 4.5 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB 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 VSPN CE at 1-800-700-4636 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. (Refund policy 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 withdraw retroactively.
Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).
** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out http://www.VSPN.org/CE

Nanette R. Walker Smith, M.Ed., RVT, CVT, LVT
VSPN Content Director & VSPN CE Director

VSPN CE Services: VSPNCE@vspn.org
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org), ext 193
Chris Upchurch (Chris@vspn.org); ext 197
Darci Palmer (Darci@vspn.org); ext 179
Debbie Bess (DBess@vspn.org); ext 178
Mary Mould (Mary@vspn.org); ext 159
Nanette Walker Smith (Nanette@vspn.org); ext 187

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