TECH192-1012: Canine and Feline Patient Monitoring

INSTRUCTOR(S): Katy Waddell, RVT, VTS (ECC, Anesthesia) and Paula Plummer, RVT, VTS (ECC)
COURSE OPEN: October 1-November 8, 2012
REAL TIME SESSIONS (RTS): Mondays, October 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2012; 8:00pm-9:30pm 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 Real Time Session. Please arrive promptly at the start time; each Practice Session is up to 1 hour in length. For more information, please visit the CE Practice Area.

Level and Prerequisites:This basic course is designed for all members of veterinary support team and will focus on providing information to ensure appropriate patient safety. There are no prerequisites and all members of the veterinary support team will be welcome to join the course and its discussions.

VSPN CE Course: Open to VIN and VSPN members. This course is RACE approved for veterinary technicians only.

Course Description:
This course is designed to enable the veterinary support staff to enhance patient care by distinguishing and demonstrating better methods to understanding the values provided by hands on and multiparameter monitoring techniques. Established values for the canine and feline patient will be discussed as well as key points that will alert the nursing staff to trends deviating from normal. Patient monitoring recommendations provided by AAHA and ACVA will be provided to the student as well as the means and methods to comply with these current recommendations. The enrollee will be presented with established normal parameters for both the canine and feline patient at varying life stages.

This course consists of four (4) ninety (90) minute Real Time Sessions, supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, a mandatory end-of-course test, and may include online multiple choice quizzes (after each Real Time Session). Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to be considered for a course certificate of completion.

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

• distinguish recommended levels of patient monitoring.
• recognize normal patient physiological parameters.
• identify, interpret, and monitor patient parameters with hands on and visual techniques.
• discuss the mechanics of patient monitors and interpret the information provided.

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

Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.
Recommended Textbook(s): Suggested references will be included within the course library.

About the Instructors:
Katy W. Waddell has been in the veterinary field for 39 years in small animal, mixed animal, specialty referral practices, 24/7 facilities as well as in academia and as an author. Katy currently works with the Feline and Canine Internal Medicine Services at Texas A & M University and is responsible for providing nursing care and student instruction for these services. She also is the staff liaison/mentor for multiple student organizations providing wet labs. She lectures and promotes education to veterinary technicians to improve patient care and advocacy. Paula Plummer has been in the veterinary field for over 13 years in academia and small animal private practice. Paula recently attained her VTS (ECC) and currently works at Texas A & M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in the Feline Internal Medicine Department. She has worked most of her career in emergency and critical care medicine. She teaches a variety of skill labs to veterinary students and technicians and is a guest lecturer at different conferences on emergency and critical care topics.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session October 8, 2012): Canine Patient Monitoring
Content: Week 1 will cover canines and include an introduction to the normal physiological parameters of these patients. We will cover life stages from neonates to geriatric patients and incorporate methods of observation, auscultation and palpation.

Week 2 (Real Time Session October 15, 2012): Feline Patient Monitoring
Content: Week 2 will cover felines and include an introduction to the normal physiological parameters of these patients. We will cover life stages from neonates to geriatric patients and incorporate methods of hands on and visual monitoring.

Week 3 (Real Time Session October 22, 2012): How and Why We Monitor
Content: In the third week we will cover the mechanics of how vital signs are obtained and measured by mechanical monitors. Providing the means to correctly identify and interpret the information provided by monitors as well as the overall patient status will be discussed. Last we will discuss and exemplify the importance of recognizing vital sign trends as potential precursors to the animal's well-being and health.

Week 4 (Real Time Session October 29, 2012): AAHA and ACVA Recommendations
Content: We will finish this course with a presentation of recommendations of the American Animal Hospital Association for patient monitoring as well as the recommendations for the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists. This session will include a discussion of each recommendation put forth by both agencies.

CE CREDITS: 6

Tuition: $$120 ($108 early bird special if enrolled by September 17, 2012)
*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).
*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 enrollment will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

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 is approved for 6 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/VIN 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: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN/VSPN office 1-800-700-INFO (4636) to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.
* Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

*For more information on VSPN's upcoming CE courses, check the VSPN Course Catalog.

Nanette R. Walker Smith, MEd, RVT, CVT, LVT
VSPN Content Director & CE Coordinator

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
Barb Burri (Barb@vspn.org); ext. 764 (New Hampshire)
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org); ext 193 (Illinois)
Chris Upchurch (Chris@vspn.org); ext 197 (Florida)
Darci Palmer (Darci@vspn.org); ext 179 (Alabama)
Debbie Bess (DBess@vspn.org); ext 178 (Nevada)
Jennifer Withrow (Jennifer@vspn.org); ext 159 (Virginia)
Nanette Walker Smith (Nanette@vspn.org); ext 187 (Colorado)

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