STAF109-0403 : Euthanasia of the Companion Animal and Grief Management

INSTRUCTOR:
Cecelia Soares, DVM, MS

DATES:
April 11 - May 17, 2003
Real Time Sessions: Wednesday evenings, April 16, 23, 30, and May 7, 2003; 9:00pm - 10:30pm ET (USA)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Of all the difficult things about veterinary practice, there is almost universal agreement that euthanasia is the most difficult. Even clients who have had to decide whether to disconnect life support from human family members have expressed that no decision was ever as difficult as the one to euthanize their beloved animal. At all levels of the veterinary practice team, we are intimately involved in those decisions as well as in the emotional support of the grieving clients.
This course discusses the role of the veterinary team with clients at these times. In addition, there will consideration of the issues for shelter personnel. All veterinary staff are encouraged to take this course.

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

• How to prepare the client for euthanasia of the animal
• How the entire veterinary team can best support the client in these situations
• The four steps in closure, the "nuts and bolts" of the euthanasia procedure
• How to handle untoward reactions of clients
• How to handle client retention by overcoming the natural aversion clients feel about returning to the practice where their animal died
• How to manage stress of the veterinary practice team, especially following multiple losses.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Introduction to preparation for euthanasia and grief response
Content: Understanding the grief response and preparing clients for the impending death of a pet

Week 2: The four steps in closure
Content: The "nuts and bolts" of making euthanasia procedure go as smoothly as possible. Preparing the client for a "client present" euthanasia

Week 3: Dealing with clients' reactions to a pet's death
Content: Anticipatory grieving vs. sudden or unexpected death

Week 4: Stress management of the veterinary team
Content: Managing the stress of the veterinary team, especially following multiple losses

LIBRARY MATERIALS:
Library materials will be made available prior to the topic week so participants will have plenty of time to prepare for the real time sessions and discussion.

MESSAGE BOARD DISCUSSIONS:
Message board discussions regarding the topic presented will begin on the day the course opens and continue for one week following the last real time session. These discussions will be held in the VSPN CE course area.

CE HOURS: 6 (applied for RACE approval)

Note: "This course has been approved for 6 hours of continuing education credits 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 of continuing education. Call VIN/VSPN for further information." (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board.)

TUITION:
$96.00 ($86.00 early bird special if registered before March 30, 2003).
Full time students of an AVMA accredited Veterinary Technician Program will receive a reduced rate for this course of $48 (upon verification of student status)

TO REGISTER:

1. You must be a registered member of VSPN (www.vspn.org). Membership in VSPN is free.
2. VIN Member DVM's SHOULD NOT register for their staff. Please have the staff member register through VSPN. Please email VSPNCE@vspn.org if you have questions.

*VT students, please include your program directors name, school, and school phone number in the comments section of the CE registration form. Your registration will be delayed if this information is not included.
*** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out www.vspn.org/CE

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COURSE WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND POLICY: Withdrawal prior to the listed start date of a course entitles the registrant to a complete refund or a credit toward a future VSPN CE course, whichever is preferred. Withdrawal within 1 week after the listed start date (i.e. including no more than one real-time session) entitles the registrant to a credit toward any future VSPN CE course. (Does not apply to courses with only one real-time session.) After the first real-time session, a registrant may withdraw due to special circumstances and receive prorated credit towards a future VSPN course. These requests will be handled on an individual basis. The amount of the prorated credit will be determined based on 65% of the time remaining in the course at the time of withdrawal. It is not possible to withdraw retroactively.

Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN office at
1-800-700-INFO (4636).

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Nanette R. Walker Smith, RVT, CVT
VSPN Content Director
Nanette@vspn.org or VSPNCE@vspn.org

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800.700.4636  |  CEonVIN@vin.com  |  530.756.4881  |  Fax: 530.756.6035 777 West Covell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616 Copyright 2000, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.