VETERINARY NURSING: SMALL ANIMAL HEMATOLOGY PART ONE
| RACE Approved Interactive For Veterinary Technicians/Nurses |
Course meets the requirements for 18 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.
RACE Subject Category: Medical; Delivery Method: Interactive Distance; Program Number 755577.
This course does not require employment nor prior experience.
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| Course Focus - Learning Objectives - Completion Requirements |
Veterinary Nursing: Small Animal Hematology Part One begins with the basic preparation and evaluation of normal blood films, and advances into abnormal erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets. Students learn to identify cells affected by pathologic destruction, inclusions, and infectious agents. Hereditary dysfunctions are also covered, as many of our common breeds are predisposed to genetic abnormalities. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of blood cell production and factors affecting such process. Platelet and coagulation disorders, recommended tests, and immunohematology finish out the course.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- estimate blood volume of a patient
- evaluate packed cells, plasma appearance and determine fibrinogen from micro-hematocrit tubes
- prepare and evaluate blood films
- compare and contrast blood film staining procedures
- identify the function of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets
- identify abnormal erythrocytes and leukocytes, due to destruction, inclusions or infectious agents
- compare and contrast hemolytic anemias and immune mediated disorders
- describe the process of hematopoiesis
- evaluate clotting and platelet maladies
- differentiate acquired and hereditary coagulation disorders
- identify transfusion reactions
- assess immunodeficiency disorders
Completion requirements:
Instructor Graded Interactive Critical Thinking and Case Study Assignments: Designed to help the participant apply the newly learned skills and knowledge via implementation focused and patient based scenarios
Examinations: Must be submitted with a score of 80% or better, multiple attempts
Course Survey
A certificate of completion is provided.
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| How Does the Enrollment Process Work? |
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This course is designed to be as schedule friendly as possible as we understand it can be hard to fit interactive CE into an already busy life. Open enrollment allows students to enroll in this course at any time.
Once the course payment transaction has been submitted, we will receive a notification of enrollment. In addition, the student will be sent a couple of "heads up" emails. The payment receipt will be sent to the email address
designated
in the payment page of the shopping cart, by the person who paid.
There is a post-payment manual process we must complete in order to add the new student to the course.
Completing enrollments as quickly as
possible is a priority but it can take a full 24 hours, especially on weekends and holidays. Once fully enrolled. the student will be sent a course welcome email containing important information, including how to access and log into the course.
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| Personal Completion Deadline |
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This is an asynchronous course. Students are not expected to be logged into the course at any specific times as there are no real time lectures or requirements.
Students have 18 weeks from the date of payment to meet all completion requirements. The course welcome email will specify the student's personal completion deadline. If the student has not met the completion requirements by the deadline, they will be processed out of the course and graded as incomplete.
But What If Something Comes Up?
There are times when unforeseen situations interfere with a student's ability to complete by the deadline. In that case, an email to VetMedTeam, as soon as such a situation arises, will allow us to offer the best possible options.
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| Technology Requirements |
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Reading content within the course is provided via PDF therefore the ability to download files and open PDFs is required.
It is recommended that participants utilize a program such as MS Word to create, and save, their assignment submission to their computer. Then the information can be pasted into the assignment submission area.
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| Participant Feedback |
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When asked what aspects of the course liked best some responses were:
...The overall quality of the micro-photographs was excellent and were a vital part of be successful with this course. The instructor was kind enough to also provide further information when needed, which I appreciated very much.
...I found the course case studies were most beneficial to me. Searching for all possible diagnosis with information provided for each case was challenging and interesting. Feedback was very helpful and educational for me. Thanks!!
...The website runs smoothly.
...This was the most beneficial CE course I've ever completed! The fact that you had to turn in assignments and have them graded really made you take the time to learn the material. Anyone can go and sit and listen to a lecture for CE credit, but this was more like taking a course than any other CE I've completed. I'll definitely be taking more VetMedTeam online courses!
...I liked learning about the morphology of various blood cells, different anemias, functions of blood cells and stains. It was a really nice review on the topics I learned in school with some new information mixed in. I really liked the case studies because they helped with critical thinking and made you put together information in a real world scenario.
...The layout of the course website was very easy to understand and navigate.
...This was a course that was very relevant to my job. I appreciate the emphasis on blood film review.
...This course provided exactly what I wanted. All our bloods go to an external lab but I wanted a greater understanding of the patient's results and why they had occurred. Rebeccah was a brilliant instructor giving me great guidance when I ask.
...Pictures, diagrams, and charts in the readings to help me with identifying cells, etc
...The critical thinking/ real world problem solving
...The reading and case study questions
...RBC morphology and evaluation of leukocytes
...case studies and feed back from instructor
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| Course Instructor |
 Linda Merrill, LVT, VTS (Small Animal Internal Medicine) Emeritus
Linda received her AS degree in veterinary technology and an AA degree, both from Pierce College in Washington State. She has worked in specialty practice (cardio-pulmonary and oncology) and the majority of her time in small animal practice. She retired from clinical practice in 2021 but remains active in other areas of veterinary medicine.
She is an author and editor; her most recent works are as an author for the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 9th edition and as the editor for Small Animal Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, 2nd edition (in print 2024).
Linda is the former President of the Washington State Association of Veterinary Technicians and former President of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America (NAVTA).
Linda has achieved two Veterinary Technician Specialists credentials. Her first is the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT), she was the Founding Chair and is the current Executive Director. She currently holds Emeritus status. Her second specialty was as a Canine & Feline Veterinary Technician Specialist in Clinical Practice (AVTCP). At the time of her retirement, she withdrew her VTS in Clinical Practice.
In her spare time, Linda is an avid scuba diver and has traveled the 7 continents. Her husband, Jeff, is employed in the Alaskan seafood industry. They enjoy the company of their rescue cat, an adorable but clueless Persian named "The Cat Formerly Known as Philbert." Her household is also the home to 2 rescue dogs. Linda loves Corgis and currently has the sweetest Cardigans named Ember and Stewie.
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| Pricing |
Price: $199.00 USD
Practices may enroll individual team members. To learn how to assign a specific team member to a course, please visit the Assigning Students page.
Please use this link to view the Withdrawal Policy for this course.
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