Course description
This is a condensed lab-only course intended for students registered in the part-time VTEC program. Students will practice essential veterinary nursing skills, such as medication administration, venipuncture, intravenous and urinary catheter placement, and bandaging.
Course content
- Patient assessment
- Administration of medications: topical, oral and parenteral injections
- Blood collection and sample handling
- Intravenous and urinary catheters and fluid lines
- Urine collection methods including cystocentesis
- Bandaging
Learning activities
Skills will be taught and practiced using canine and feline models (including cadavers).
Means of assessment
Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester.
This course will use a Mastery-based assessment. Students will receive a Mastery (“MAS”) grade based on upon attendance at a minimum of 80% of the scheduled laboratory hours and successful completion of the learning outcomes.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, successful students will be able to:
- perform patient assessment skills which may include blood pressure measurement, ECG, tonometry and fluorescein dye test;
- administer medication orally, aurally, topically, subcutaneously, intramuscularly and intravenously to a model or live patient;
- perform venipuncture and prepare a blood sample for shipment to a laboratory;
- place a cephalic intravenous catheter using a limb model;
- set up fluid lines and pumps for the administration of intravenous fluids;
- place a urinary catheter in a male dog model;
- palpate a bladder and perform cystocentesis on a feline or canine model;
- place simple limb bandages.
Textbook materials
Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks may include:
- Crow and Walshaw. (Current Edition). Manual of Clinical Procedures in Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, and Rodents. J Boyle: Pub Wiley.