VET TECH 1035RW - Principles of Veterinary Nursing

Roseworthy Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

Skills and knowledge in veterinary nursing form important components of the work of Veterinary Technologists. This course provides an introduction to the work of nurses in veterinary practice, in preparation for workplace learning in an external veterinary practice at the end of the year and as a foundation for the broader curriculum and more focussed studies in higher levels of the program. In this course, students will learn about the profession of veterinary nursing and how it contributes to the work done in veterinary practices. The course examines the role, business and staff structures of veterinary practices and introduces the work of veterinary nurses in patient and client care, diagnostic processes, handling of medicines, veterinary treatment, patient and client record systems and dealing with the death of patients.

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Course Details

Course Code	VET TECH 1035RW
Course	Principles of Veterinary Nursing
Coordinating Unit	School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Roseworthy Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Restrictions	Available to Bachelor of Veterinary Technology students only
Assessment	Mid term test, practical tests and final examination.

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Mr Brett Smith

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Identify and explain the relevant acts and regulations pertaining to veterinary nursing and the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery.
2	Discuss the profession of veterinary nursing and the role of veterinary nursing in animal well-being and the confidence of animal owners.
3	Employ some of the common procedures performed by veterinary nurses in the diagnostic and treatment regimes used in veterinary practices.
4	Identify and apply the appropriate first aid required for injured or ill animals.
5	Recognise and employ computerised veterinary patient record systems.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	3, 4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3, 4, 5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	2, 3
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	2
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	2

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Textbook; McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, 9th Ed.

ISBN: 978-0-323-39461-1

Principle Editors; Joanna m Bassert, Angela D Beal, Oreta M Samples.
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes

No information currently available.

Workload

No information currently available.

Learning Activities Summary
Explore the professional roles involved in the practice of veterinary science, including the activities and functions of Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician Registration Scheme and the legal responsibilities and obligations of veterinarians and allied animal health professionals with respect to animal health and welfare.

Study and practise the way in which skills in communication are important in veterinary practice, including between staff, between staff and clients and the role of veterinary nurses and technologists in patient admission and discharge.

Become aware of and familiar with veterinary clinic routines and procedures.

Identify and learn to recognise and manage issues affecting workplace health and safety.

Learn the reasons for, and methods of, the performance of some common diagnostic processes and procedures used by veterinarians, including but not limited to:
- Clinical examination
- Blood collection and preparation for laboratory submission
- Faecal specimen collection and preparation for laboratory submission
- Specimens for microbiological examination; their collection and preparation for laboratory submission
Learn the responsibilities associated with the use of animal remedies and medicines, including drug scheduling, recording and security.

Learn how to calculate dosages of medicines.

Learn about procedures employed to manage animal husbandry of hospitalised patients and to achieve and maintain sterility and asepsis.

Learn about fundamental veterinary first aid and wound management.

Explore a number of data and record management systems and understand the expectations of an effective record system.

Explore the topic of animal euthanasia, the methods employed and the way to recognise and manage grief and sadness in self, colleagues and animal owners.
Specific Course Requirements

The course will be delivered as a program of 36 lectures and 12 weeks of practicals or tutorials.

Attendance at all practical classes and tutorials is compulsory.

Students must have appropriate professional and protective clothing and footwear for practical classes, which may include white coats, overalls and boots.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Weighting	Hurdle Yes or No	Learning Outcome	Due
Mid-term test	Formative/Summative	15%	No	1, 2	Week 4
Reflective Journal	Formative/Summative	10%	No	1, 2	Week 6
Clinical Skills Video Assessment	Formative/Summative	20%	No	3, 4, 5	12 June 2020
Final theory exam	Summative	55%	Yes	3, 4, 5	Exam Period

Assessment Related Requirements

Assessment Item with hurdle	% needed to meet hurdle	Is additional assessment available if student does not meet hurdle requirement	If additional assessment is available, explain what type
Final theory exam	50%	Yes	Supplementary examination
Participation in the practical classes is compulsory	Satisfactory completion of all practicals	Students missing more than two practical classes will fail the course. Unless they can provide signed medical certificates in line with University policy. Remedial practicals will be offered where reasonably possible. In many cases, practical classes require the time-consuming creation of resources and may be impractical to reproduce for small student groups.	If one or two classes are missed students will be required to complete alternate activities, devised by the Course Coordinator, in order to achieve and demonstrate the skills involved in the missed class.

Assessment Detail

Mid-term test (15%)
Students will complete a one-hour theory test examining components of the course studied in the first three weeks. It will consist of multiple choice questions provided in an online quiz format. While the test is summative it is also intended to be strongly formative, indicating to students the expectations for performance required to pass the final exam. Feedback will be provided within one week of the test completion.

Reflective Journal (10%)
Students will complete a one week reflective journal, a minimum two entries of no more than 250 words per entry, reflecting
on their experience in Veterinary Technology and University thus far. The journal will be submitted in Week 6 of semester.

Clinical Skills Video Assessment (total of 20%)
Students will be asked to view videos of clinical skills then answer questions related to those skills and their execution in a clinical setting. The online assessment, of up to 60 minutes, may be comprised of multiple choice and short answer questions. The clinical skills video assessment will test the student’s ability to identify important performance steps during the execution of clinical skills vital to their success when working in a veterinary practice or on placement.

Final theory Exam (55%)
The final two-hour written theory exam will examine all components of the course. It will consist of multiple choice, short answer and long answer questions.

Submission

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted, then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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