MULT109-0716: What matters in the end: Geriatric Medicine, Euthanasia and Compassion Fatigue
The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format.
Enrollment is closed.
Presenters: Mary Gardner, DVM and Dani McVety, DVM
Course Open: July 5-29, 2016
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Tuesdays, July 12 & 19; 2016; 9:30-11:30 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area:
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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.
*The presenters for this course will be using audio which will require you to have a headset or speakers to listen.
If you have any concerns regarding your computer's audio capabilities, please be sure to attend
one of the Practice Sessions.
Level and Prerequisites:
This
intermediate course will be open to
veterinarians and veterinary staff interested in hospice and end-of-life care.
It is recommended for those already offering animal hospice services.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, and support staff.
This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists (RACE #22-14497).
Course Information:
Although all veterinarians agree that old age is not a disease - it is a common reason
why many families decide to euthanize a pet. Many pet owners will not seek out an actual
diagnosis but the myriad of ailments fall under the excuse of "old age." Understanding
how the body changes as an animal ages is important so that we can educate owners and
treat pets appropriately. Doing so earlier in the pet's life may allow for a longer
quality of life and prevent premature euthanasia.
Most owners do not want to make the decision to euthanize their pet - they would prefer
to have their pet "die naturally." But what exactly happens to the body as it starts the
dying process and what happens after cardiac cessation?
What are the physical manifestations of death that can occur?
If owners do elect euthanasia - it is vital that the entire staff handles it perfectly.
The euthanasia appointment is unparalleled in emotion and sentiment; there are few things in
veterinary medicine, or life moreover, that require as many outward displays of empathy,
compassion, and commiseration from a doctor. The tone of voice, delivery of words,
bedside manner with both patient and client, and the medical procedure itself become
a delicate dance around death that doctor and staff should carefully choreograph
and continually improve.
Week 1 (Real Time Session July 12, 2016):
The Stigma of Euthanasia and Compassion Fatigue
Presenter: Dani McVety, DVM
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- utilize various methods for handling clients before, during, and after a euthanasia appointment.
- recognize specific ways to improve in-hospital euthanasia.
- recognize the importance of nonverbal communication when dealing with the emotionally stressed owner.
- utilize specific words and phrases that are appropriate for dealing with clients
facing an end-of-life decision for their pet.
- discuss the importance of euthanasia with regards to client satisfaction and retention.
Week 2 (Real Time Session July 19, 2016):
Geriatric Medicine and Caring for the Aging Pet
Presenter: Mary Gardner, DVM
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- recognize the specific symptoms that occur as animals age.
- treat the aging symptoms - both medically for the pet and emotionally for the owner.
- utilize various methods to explain the aging process to owners.
- explain the dying process to owners in a compassionate manner.
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(s): There is no required textbook for this course.
About the Presenter(s):
Dr. Mary Gardner is a small animal veterinarian, speaker, author and inventor.
After 10 years in the computer industry as a senior product manager, she decided to pursue
her passion and graduated from the University of Florida - College of Veterinary Medicine
in 2008. Dr. Gardner began working at a general practice in South Florida but left shortly
after to help co-found Lap of Love International with Dr. Dani McVety.
Bringing those 10 years of software experience into the veterinary industry,
Dr. Gardner led the development of Lap of Love's proprietary practice management software
(Sunshine), built specifically for veterinary hospice and euthanasia services. In 2013 she
developed The Pet Hospice Journal, an online interactive Quality of Life Assessment program,
which is free to the public. She is vehemently inspired to learn as much as she can about the
aging process, geriatric pet care and helping families cope with their aging pets.
Now splitting her time between Florida, Oregon and California - she manages the growing network
of Lap of Love veterinarians and is responsible for all internet and social media marketing
as well as developing, constructing and supporting company-wide enterprise applications.
When not working, Dr. Gardner is passionate about her furry brood of 2 dogs (a Doberman and an
Anatolian Sheppard) and 3 cats.
Dr. Gardner writes and speaks for professional and lay audiences on all aspects of end of life care,
including Veterinary Hospice and Euthanasia. She has spoken at NAVC, WVC, AVMA, IAAHPC, professional
sales meetings, veterinary schools and animal hospitals around the country. Dr. Gardner and Lap of
Love have been featured in numerous local and national news media including DVM News Magazine,
Today's Veterinary Practice, The New York Times and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Dr. Dani McVety - In addition to her role as a hospice veterinarian, Dr. Dani McVety
is a speaker, consultant, author, and host for PetCareTV. With a deep love for the human-animal bond,
Dr. McVety found her calling while volunteering with human hospice before veterinary school.
She knew she wanted to bring the same passion for life and respect for death that hospice upholds
into this amazing profession. Just months after graduation she formed Lap of Love Veterinary
Hospice in Tampa, Florida and quickly joined forces with her friend and classmate, Dr. Mary Gardner.
In just 3 years they have built one of the most unique businesses in the veterinary industry,
and now partner with over 60 of the most compassionate doctors around the country; this remains
their greatest source of pride. Dr. McVety frequently writes and speaks for professional and lay
audiences in hopes of empowering both parties to seek the highest standards of care. Dr. McVety
and Lap of Love have been featured on numerous local, national, and professional media outlets
including ABC, Fox 13, Associated Press, The New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine,
Huffington Post, and many more. She proudly graduated from the University of Florida - College
of Veterinary Medicine and is the youngest recipient of both the college's Distinguished Young
Alumni Award (2013) and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's President's Award (2014).
Total CE Credit: 4
Tuition: Member $84 ($76 early bird special if enrolled by June 21, 2016)
Non-Member $157 ($141 early bird special if enrolled by June 21, 2016)
All prices are listed in US dollars.
*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes,
enrollment will close on July 12, 2016 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:
Enrollment is closed.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email
CEonVIN@vin.com.
Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
"This program (22-14497) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a
total of 4 CE Credits, with a maximum of 4 CE Credits being available to any individual
veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist.
This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of:
Scientific
using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference).
This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are
responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."
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.
* Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you
call the VIN office at 800-846-0028 ext. 797.
*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the
VIN Course Catalog.
Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Coordinator
VIN CE Services:
CEonVIN@vin.com
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
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