VSPN TECH311-0220: ER Bootcamp

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Enrollment is closed.
Presenter:

Courtney Waxman, CVT, VTS (ECC)

Course Open: February 25, 2020-March 27, 2020
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Tuesdays March 3, 10, and 17, 2020; 9:00-10:30pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to veterinary technicians/technologists, support staff, and veterinary teams actively interested in working in emergency medicine.
VSPN CE Course: “This program has been submitted (but is not yet approved) for 4.5 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval."

Course Description:
This course is designed to review what essential knowledge and skills veterinary technicians/technologists need to be prepared on day one working in the small animal emergency room setting. This course will focus on the concepts of triage, CPR, venous access, basic monitoring equipment (ECG, blood pressure), medical math, and the team approach to working and providing patient care in an emergency care environment (i.e. multi-tasking, asking questions).

Week 1 (Real Time Session March 3): Emergency Patient Triage
Required reading (prior to RTS 1 March 3 Real Time Session):
  • Emergency Patient Triage PDF handout
  • Implementing a Triage System PDF article
  • Triage Classification System
  • Phone Triage Key Words
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to:
  • Define triage
  • Understand what the primary survey is
  • Understand how to assess each body system in the primary survey
  • Understand the different patient classification systems
  • Provide triage to receiving patients
  • Implement a triage system in a general practice setting.
Week 2 (Real Time Session March 10): CPR and Emergent Patient Care
Required reading (prior to RTS 2 March 10 Real Time Session):
  • RECOVER Preparedness & Preparation PDF handout
  • RECOVER Basic Life Support PDF handout
  • RECOVER CPR Algorithm PDF handout
  • Alternative Routes of Fluid Resuscitation PDF handout
  • IV Catheter Replacement PDF article
  • Multi-parameters Monitoring PDF handout
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to: <
  • Understand the RECOVER Initiative
  • Understand the basic life support concepts of the RECOVER guidelines
  • Rapidly recognize patients with CPA
  • Initiate BLS measures
  • Apply basic technique to administer high-quality chest compressions
  • Apply basic technique to provide an airway
  • Apply basic technique to administer breathing support
  • Understand and apply the RECOVER recommended rates of compressions and breaths
  • Describe what a 2-minute cycle is and what its importance is
  • Understand the venous access needs of critical patients
  • Understand reasons for ECG monitoring
  • Understand how to correctly setup ECG and common rhythm abnormalities
  • Understand reasons for blood pressure monitoring
  • Understand how to perform oscillometric and Doppler blood pressure measurement
Week 3 (Real Time Session March 17): Medical Math and Team Dynamics
Required reading (prior to RTS 3 March 17 Real Time Session):
  • Medical Calculations Vet Tech Prep PDF handout
  • Did Someone Say CRIs PDF handout
  • Can You Multitask PDF article
  • Evidence-Based Medicine Tips PDF article
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to:
  • Understand the 5 rights of drug administration
  • Understand how to calculate drug dosages
  • Understand how to calculate fluid rates
  • Understand how to calculate fluid additives
  • Understand how to calculate constant rate infusions
  • Understand how to calculate resting energy requirement (RER)
  • Understand how to calculate urine output
  • Understand the importance of communication
  • Understand the process of multi-tasking
  • Understand the process of asking questions
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.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook: There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presenter:
Courtney Waxman, CVT, RVT, VTS (ECC) has spent almost 15 years working in in veterinary field. She holds licensure as a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) in Arizona and as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in Indiana. In 2017, she became a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Emergency and Critical Care (ECC). Courtney currently works as an instructor for Purdue University's Veterinary Nursing Program and in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital's ICU department. Her areas of special interest include CPR, mechanical ventilation, environmental hazards, one-on-one case management, critical care nursing, critical thinking, and technician training. In addition to working in critical care, Courtney is actively involved within the veterinary community. She is the NAVTA Executive Board Member-at-Large, the President of the Indiana Veterinary Technician Association (IVTA), on the advisory team for the Veterinary Nurse Initiative, is a RECOVER Certified BLS and ALS Instructor, is a speaker for the veterinary technician community at the national and international levels, and has been published in several veterinary technician and nursing journals. In 2018, she started her own business, Veterinary Nurse Consulting, LLC to share her love of emergency and critical care to fellow technicians. Courtney has been nominated for the NAVTA Vet Tech of the Year in 2018 and 2020. In 2019, she was named New Educator of the Year by the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE). Off duty, she enjoys world travel with her husband, reading, fitness, and spoiling her two dogs, Biggs and Ollie.

Total CE Credit: 4.5

Tuition: $95 ($85early bird special if enrolled by February 11, 2020)
* 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).
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on March 3, 2020 at 5 pm ET (USA) 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 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed.

“This program has been submitted (but is not yet approved) for 4.5 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. “

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 office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VSPN's upcoming CE courses, check the VSPN Course Catalog.

Lisa Kernaghan, LVT, RVT, CVT, VTS (ECC)
VSPN CE Coordinator

VSPN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357