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TECH140-0407: Advanced Nursing - Critical Care Module 1

INSTRUCTOR:
Andrea Steele, BSc, VTS (ECC)

DATES:
April 26-June 2, 2007
Real Time Sessions: Wednesday evenings; May 2, 9, 16, and 23; 9:30pm-11pm ET (USA)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is module 1 of a two part course in Advanced Nursing Skills for emergent and critically ill patients. Advanced Nursing Modules 1 and 2 will emphasize the role of the technician in emergency and critical care. Throughout the series, technicians will be encouraged to critically think, problem solve, and develop new skills. These courses will be presented in a "systems approach", beginning with nursing techniques that may be universal to any critical illness, followed by techniques that focus on the various body systems.

All members of the veterinary support staff may join the course and its discussions; however, this course is focused toward any technician who routinely deals with emergent or critical cases, or has an interest in obtaining the VTS (ECC) designation. Module 1 is a required prerequisite for Module 2; this is to help insure a complete understanding of advanced nursing techniques of critical care.

Upon completion of TECH140-0407: Advanced Nursing-Critical Care Module 1 participants will be able to understand and discuss

Overall Goal: To provide a basic understanding of many disease processes, while emphasizing the role the credentialed veterinary technician plays in the emergent and on-going care of these patients.

TEXTBOOKS: There are no required texts for this course; however, the instructor recommends the following:

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Critical Care Basics
Assessing and Stabilizing: The emergent arrival, a step by step approach to stabilization including; assessing and triage, primary survey, collecting the "minimum database", emergency fluid therapy, vascular access techniques, oxygen supplementation methods and the secondary survey.

Week 2: Critical Care Basics
Continued Care: Once stable, the patient moves from "emergent" to critical or intensive. We will discuss instrumentation of the patient including: blood pressure monitoring (direct and indirect), ECG monitoring techniques, and pulse oximetry. Next, techniques for obtaining blood gases (arterial and venous), and the advantages and disadvantages of each method will be discussed. Finally, calculations of constant rate infusions and techniques in pain management will round out this session.

Week 3: Respiratory
Emergent patients can arrive in respiratory distress, or a critical patient under your care can suddenly go into respiratory distress. This session will focus on how to deal with respiratory distress, recognizing respiratory fatigue, and methods of assessing ventilation and oxygenation. Students will gain an understanding of respiratory changes that can occur in critical patients. Finally, we will discuss long term oxygen supplementation and the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, as well as criteria for mechanical ventilation.

Week 4: Cardiac
Basic ECG interpretation is a must for any technician, and we will focus on common arrhythmias. The cardiac patient, including common diseases and brief pathophysiology will be discussed. Finally, we will examine the use of various cardiac drug infusions, and rationale for fluid therapy in these patients.

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.

CE HOURS: 6

TUITION:
$111 ($100.00 early bird special if registered before April 12, 2007).
*Enroll in both Modules before May 2, 2007 and receive a 15% discount off the regular course price.
*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.

** NOTE: Registration will be closed when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first real time session

** Minimal computer requirements for participating in VSPN and VPSNCE: http://www.vspn.org/CE/MinReqs.htm

**For More Information on how our online CE courses work please read the following:
How to's of online CE: http://www.vspn.org/CE/VSPN_M02233.htm
Policies and Procedures: https://www.vin.com/Members/VSPN/Library/Misc/VSPN_M06292.htm

TO REGISTER:

  1. Each enrollee must individually be a registered member of VSPN or VIN (www.vspn.org). Membership in VSPN is free; VIN membership includes VSPN membership.
  2. To enroll in any VSPN CE course click on the ENROLL NOW link below the course title on the right side of the page at www.vspn.org/CE
  3. Each enrollee 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.
  4. 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.

Note: "This course has been submitted (but not yet approved) for 6 hours of continuing education credit 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. (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).
Nanette R. Walker Smith, M.Ed., RVT, CVT, LVT
VSPN Content Director & CE Coordinator
VSPNCE@vspn.org
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-297-4950, ext 187

Ginger Sanders (Ginger@vspn.org), ext 183
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org), ext 193
VSPN CE Services
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881

**For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out http://www.VSPN.org/CE

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