Catalog - Course Descriptions

You will discover career and degree opportunities available within the fast-paced field of veterinary nursing. You will also be introduced to campus resources available to students and will learn about basic personal finance.

Have you ever wondered what breed a dog was or why a horse cribs? You can learn to recognize all breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club, cat breeds approved by the Cat Fanciers Association, and common breeds of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and swine. In addition, you will learn about some common domestic animal behaviors, both normal and abnormal.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. You will apply experience and practice techniques in-hospital team interactions including care of animals, walking dogs, sanitation of animal facilities, and feeding of animals.

Have you ever wondered how a veterinary practice operates? You will learn the legal aspects of medical record-keeping and the business aspects of veterinary practice including ethical and legal considerations, client communications, public relations, accounting, scheduling, records management, and telephone skills, You will also gain exposure to computer applications including spreadsheets and veterinary office management software while learning how to document physical exam findings in medical records.

Prerequisites: AG149/Principles of Animal Science; and BI100/General Biology w/Lab, BI177/ Biology I w/Lab, or BI179/Biology II w/Lab; and CH176/Fundamentals of Chemistry w/Lab or CH177/ Chemistry I w/Lab. You will learn the fundamentals of comparative anatomy in domestic animal species with an emphasis on identifying anatomical regions and landmarks. You will also learn the general physiology of major body systems in domestic animals.

Prerequisite: AG149/Principles of Animal Science. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: VN122/ Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses OR VN140/Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals. There is more to animal nutrition than most people understand. You will learn how to evaluate pet food and feed for livestock effectively and critically. This will include maintenance feeding, nutritional aspects of the disease, and therapeutic intervention for both small and large animals, and client education.

You will develop the skills necessary to prepare for mentorship and veterinary clinical experience positions under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and credentialed veterinary nurse for the upcoming semesters. You will learn how to search for a position, practice writing a resume and cover letter, and prepare for a job interview. You will also learn about the employer-employee relationship, veterinary laws and ethics, euthanasia, and grief.

Have you ever wished you could understand the medical jargon used by veterinarians and veterinary nurses? Now you can! In this class, you will learn a new language - veterinary medicine. You will learn the basic word structure, organization of the body, prefixes, roots, and suffixes that form the basics of veterinary terms so that you can apply them in a variety of settings.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN131/ Veterinary Clinical Procedures Laboratory. You will learn the basic skills of a veterinary nurse in practice such as restraint and handling, medication administration, injections, venipuncture, nursing skills, sterile procedure and operating room techniques, radiographic positioning, emergency medicine, and anesthetic machine function. You will also learn how to apply for a preceptorship position under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and credentialed veterinary nurse for the upcoming summer semester. In addition, you will learn how to search for a preceptorship position, practice writing a resume and cover letter, and prepare for a job interview. You will also learn about the employer-employee relationship, veterinary laws and ethics, euthanasia, and grief.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures and VN120/Animal Facility Management I. You will gain hands-on experience with the basic skills of a veterinary nurse in preparation for the upcoming summer preceptorship. You will practice skills such as: restraint and handling of domestic animals, medication administration, injections, venipunture, radiographic positioning, non-sterile surgical assistance, pack preparation, incision site preparation, teeth cleaning, basic anesthetic machine care, and crash cart maintenance.

Prerequisite or Co-requisite: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses. You will learn the basic concepts of basic immunology, vaccination, core and non-core vaccinations, and diseases commonly prevented through vaccination in both small and large animals.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship. You willlearn the basic responsibilities and duties of the small animal veterinary nurse with emphasis on small animal nursing and restraint. You will also gain an understanding of laws relating to veterinary medicine.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures. You will gain hands-on experience with essential small animal skills for the veterinary nurse including restraint and handling, physical examination, nail trimming, anal gland expression, otic examination, enema administration, venipuncture, and administration of medications in the dog and cat.

Prerequisites: VN119/Breeds of Domestic Animals and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN138/Animal Facility Management and Sanitation Mentorship. You will learn the principles of general sanitation and basic veterinary hospital sanitation in regards to both large and small animal facilities. You will also learn about appropriate interactions with veterinary health care team members and routine animal care procedures, including animal behavior issues that arise in a group housing setting.

Prerequisite: VN119/Breeds of Domestic Animals and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN137/Animal Facility Management and Sanitation. You will gain experience concerning practical techniques in veterinary health care team interactions, sanitation of hospital facilities, and routine animal care in the veterinary hospital setting.

Prerequisite: BI100/General Biology with Lab, BI177/Biology I with Lab, or BI179/Biology II with Lab; current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN141/Anatomy & Physiology of Domestic Animals Laboratory. Humorous or humerus! This challenging class will enlighten you about common domestic animal anatomy and physiology.

Co-requisite: VN140 Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals and current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. This is a hands-on class in which you will dissect a canine or feline cadaver to inspect the skeletal, muscular, and vascular systems. In addition, you will explore each organ system and get a deep dive into understanding the anatomy of domestic animals.

Prerequisite: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN144/Veterinary Parasitology Mentorship. You will learn common parasites of domestic animals and their life cycles, method of transmission, basic pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and control methods. You will also learn to identify parasites and parasitic zoonotic diseases.

Prerequisite: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN143/Veterinary Parasitology. You will practice techniques for sample analysis and will identify common domestic animal parasites.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN146/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I Laboratory. Are you interested in the "gross" part of veterinary medicine? You will learn about internal parasites, fecal analysis, urinalysis, hematology, and cytology of both small and large animals.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN145/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I and VN120/Animal Facility Management I. You will apply the knowledge gained in the lecture course to practice and perform clinical techniques that are commonplace in most veterinary clinics.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN149/Veterinary Clinical Chemistry Mentorship. You will learn essential skills necessary for the veterinary nurse in the area of clinical chemistries.

Prerequisite: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN148/Veterinary Clinical Chemistry. You will gain hands-on experience in the area of veterinary clinical chemistries.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a freshman in veterinary nursing. You will learn appropriate methods of drug administration and dispensing medications int he veterinary hospital, the appropriate federal regulations that apply, and the abbreviations and language commonly used in drug orders. With this, you will be capable of educating clients on the indications, method of action, and potential adverse side effects of medications in veterinary practice.

Prerequisite: VN150/Veterinary Nurse Pharmacology I. You will learn about selected drug groups, mechanisms of action, and side effects of medications commonly used in veterinary practice.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures and VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab. Have you ever wanted to learn more about physical rehabilitation in animals? In this class, you will learn about this rapidly growing field of veterinary medicine.

Prerequisite: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures and VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab. You will obtain real-world work experience under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and credentialed veterinary nurse in a veterinary practice setting. Veterinary nursing students are required to complete this work experience between the third and fifth terms of the program (summer).

Prerequisite: Current standing as a student in the On-Campus or Distance Learning Veterinary Nursing Program. You will discuss trends affecting credentialed veterinary nurses, economic impacts currently affecting veterinary practice, the role of social media in veterinary practices, and the effect that credentialed veterinary nurses have on revenue streams in veterinary hospitals. You will gain familiarity with veterinary continuing education and other topics affecting veterinary nurses.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. The biggest exam of your life (at this point) will be the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). You will learn techniques on how to be successful in applying your knowldege and gain confidence in taking the VTNE.

Prerequisite: AG149/Principles of Animal Science and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. You will learn about large animal medicine and surgery including anesthesia, surgical procedures, reproduction, preventive medicine, and poisonous plants.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures, VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN237/ Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology Lab. You will learn principles of anesthesia and radiology, including various types of anesthetics, anesthesia machine operation, anesthetic monitoring, anesthetic machine maintenance techniques, radiographic positioning, exposure factors, various diagnostic imaging modalities, and medical record keeping.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures, VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN236/Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology and VN250, Animal Facility Management II. You will administer and observe various anesthetics when given to domestic animals, become proficient with IV catheter insertion, decipher monitoring numbers, and learn to take excellent quality diagnostic radiographs.

Prerequisites: VN145/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I, VN146/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I Lab, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN241/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II Lab. In this course you will review and improve your understanding of fecal examination, urinalysis, blood tests, and cytological examination.

Prerequisites: VN145/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I, VN146/Veterinary Clinical Pathology I Laboratory, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN240/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II and VN250/Animal Facility Management II. You will learn essential skills for the veterinary nurse in the areas of parasitology, urinalysis, and hematology.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures, VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Laboratory, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN268/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine and VN250/Animal Facility Management II. Have you ever wondered how to hold a hedgehog or how to give a rabbit a pill? You will gain hands-on experience with basic veterinary nursing skills and will also gain experience with a variety of laboratory animals, exotic pets, and birds.

Prerequisites: VN120/Animal Facility Management I and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. You will apply experience and practice techniques in-hospital team interactions including care of animals, walking dogs, sanitation of animal facilities, and feeding of animals.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures, VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Laboratory, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. You will gain hands-on experience with a variety of large animal veterinary nursing skills.

Prerequisites and/or Co-requisites: VN230/Large Animal Medicine and Surgery and VN260/Large Animal Nursing, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Want a deeper dive into large animal nursing? Then, this course is for you! You will gain additional hands-on experience with advanced large animal nursing skills.

Prerequisites: VN230/Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, VN260/Large Animal Nursing, and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Want a deeper dive into large animal nursing? Then, this course is for you! You will gain hands-on experience with advanced large animal nursing skills.

Prerequisites: VN122/ Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN264/Large Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship. You will learn the basic responsibility and duties of large animal veterinary nurses with emphasis on large animal nursing and restraint. You will learn various aspects of large animal medicine and surgery including instruments commonly used in large animal practice, physical examinations, identification methods, anesthesia monitoring, surgical procedures, reproduction, neonatal care, preventative medicine, and external coaptation. You will also learn about plants poisonous to large animals and neceropsy techniques.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN263/Large Animal Clinical Procedures. You will gain hands-on experience with essential large animal tasks for the veterinary nurse such as restraint of large animals and administration of medications.

Prerequisites: VN250/Animal Facility Management II and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. You will apply experience and practice techniques in-hospital team interactions including care of animals, walking dogs, sanitation of animal facilities, and feeding of animals. You will also train and supervise the freshmen veterinary nursing students on the procedures of animal well-being and care.

Prerequisites: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures and VN/131 Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab. You will obtain real-world work experience under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and credentialed veterinary nurse in a veterinary practice setting. Veterinary nursing students are required to complete this work experience between the third and fifth terms of the program (summer).

Prerequisite: VN130/Veterinary Clinical Procedures, VN131/Veterinary Clinical Procedures Lab, and current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN246/ Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine Lab. Do you like animals that slither, chirp, or squeak? If so, this course is for you! You will learn basic veterinary nursing skills for a variety of laboratory animals, exotic pets, and birds.

Prerequisite: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures and VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN268/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine. Have you ever wondered how to hold a hedgehog or give a rabbit a pill? You will gain hands-on experience wiht basic veterinary nursing skills and gain experience with a variety of laboratory animals, exotic pets, and birds.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN121/Medical Records and Veterinary Office Skills and VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures, VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, VN137/Animal Facility Management and Sanitation, and VN138/Animal Facility Management and Sanitation Mentorship. You will gain hands-on veterinary clinical experience which is required of all Distance Learning Veterinary Nursing Program students. You will obtain veterinary clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and credentialed veterinary nurse in a veterinary hospital setting.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN274/Veterinary Hematology Mentorship. You will learn the theory, principles, and practice of performing laboratory tests on blood and also to understand veterinary coagulation and transfusion medicine.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN273/Veterinary Hematology. You will gain hands-on experience with essential skills necessary for the veterinary nurse in the area of hematology and veterinary coagulation and transfusion medicine.

Prerequisites: VN236/Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology, VN237/Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology Lab, and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN276/Veterinary Surgical Nursing and Clinical Skills Lab. During this intensive course, you will learn surgical nursing principles, equipment and instrument care, critical care and common veterinary emergencies, small animal dentistry, basic immunology, and vaccination protocols for dogs and cats.

Prerequisites: VN236/Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology, VN237/Principles of Anesthesiology and Radiology Lab, and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN275/Veterinary Surgical Nursing and Clinical Skills and VN265/ Animal Facility Management III. You will practice skills necessary for surgical assisting, both as a sterile and non-sterile assistant. You will suture incisions and will learn patient management, surgical team roles, and post-operative management.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN286/Veterinary Nursing Microbiology Lab. Explore the life function of the bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses. Apply this knowledge to solve pathogenic clinical cases that are provided along with those that arise throughout the semester.

Prerequisites: BI100/General Biology with Lab, BI177/Biology I with Lab, or BI179/Biology II with Lab; and VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses, and VN124, Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN277/Veterinary Nursing Microbiology. You will explore and apply microscopy techniques, bacteria staining techniques, methods for microorganism identification, and methods involved in handling, culturing, and controlling microorganisms.

Prerequisites: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures, VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, and VN272/Veterinary Clinical Experience I. You will gain hands-on veterinary clinical experience which is required of all Distance Learning Veterinary Nursing Program students. You will obtain veterinary clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian in a veterinary hospital setting.

Prerequisites: VN240/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II, VN241/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II Lab, and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN281/Veterinary Clinical Pathology III Lab. Round out your pathological clinical skills in blood chemistries, coagulation testing, blood typing, crossmatching, serologic tests, cytology, and other body fluid examinations.

Prerequisites: VN240/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II, VN241/Veterinary Clinical Pathology II Lab, and current standing as a spring semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisites: VN280/Veterinary Clinical Pathology III and VN265/Animal Facility Management III. Apply your skills to perform cytology, blood chemistries, coagulation testing, crossmatching, blood typing, serologic tests, and other body fluid examinations.

Prerequisites: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures, VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, and VN151/Veterinary Nursing Pharmacology II. Co-requisite: VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship. You will learn principles of anesthesia, including various types of anesthetics and anesthetic adjuncts, preanesthetic procedures, endotracheal intubation, anesthetic machine operation, anesthetic monitoring, and anesthetic machine maintenance techniques. You will learn the management of anesthetic emergencies and various aspects of pain management.

Prerequisites: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures, VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, and VN151/Veterinary Nursing Pharmacology II. Co-requisite: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia. You will gain hands-on experience with essential skills necessary for the veterinary nurse in the area of anesthesiology, including anesthesia monitoring, endotracheal tube intubation, and pain management.

Prerequisite: Current standing as a fall semester sophomore in veterinary nursing. Co-requisite: VN277/Veterinary Nursing Microbiology. You will explore and apply microscopy techniques, bacteria staining techniques, methods for microorganism identification, and methods involved in handling, culturing, and controlling microorganisms.

Prerequisites: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN288/Veterinary Cytology Mentorship. You will learn normal and abnormal cytology in domestic animals.

Prerequisite: VN122/Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Nurses and VN124/Mentorship Preparation. Co-requisite: VN287/Veterinary Cytology. You will gain hands-on experience with essential skills necessary for the veterinary nurse in the area of cytology.

Prerequisites: VN140/Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals and VN267/Cooperative Education Experience II. Would you like to learn more about diseases such as kennel cough, ringworm, and foot rot? You will learn about these and other diseases of both small and large animals. You will also learn about zoonotic diseases as part of this class.

Prerequisites: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures and VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN291/Veterinary Imaging Mentorship. Prerequistes or Co-requisites: VN263/Large Animal Clinical Procedures, VN264/Large Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, VN268/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine, and VN269/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine Mentorship. You will learn about radiographic positioning and exposure factors concerning dogs, cats, horses, birds, and laboratory animals. You will also learn about digital radiography, ultrasonography, endoscopy, and advanced imaging modalities.

Prerequisites: VN135/Small Animal Clinical Procedures VN136/Small Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN290/Veterinary Imaging. Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN263/Large Animal Clinical Procedures, VN264/Large Animal Clinical Procedures Mentorship, VN268/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine, and VN269/Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine Montorship. You will practice essential skills required of veterinary nurses in the area of veterinary imaging.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia, VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship, and VN290/Veterinary Imaging, and VN291/Veterinary Imaging Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN293/Veterinary Dentistry Mentorship. You will learn dental charting, dental instruments, teeth cleaning, and dental radiographic positioning of companion animals.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia, VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship, VN290/Veterinary Imaging, and VN291/Veterinary Imaging Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN292/Veterinary Dentistry. You will gain hands-on experience with skills relating to veterinary dentistry including dental charting, teeth cleaning, and dental radiography.

Prerequesites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia and VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN297/Veterinary Surgical Nursing Mentorship. You will learn veterinary surgical nursing procedures including general nursing care, surgical assisting, and equipment and instrument care.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN296/Veterinary Surgical Nursing. You will gain hands-on experience with surgical assisting, both as a sterile and non-sterile assistant. You will also learn about patient management, surgical team roles, and post-operative management.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia and VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN299/Veterinary Critical Care and Clinical Skills Mentorship. You will learn about veterinary critical care and clinical skills including emergency medicine, triage, the crash cart, shock, oxygen therapy, fluid therapy, ventilation, electrocardiograms, and ophthalmology.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites: VN283/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia and VN284/Veterinary Anesthesiology and Analgesia Mentorship. Co-requisite: VN298/Veterinary Critical Care and Clinical Skills. You will practice hands-on skills related to critical care and clinical skills including placement of nasogastric tubes, urinary catheterization, oxygen therapy, and ophthalmology.