Developing the use of online technology within the Veterinary

Nursing programme

Clare Bryant, BSc (Hons) Cert Ed VN MIfL

• Update on the use of online reflection

• The use of links to different websites to support engagement with WebCT

• Is social network sites a viable option or the use of mobile technology

Online reflection was introduced to the veterinary nursing programme at the end of the 08/09 academic year

It was first piloted with the 3rd year students (now 4th years) during their trimester 2 placement and then rolled out for other years during trimester 3

How Reflection plus Online Tools Facilitates Professional Practice for Veterinary Nursing Students

Assessment

EngagementOnline Discussion

Shared experience

Theory

Communication reflective assignment

Reflection on group workPlacement assessment tool

Reflective journalModels of reflectionWorking examples

Group tasksTutor reflective experience

Exploration of reflection

Structured questionsTutor facilitation

Student ownershipSafe space

Professional discussionStudent to student

discussion

Previously: Face-to-face discussion

Limited theoryNon-professional

discussion

Previously: Face-to-face discussion

Limited theoryNon-professional

discussion

Student Quotes“I feel online is better as sometimes with face-to-face you are forced to reflect on something even if you do not have anything to reflect on whereas online you can go on at your own time and reflect on situations affecting you at the time”.“It is much easier to do as I can do it when I have spare time in practice or before or after completing my work. It is MUCH less stressful than having to arrange to travel places and spend long periods of time reflecting when I know at the back of my mind that I have loads of work to do in order to meet my RCVS and university deadlines.”“They give everyone the chance to say what they want to say without being interrupted or feeling embarrassed if they want to reflect on a more negative situation. I think they allow people to be more truthful”

Clare Bryant BSc (Hons) Cert Ed VN MIfL BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing Programme June 2009

• Something that went really well for me today was …• I really felt professional today because …• What really drove me mad today was …• What I attempted to do today that I hadn’t tried before

was …• A recurring pattern for me in my practice that I noticed

today seems to be …• Something that concerned me about what I did today

was …• What really puzzled me today was …• If I had the chance to replay what I did today I would …• I felt really stupid today about …

(Taken from Driscoll 2006 p43)

Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Subject: Performing IPPV on a Dom/Torb dog with apnoea Author: Student A

• Today I was monitoring a dog that was being sedated with Domitor/Torbugesic i/v to have a foreign body removed from his pad. The vet administered the anaesthetic and we tubed him and attached him to the machine using a re-breathing circle circuit. As the drug started to take effect the dogs heart rate dropped to 30bpm and he completely stopped breathing. I had to perform IPPV by closing the valve and squeezing the bag every 30 seconds for him to take a breath. After about 5 minutes he seemed to settle and started to breathe on his own. His HR only increased to 40bpm throughout the procedure so it was quite nerve wracking but also very exciting, as I feel I have accomplished quite a lot as the dog didn’t die on me!

Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Subject: Re:Performing IPPV on a Dom/Torb dog with apnoea Author: Student B

• Hooray XXX! Well done on saving your dog! What an experience! I had a rottie under GA this week with a heart rate of 30 bpm (although he kept breathing..!) and it was really unsettling to monitor him. He’d been dom and torbed as well. What breed was your dog?;

Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Monday, 27 July 2009

Subject: Re:Performing IPPV on a Dom/Torb dog with apnoea Author: Student A

• He was a springer spaniel, and was a fit healthy dog if it had been an older small dog then I would have been even more worried!

Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Friday, 28 August 2009

Subject: Re:Performing IPPV on a Dom/Torb dog with apnoea Author: student C

• i had two anaesthetics the other day on dogs that both did not breathe the entire way through and had to perform IPPV on both. was really scary as i thought it was something i was doing wrong and kept checking with the qualified nurses but both dogs were sufficiently anaesthetised. it was quite worrying but once the isoflo was switched off they began to come around which was such a relief. I sat with them both till they were fully awake as i was really worried it was something i was doing wrong. we use acp/vetergesic as sedation for most cases

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Monday, 8 June 2009• Subject: Blood sampling Author: Student A• I got to take my first blood sample today-in a dog that was in for bile acid stim test and it was taken from the

jugular vein.

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Tuesday, 16 June 2009• Subject: Re:Blood sampling Author: Student B• Have to say well done, I’ve not been successful yet but still trying where possible.

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Thursday, 18 June 2009• Subject: Re:Blood sampling Author: Student C• yeah me too, I’m hoping to get to try it again and get more practice incase it was just first time lucky!

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Thursday, 18 June 2009• Subject: Re:Blood sampling Author: CLARE BRYANT• This is good to see that you are both engaging in taking blood samples and even if they are not successful,

practicing technique is the best way to achieve. What learning can you bring forward from your modules that may assist you with this?

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2009• Subject: Re:Blood sampling Author: Student D• I managed to take 3 blood samples today! All from dogs though, still not ready for cats. Hopefully someday soon

though.

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Wednesday, 24 June 2009

• Subject: Blood sampling cats - don't be afraid! Author: Student E

• There seems to be theory that blood sampling from cats is more difficult and I’m not sure whether I agree .I’ve found that with cats veins being quite small, they’re less likely to bend and jump around when administering a needle/cannula; they seem to be more easily stabilised while raising and supporting the vein. Another cause for concern when blood sampling cats is their limited tolerance threshold for being handled. Some practices employ the same restraint technique for blood sampling in all cats. Check out some literature on alternative restraint techniques and ask in practice to see how they work practically - lateral and dorsal recumbency (on your knee!) are a couple that have worked well for me in the past. Some of these alternative restraint techniques can be used in other nursing activities such as de-matts, which has been very helpful for me in the past with severely matted Persians. I think some very good advice when handling cats is to try to keep the atmosphere/noise as calm and quiet as possible. A practice I worked in has a telephone in the prep room where blood sampling was carried out which rang every time somebody phoned the practice! Infuriating! When your cat is about to receive a nasty surprise (e.g. needle, microlax, etc) provide a distraction for the cat’s attention such as blowing over their wet nose (noiseless and no direct contact involved - perfect for cats). Hope this encourages some of you to give cats a chance. Go and get that blood sample! Sorry for the epic post!

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Wednesday, 24 June 2009

• Subject: Re:Blood sampling cats - don't be afraid! Author: Student D• Good advice XXXX, I’m still a bit weary as they do seem to be quite jumpy. All the dogs I’ve had have just sat

there quite patiently so I want to build up my confidence first with that.

• Topic: Something that went really well for me today was ..... Date: Thursday, 25 June 2009• Subject: Re:Blood sampling Author: Student C• From our Theatre Practice and Anaesthesia module we gained experience and practice on the fake leg of placing

a catheter and taking a blood sample. It is a lot harder on real patients though not only because they don’t stay perfectly still but harder to see and feel.

• Topic: What I attempted to do today that I hadn't tried before was ..... Date: Tuesday, 4 August 2009

• Subject: Home Visit Author: Student A• Today I carried out my first home visit for a euthanasia. Although I have assisted with many euthanasia

cases within the practice, having to deal with a grieving client whilst in their own home is really very different. It was very awkward as the whole family were present and all gathered round the dog. The only thing I could do was support the family as much as possible and try to make them feel more comfortable. I think the worst part was when the family got more upset when we carried their dog out of the home on the stretcher. Of course we done this as discretely as possible but the family were sobbing very loudly. I honestly feel if you can get through that situation without crying then you can do anything.

• Topic: What I attempted to do today that I hadn't tried before was .... Date: Wednesday, 5 August 2009

• Subject: Re:Home Visit Author: Student B• I had to do a home visit like that, and it is so difficult. Well done tho!

• Topic: What I attempted to do today that I hadn't tried before was .... Date: Wednesday, 12 August 2009

• Subject: Re:Home Visit Author: Student C

• I’ve yet to go on a home visit, but i have seen grown hard men go from swearing to crying uncontrollably and apologising to their dog as I’ve been raising a vein and the vet administering the injection. I found this quite hard as i was not expecting this kind of emotion from him. I was able to stop myself from breaking down then. The worse euthanasia i have seen was on a dog that i nursed for a week that was jaundice and had severe blood problems. The whole family came to watch the dog go, and when their son who is about our age start saying how he couldn't believe that she was barking at him the other day etc and for them all to start crying was really hard to watch. I had to leave before i cried with them. One thing i have realised is that it is never ever near as bad as being with your own dog as it has its final breath.

• Topic: What I attempted to do today that I hadn't tried before was .... Date: Tuesday, 18 August 2009

• Subject: Re:Home Visit Author: Student D

• I’ve been on a few home visits for euthanasia, the worst was a Bull Mastiff who had been left outside overnight because the owners couldn’t afford A&E and couldn’t lift him between the 4 of them :| It was pouring with rain and he was taking his last breaths when we got there but we gave the injection anyway, he went quite peacefully but the owner’s son started shouting and swearing at us for quote “killing” his dog, it was pretty upsetting. To make it worse we had to move the dog into the vet’s car between the 2 of us and neither of us is very strong so it wasn’t very dignified. However some home visits are really good, one owner commented on how good I was with her dog and requested I go next time, I was quite chuffed! I think house visits are hard to get used to because you never know what to expect, well done with it!

• Topic: What I attempted to do today that I hadn't tried before was .....Date: Tuesday, 25 August 2009

• Subject: Re:Home Visit Author: CLARE BRYANT• I think the point to consider here, is that losing a pet that has been part of the family is

a hard emotion to come to terms with - remember back to your theory of the different stages of grief that you can relate to each case. You must remember that part of our role is to remain professional and provide support to clients during this difficult time.

• The findings overall for online reflection have been successful

• The students have engaged with the discussion tool and have needed very little input from the module leader to encourage discussion

• The next development for online reflection will be the implementation of a reflective journal

Wiki Vet

• This is a collaborative wiki – veterinary schools across the UK; higher education academy and JISC funding

• It is put together by veterinary academics and students

• The main difference to Wikipedia is that that it is peer-reviewed by subject specialists and will tell you on the page if that has been carried out

Wiki Vet

The resources available are ideal for students to engage with material and in addition to the general resources there are interactive quizzes, videos and images.

Social Networks

• On the VN programme we initiated a Facebook page to communicate with students

• This has not proved successful with a particular student group – concern with professional issues; Is there still scope for this in the future?

Mobile Technology – thought for future

The use of mobile technology is an initiative to enable wider access to online tools

‘Edutxt’ is a software package that enables SMS text messages from a desktop as a communication tool

‘Some will see the constructionist, collaborative pedagogy of Weblogs, wikis, digital photo and video, and others as presenting a risk instead of a solution for a system whose students continue to struggle to stay apace of their international peers. In reality, however, these tools have considerable relevance to state and local core content curriculum standards, and there is much reason to believe their implementation in schools will better prepare students for a slew of new literacies and competencies in their post-education lives.’

[Richardson, W., (2006) "Chapter 1 : The read/write web " from Richardson, W., Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. pp.1-15, California: Corwin Press]