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OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
TO
VETERINARIANS

    
VIN CE Course MULT106-0514: Understanding Hospice and Palliative Care
In some of the course Real Time Sessions the lecture will be predominantly audio
while in others the lecture will be predominantly text.

Enrollment is closed.

INSTRUCTOR(S): Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS and Catherine Metcalf, RN, Case Manager (Hospice)
COURSE OPEN: May 26-June 19, 2014
REAL TIME SESSIONS (RTS): Mondays, June 2 and 9, 2014; 9:30-11:30 pm 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.

*The instructors for this course will be using audio which will require you to have a headset or speakers to listen. If you have any concerns regarding your computer's audio capabilities, please be sure to attend one of the Practice Sessions.

Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate course will be open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians interested in hospice and end-of-life care.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is RACE Provider #22.

Course Description:
The purpose of hospice is to provide support and care for people in the final phase of a terminal disease, so they can live as fully and comfortably as possible. As the field of animal hospice continues to develop, it is important to understand where it came from, why it's needed, and how leaders in the field are defining it today. Veterinary professionals will do well to promote animal hospice in a collective, cohesive manner so that caregivers will be well supported throughout their pet's dying process.

This course is designed to help veterinarians and veterinary staff understand the hospice philosophy and how it has become an important part of today's health care system. Course attendees will learn different service models, various definitions of care, current trends, and what the future holds for animal hospice.

This course consists of two (2) 2-hour Real Time Sessions, supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, and a mandatory end-of-course test. Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

*To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

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.

Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.
Recommended Textbook(s): About the Instructors:
Dr. Kathleen Cooney is founder and president of Home to Heaven, P.C., a mobile pet hospice and euthanasia service based in northern Colorado. Along with her mobile work, Dr. Cooney operates the nation's first pet euthanasia center on her farm in Loveland Colorado. She was a member of the AVMA's 2013 euthanasia guideline panel and in May 2011, completed writing her first e-book for veterinarians regarding the many facets of in-home euthanasia. As of July 2012, Dr. Cooney completed a second book on euthanasia technique training along with four other authors. This book has the potential to become the world's first euthanasia textbook for use in veterinary colleges. She has recently become the vice president of the International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC). She is a strong advocate for education and teaches in-home pet hospice and euthanasia techniques, along with client communication, to junior veterinary students in Colorado State University's veterinary medical program. Due to her accomplishments and dedication to education, client support, and the advancement of animal hospice care, she was awarded the 2011 Rising Star Veterinarian Award by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association.

Catherine Metcalf, RN, Case Manager (Hospice), has been a nurse for over 30 years. Her first job as a new LVN was at St. Joseph's hospital in Orange County in the late 70s. She worked on the oncology floor where many of the patients were receiving "experimental treatments." These treatments often had horrible consequences and she witnessed many "bad deaths." After going back to school to finish her RN, she found herself working on a respiratory and oncology floor. The hospital provided hospice for the terminally sick and dying patients in her care and she realized what a difference that made in the experiences of the patients and their families. Working with an Oncologist as a chemotherapy nurse, she would administer the patients' chemo treatments and monitor them during the process. During that time her mother became very ill, was placed on hospice, and passed peacefully at home with hospice. This experience gave Catherine a real appreciation of hospice from the perspective of a family member. She then left the hospital and starting working for hospice and has never regretted it. Working in hospice care can be emotionally difficult, but Catherine feels honored to be allowed to provide support in this very personal and emotional experience for the patient and their loved ones.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session June 2): Understanding Hospice and Palliative Care in Human Medicine
Instructor(s): Catherine Metcalf, RN
Format: The lecture will be presented in a predominantly text format.
Content: Week 2 (Real Time Session June 9): Understanding Animal Hospice
Instructor(s): Kathleen Cooney, DVM
Format: The lecture will be presented in a predominantly audio format.
Content: CE CREDITS: 4

Tuition: Member $84 ($76 early bird special if enrolled by May 12, 2014)
Non-Member $157 ($141 early bird special if enrolled by May 12, 2014)

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close at 5 pm ET on June 2, 2014 or when the maximum number of participants is reached.
*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

TO ENROLL:
Enrollment is closed.
  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 CEonVIN@vin.com. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
*Note: "This course is submitted for approval for 4 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 VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

The CE team:

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Coordinator

VIN CE Services: CEonVIN@vin.com
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154


800.700.4636  |  CEonVIN@vin.com  |  530.756.4881  |  Fax: 530.756.6035
777 West Covell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616

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