EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE: ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF THE CRITICALLY ILL PATIENT PART TWO
Course Overview |
A frantic client is on the phone with a pet that will not stop seizing; a HBC cat is rushed through the front door; a patient is in treatment who is critical and requires ICU level medical care - one of the realities of veterinary medicine is that emergencies can and will happen. As a veterinary technician are you prepared to respond? Do you have the skills and knowledge needed to provide advanced critical care for hospitalized patients?
Emergency and Critical Care: Assessment and Treatment of the Critically Ill Patient: Part Two is designed to build on the knowledge base of experienced technicians. This 6-week advanced level course covers cardiac and hematological emergencies. It includes challenging assignments that will require the student to utilize professional experience and critical thinking skills, along with new concepts and knowledge acquired through the course materials. Participants are not required to work in practice to complete this course.
Note: Each of the courses in the Emergency and Critical Care: Assessment and Treatment of the Critically Ill Patient series is free-standing and participants may take the courses in any order. All 4 courses in the series utilize the same textbook.
This course was formally titled Advanced Principles of Emergency Patient Care, Part Two.
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Continuing Education Credits |
Course meets the requirements for 15 RACE hours of continuing education credit for veterinary technicians 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.
This course is an interactive online course that meets RACE requirements; program number 57-10935.
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Veterinary Technician Specialty Academy Acceptance |
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Course Content |
Some of the topics discussed in this course are intra-cardiac emergencies such as endocarditis and pericardial effusion/tamponade. Extra-cardiac emergencies such as shock and hypo/hypertension are also included. Other topics addressed are hematologic emergencies such as anemia and thrombocytopenia. This course also covers procedures and treatment of cardiac and hematological emergencies. The material in this course is specific to dogs and cats; it does not include large animals or exotics.
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Course Focus and Learning Objectives |
Emergency and Critical Care: Assessment and Treatment of the Critically Ill Patient: Part Two is an advanced 6-week course designed for veterinary technicians who already have a good baseline knowledge of emergency and critical care medicine.
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Differentiate between intra-cardiac and extra-cardiac diseases
- Recognize clinical signs of shock
- Evaluate and interpret an electrocardiogram
- Identify pericardial effusion and prepare the patient for a pericardiocentesis
- State the different causes of heart failure
- Administer CPR
- Describe normal hemostasis and explain the tools available to evaluate hemostasis
- Administer care for a patient that has had open chest surgery
- Discuss the uses of cardiac and hematologic medications
- Identify different coagulopathies and the clinical signs associated with each
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Participation Access Parameters |
This course runs continuously. Participants may enroll at any time. There are no real time sessions.
The design of this course allows each student to proceed based on individual schedule, as long as all assignments are submitted by the assignment submission deadline.
Each student's personal 6-week session will begin upon enrollment.
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Required Materials |
Small Animal Critical Care Medicine Authored by: Deborah Silverstein DVM, DACVECC and Kate Hopper BVSc, MVSc, DACVECC
Important Text Information:
It is mandatory that each participant has access to this textbook as the content of the book is not reproduced within the course. It is up to each person to determine the best way to acquire the text. Some will already have the text in their library and, therefore, will not need to purchase another copy. The text is available as a print publication and as an eBook. Where to purchase and in what format is totally up to the participant. The text is not included in the fee for this course.
USA residents: Elsevier texts, both print and eBook, are available via the VetMedTeam Elsevier Text Portal at discounts off regular retail of 25 - 35 %. If you would like to visit the portal to take advantage of the discount please use this link:
VetMedTeam's Elsevier Text Portal
Important: Regardless of which option the participant chooses, access to a copy of the textbook is mandatory. Without the text, the student will not be able to complete the assignments, case studies and examinations. If enrolling close to or beyond the course start date, it is recommended that the text be purchased as an eBook to prevent text acquisition related delays. VetMedTeam has no control over shipping delays and other related problems.
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Additional Courses Using Required Text |
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Course Completion Requirements |
Completed students are awarded a certificate of completion. Completion requirements include:
- Instructor Graded Interactive Module Assignments: Designed to help the participant reinforce newly learned material
- Instructor Graded Interactive Case Study Assignments:Designed to help the participant apply the newly learned skills and knowledge though patient and practice based scenarios
- Examinations: All examinations must be submitted with a score of 80% or better
- Course survey
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Participant Feedback |
...I liked having the interaction with an instructor. I also found it easy to stay on track when I since I knew I would get feedback and know if how I was understanding the material was accurate. It was also great how some of the material was directly pertinent to patients I was currently treating and I could immediately apply my new information.
...I really enjoyed the depth that the course went into on cardiac function and disease. The information on trauma and pharmacology will come in very usefull.
...I learn better with question & answer-based courses rather than case-based courses. Neither is better or worse, but for myself, writing up on a case makes me feel like I"m guessing rather than learning. Reading and answering questions seems tedious, but I learn more that way because I'm required to seek out answers.
...I appreciated the layout of the module and the user-friendly interface. The course content applied to my position as an emergency technician, and I am pleased with what I have learned from this course. I also liked the instructor feedback, which allowed my to deepen my own interpretations of the answers to the question and materials. .
...I enjoy the case studies, as it gives me the opportunity to apply what I have read and learned to a real life type of experience. The assignments are great, but I feel that those responses can be easily "regurgitated" from the reading, where the case studies make you prove that you "get it".
...I really enjoyed the case studies. I enjoy trying to figure out what is going on with the patients and how to make them feel better.
...Assignments were relevant, reading material was informative.
...The feedback provide by Brandy was extremely useful.
...love being able to do the material at my own pace.
...Review of Cardiac drugs was the most helpful since I use them all the time at my clinic.
...I really loved all the topics. They were very helpful in my day to day business as an ER technician.
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Course Instructor |
Brandy Tabor, BS, CVT, VTS (ECC)
A native of Colorado, Brandy graduated from Colorado State University in the spring of 2003 with a BS in Equine Sciences. While attending CSU, she worked as a nurse's assistant in the Critical Care Unit at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Here, she learned just how far you can go with a career as a veterinary technician. She enrolled in Front Range Community College in Loveland, CO, graduating in 2005. Brandy then moved to Parker, CO where she currently works as a senior emergency and critical care technician. She had the honor of becoming a member of the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians in 2008.
Brandy has a passion for writing and has written several papers for Today's Veterinary Practice, Veterinary Nursing Journal, Today's Veterinary Technician, and Veterinary Technician. She is also a contributor in the 5th edition of Review Questions and Answers for Veterinary Technicians. In addition she is the current chair of the AVECCT Credentials Committee.
Brandy currently lives with two birds, two cats, and two dogs.
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Pricing |
Price: $179.00 USD
This course is eligible for the 10% Multi-course discount. To learn more about the discount please visit the Multi-Course Discount page.
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