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OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
TO
VETERINARY SUPPORT STAFF

    
VSPN CE Course TECH241-1014: Urine Collection, Urinary Catheterization and Urinary Catheter Care
Text only: The lectures for this course will be presented in a predominantly text format.

  

Instructor(s): Amanda Callens, LVT
Course Open: October 22-November 29, 2014
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesdays, October 29, November 5, 12 & 19, 2014; 8:30pm-10pm 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 intermediate course is geared toward experienced veterinary assistants and technicians who deal with internal medicine/critical care cases that require urine collection and short or long term urinary catheter placement and management. Participants should have a basic working knowledge of canine and feline anatomy.
VSPN CE Course: This course has been RACE approved for veterinary technicians only. The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is RACE Provider #22.

Course Description:
Urine collection and testing is an important skill that can give practitioners information needed for a diagnosis. This course will cover various techniques for urine collection, as an integral part of any urine evaluation. We will focus on techniques for transurethral urinary catheter placement in both male and female canine and feline patients. There will be discussion of disease processes that may make indwelling urinary catheter placement necessary. We will discuss the care and maintenance of indwelling urinary catheters. Participants in this course will gain a more comprehensive understanding of techniques for urine collection, urethral catheter placement, and indwelling urinary catheter care and management.

This course consists of four (4) Real Time Sessions of ninety (90) minutes each, 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 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:
Amanda Callens is a veterinary technologist who earned her bachelor's degree in veterinary technology from Michigan State University in 2003. She has worked in critical care, internal medicine and surgery. Since 2008 she has been at the University of Tennessee where she is a member of the internal medicine team. She and Dr. Joe Bartges make up the urology section at UT and see cases for cystoscopy and interventional urinary procedures. She lives in Knoxville with her two Dobermans; Ellie and Asheton.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session October 29): Urine Collection
Content: Urine collection is an important part of any urine evaluation, whether it is urinalysis or urine culture. The collection method can influence the analysis results. During urine collection, patients should be protected from iatrogenic complications such as trauma to the urinary tract or introduction of bacteria resulting in urinary tract infection. Free catch, manual expression, transurethral urinary catheter collection and cystocentesis are all collection methods that will be discussed in this session.

Week 2 (Real Time Session November 5): Urinary Catheter Placement
Content: When passing catheters transurethrally one must strive to use atraumatic, aseptic technique. A sterile, flexible, rubber urinary catheter similar to the diameter and length of the urethra should be used. Potential complications include trauma and introduction of bacteria into the tract. As veterinary patients vary greatly in size and cooperation, equipment and technique may need to vary as well. We will discuss methods of catheterizing both male and female canine and feline patients. These methods will be illustrated using slides and videos.

Week 3 (Real Time Session November 12): Urinary Catheter Indications
Content: Urethral catheterization is a procedure used to provide urethral patency in patients with obstructive disease, urine drainage for recumbent patients, and to monitor urine outflow in hospitalized patients. Obstructive disease can include urinary tract tumors, strictures, and stones. In this section we will talk about the urinary disease that may lead to the need for urethral catheterization.

Week 4 (Real Time Session November 19): Indwelling Urinary Catheter Care
Content: Urinary catheter care is important in maintaining catheter patency and decreasing the likelihood of induction of nosocomial urinary tract infections. Urinary catheters placed for long-term use require special attention from nursing staff. Proper care and monitoring of an indwelling urinary catheter can decrease the risk to patient of complications and infections associated with long-term catheterization. This section will cover indwelling catheter nursing care and maintenance.

CE Credits: 6

Tuition: $120 ($108 early bird special if enrolled by October 8, 2014)

* 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 at 5 pm ET October 29, 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:
  
  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 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.

The CE team:

Charlotte Waack, RVT, CVT
VSPN CE Coordinator

VSPN CE Services: VSPNCE@vspn.org
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 792
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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