Course overview
The course continues the development of personal and professional capabilities required of veterinary professionals by building on VET SC 2500RW:
ANIMAL HANDLING: students perform, practice and demonstrate the necessary skills in restraint and handling of common species encountered in veterinary practice.
CLINICAL SKILLS: students are introduced to a number of basic clinical techniques for common veterinary species, including introduction to basic components of a general clinical examination
VET MED COMMUNICATION: students develop basic communication and consultation skills to enable effective relationship-centred clinical interviewing techniques.
STRESS MANAGEMENT: students identify sources and symptoms of stress and have the opportunity to practice stress management techniques.
HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND: students will recognise and appraise human animal relationships in the companion animal and large animal environments.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: Students evaluate and reflect on an animal husbandry extramural experience.
EMPLOYABILITY: Students will develop a position application and knowledge of workplace health and safety issues (WHS) as they relate to an animal enterprise or service business.
Students will be expected to have completed a minimum of fifty percent of their Animal Husbandry Extra Mural Studies (AHEMS) placement requirements and completed an AHEMS placement record subsequent to VET SC 2500RW and prior to the commencement of this course. If AHEMS placement record used in Professional Skills II (VET SC 2500RW) was undertaken on a non-production animal species, the AHEMS placement record used in Professional Skills III must be on a production animal species to ensure adequate integration of AHEMS reflections into the curriculum. Students analyse information collected on placements in this course.
Course learning outcomes
- Reflect on and appraise professional skills (self-care, communication, and understanding of the human-animal bond) integral to their personal development as well as enhancing the veterinarian- client-patient relationship.
- Demonstrate and identify client communication skills using a predominately relationship-centred style.
- Demonstrate an understanding of capabilities relating to employability.
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of health and safety responsibilities relating to a veterinary workplace and importance of complying with policies and procedures.
- Evaluate and reflect on animal husbandry practices from an AHEMS experience based on relevant legal frameworks, animal welfare codes of practice and current research literature.
- Demonstrate competence in animal handling and restraint for clinical techniques, perform basic components of a clinical examination on a variety of species, plus clinical procedures in preparation for working in a clinical setting.