Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses

Excellent book for veterinary hospitals. Wealth of information for technicians and veterinarians.

From the Journal of the American Veterinary medical Association March 15, 2015Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and NursesMary Ellen Goldberg & Nancy Shaffran421 pages. 2015. Wiley-Blackwell.ISBN 978-1-1185-5552-1. Price $69.99.JAVMA, Vol 246, No. 6, March 15, 2015Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses addresses all aspects of pain management in an easy-to-read, yet detailed, manual and provides a much-needed resource for veterinary technicians. The book is organized into 18 chapters and includes a supplemental website that contains review questions, videos, figures, and Web links. Although the content is geared toward the education of veterinary nurses and technicians, every veterinary hospital should own a copy because it provides easily accessible information that veterinarians use daily so they will not have to sort through an in-depth textbook on pain management. The editors took great care to provide an informative and surprisingly inclusive book, and each chapter is written in a friendly and interesting manner. The chapter entitled Pain Recognition in Companion Species, Horses, and Livestock is particularly useful because it contains charts and figures that provide insight into the assessment of pain in veterinary patients. The chapters on physiology and pharmacology are concise and thorough and provide readers with a good foundation for understanding the subsequent topics discussed. Importantly, this book contains discussion of subjects that are often overlooked in other pain management textbooks, such as analgesia for shelter animals, horses and other livestock, and exotic, zoological, and wild animals. For readers who are visual learners, this book has dozens of photographs and figures that depict various pain management techniques, including an entire chapter devoted to step-by-step instruction of locoregional analgesia. A minor weakness is that the chapters on physical rehabilitation and alternative therapies are sparse and some of the reference citations are out of date, but this is understandable given that new scientific studies on such cutting-edge modalities as laser therapy, myofascial trigger point therapy, and stem cell therapy are being published monthly. I am sure that those chapters will be greatly expanded in future editions of this book. A final bonus in this book is the 60 pages of appendices that are designed for everyday clinic use as well as an extensive formulary, constant rate infusion calculator, and pain management protocols for patients that undergo various routine procedures. The health and welfare of animal patients are enhanced when emphasis is placed on minimizing and managing their pain. The authors and editors of this book understand the importance of including pain assessment as part of a routine physical examination and have designed a book that should be an inspiration for everyone involved in veterinary medicine. This book will be a welcome addition to the library of any veterinary clinic or hospital.Reviewed by Jennifer F. Johnson, VMDStoney Creek Veterinary HospitalMorton, Pa

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.Many thanks as always to publisher Wiley-Blackwell for offering this copy in exchange for an honest review.Managing pain in a species that cannot speak is often challenging. Veterinary technicians and nurses are on the front lines of patient care, and can be the advocates to relieve suffering and speed healing. After studying Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, the reader will become better schooled at seeing signs of pain, obvious or not; and be able to work with the veterinarian to administer medication and make their patient comfortable. The textbook is formatted logically; first you will read about the advancement of pan management in recent thinking, then learn about careers devoted soley to the relief of pain. how to recognize pain in companion animals, the physiology of pain, analgesics, blocking techniques, surgical pain management, analgesia for emergency and critical care patients, chronic pain management, analgesia for shelter medicine, equines, livestock, exotics, zoo and wildlife animals, nutrition considerations for painful dogs and cats, the role of the technician in physical rehab and alternative therapies, and finally, pain management in end of life care.Needless to say, this topic is covered very thoroughly from every angle. There are many books out there that will cover companion animals only, but neglect zoo or wildlife. Some veterinary technicians will come in contact with wildlife at some point in their career, and it helps to have some knowledge to better perform as a patient advocate. I especially enjoyed the chapter on acupuncture and alternative medicine; as this is slowly coming to the attention of veterinary personnel.This book will hold the interest of both the experienced and new veterinary technician, and will be referred to again and again as new skills are needed. The area of pain management is continually evolving, and this is the newest in its field, published in November, 2014. Another first: this is the only book edited BY veterinary technicians FOR veterinary technicians. There are many color photos to aid learning, and there is also a companion website with review questions, charts and protocols.This book filled a niche that was sorely lacking in information. Pet owners and wildlife rehabilitators can rest easy knowing that there is a new source for educating the most important patient advocate–the veterinary technician. Kudos to Wiley for continuing to be the leader in education for techs and nurses. This book is a must add to the bookshelf of any veterinary practitioner who is serious about patient care.

This book has everything you need to be on top of your pain protocols. This is a must for every veterinary setting as it’s not inky a great resource for technicians but doctors as well.

Arrived quickly. Great book for nurses