“The hard part is choosing to change what needs changing” – Martina Mcbride
I have been walking a lot the last few months, isn’t it interesting how this upside-down world leads to new habits and new routines? Sometimes I listen to podcasts, often I listen to a fitness app, but mostly I find myself tuning into my playlist of country music favorites. My kids say I am a sucker for that banjo twang, but Martina makes me smile when I am powering up a hill.
Martina did hit the nail directly on the head. We all talk about change and try to embrace change -- but choosing to act on what needs to be changed is often the hardest part. Recently, this lesson has become so clear, as I follow threads on anesthesia and pain management forums, where comments have been all about change. “My doctor doesn’t think we need to change what we do…”, “our pain protocol is working fine”, or conversely, “we really need to improve what we are doing.” I think our profession is all on board with the need for change - but tackling the hard part is another story. Maybe the fight with an ‘old-school’ practice owner is overwhelming…. Maybe your last surgical back patient seemed to recover ‘fine’ without post-operative opioids…. Maybe you skipped over the pain scoring because it just took too long…. Maybe choosing to change is just too hard.
Pain is a multifactorial problem that affects every individual patient in a uniquely different way. During my first year of graduate pain management study, my ‘aha’ moment was the realization that as good we can be when faced with a painful patient – we still cannot predict which individual may develop chronic pain from a seemingly simple acute pain episode. The published research suggests potential areas for investigation in the cerebral cortex, but until we get more answers, we cannot ignore this potential deleterious outcome. No longer should we dismiss the experience of one individual patient just because ‘they all seem to do fine’ with a particular protocol. No longer should we be using the cookbook to provide the analgesic recipe to every patient in the same identical way. We can do better. We should choose to do better.
Your IVAPM is reaching our profession globally, providing education and awareness regarding animal pain. You can choose our path, each one of us can choose to make a difference. This year’s Animal Pain Awareness Month reached more pet owners and animal lovers than ever before. With hundreds of thousands of impressions on social media, our educational mission is being recognized and embraced. We are choosing to blaze a new path among our profession, as we plan for our first Pain Management Forum in April 2021. Your organization is choosing to change what needs changing.
I always love the fall. The change of seasons always provides a gut-check moment. Only the 4th quarter is left in this crazy year of 2020. Let us use these months and choose to change the talk about pain. Need some help? Want some support? Email me and we can talk to that ‘old-school’ doc together!
Sincerely,
Jennifer F. Johnson, VMD, CVPP
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Pain Management Advocacy Award |
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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS IS NOW OPEN!
The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) is excited to announce the 1st annual call for nominations for the Pain Management Advocacy Award!
The Pain Management Advocacy Award will be presented annually to one IVAPM Member showing significant contributions in the field of veterinary pain management.
We know our organization is packed full of dedicated, talented, and hard-working professionals who strive hard each and every day to advance our knowledge and skills in pain management and we are excited to see who it will it be.
The recipient of this award will be selected by the IVAPM Executive Board and will receive their IVAPM Membership for FREE for one year along with a Pain Management Advocacy Award plaque presented to them at the IVAPM’s Pain Management Forum, in which they can proudly showcase in their home or office.
Criteria utilized for selection includes, but not limited to:
- MEMBER of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) in good standing
- ACTIVE involvement in the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM)
- COMMUNITY OUTREACH with an emphasis on public education regarding animal pain management, health and welfare
- VETERINARY EDUCATION including mentoring, lecturing, student training programs
- RESEARCH contributing to the advancement of pain management
- EXCELLENCE in clinical medicine
Nominators, please complete this FORM to make your nomination!
The call for nominations will close on December 1, 2020
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The IVAPM CVPP examination committee is looking for people to submit examination questions. If you are applying for credentialing, you will be required to submit questions with your application, so this is a great opportunity to get started. There is an excellent presentation on how to write exam questions, located on your membership portal.
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Join Beatriz Monteiro, DVM, PhD, and Marina C. Evangelista, MV, MSc, PhD candidate, for Feline Grimace Scale: An Easy and Practical Tool for Pain Assessment in Cats.
Sunday, October 25, 9:00 PM Eastern
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IVAPM's Pain Management Forum Program Now Available! |
At this meeting, in conjunction with AARV, you will have access to hundreds of veterinary professionals all advocating for the best practices in the treatment of animals in pain.
This cutting-edge, in-person event, will take place April 18-20, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.
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IVECCS 2020 Virtual Recap
After a strategic pivot in early June, VECCS produced an outstanding virtual conference, September 12-14, potentially heralding a path for future VECCS events.
The event closed with 27% higher registration than any previous IVECCS event and resulted in the society’s membership increasing to over 7,000.
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Student Member/Chapter News |
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The IVAPM Student Member/Chapter numbers are continuing to grow and we are so excited to have everyone with us in our mission to alleviate animal pain! In addition to the student information section on the IVAPM website, remember that student members have access to a number of learning materials located in your membership portal.
If you know of any other Students interested in Pain Management, please remind them an IVAPM student membership is FREE!
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Want to get involved? IVAPM is offering a PAID Social Media internship for an IVAPM Student Member.
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Students! Don't forget VIN offers you a free VIN membership where you can take VIN CE courses for FREE – including the IVAPM course!
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Join us Wednesday, October 28 at 8:30 PM Eastern for a great discussion with Sharon Campbell, DVM, MS, DACVIM as we talk about the physiologic and medical impacts of fear and stress on animal pain assessment and treatment.
This will be a talk you don't want to miss!
If you have missed any of our IVAPM-Live! meetings, don't worry, the recordings are available on your membership portal.
These short events are a great way to learn up-to-date pain management information in a comfortable setting - join the discussion!
2020/2021 Upcoming Lineup:
- October 2020 - Dr. Sharon Campbell - The Effect of Fear, Anxiety and Stress on Pain
- November 2020 - Dr. Jessica Rychel - Using Naltraxone in pain cases
- December 2020 - Teri Willard, CVT, CCRP - topic TBA
- January 2021 - Dr. Tammy Grubb - Ten things you need to know about nerve growth factor, monoclonal antibodies and osteoarthritis pain
- February 2021 - Dr. Bea Monteiro - Feline Pain
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SPECIAL NOTE: Due to COVID-19 the Case Report Presentations will now take place at IVAPM’S Pain Management Forum (PMF) April 18-20, 2021 in Denver, CO.
Sooo....Do you want to lecture, but don’t have experience? Do you have something really great to share? This is the perfect time to submit your case report for the IVAPM case report contest.
If you are interested please email Wendy Dox at [email protected] and submit your topic and receive presentation instructions.
Case reports presentations will be Monday April 19, 2021 from 6:00-9:00 PM. The winner will receive a cash prize and recognition at the IVAPM Pain Symposium Awards Ceremony.
The deadline for you to submit your topic is Monday, January 11, 2021
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Position Available with Zoetis Petcare |
Zoetis Petcare has a position open in Veterinary Professional Services for a Field Specialist (Pain). The position is field-based and full time.
Applications must be received by Monday October 26th 2020.
Please contact Dr. Andy Hillier ([email protected]) if you have any further questions.
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