Graded Project
Your project must be submitted as a Word document (.docx or .doc file format). Your project will be individually graded by your instructor and therefore may take up to seven days to grade.

Be sure that each of your files contains the following information:

Your name
Your student ID number
The exam number
Your email address
To submit your graded project, follow these steps:

Log in to your student portal.
Click Take Exam next to the lesson you’re working on.
Find the exam number for your project at the top of the Project Upload page.
Follow the instructions provided to complete your exam.
Be sure to keep a backup copy of any files you submit to the school.

Overview
You’ve learned about some of the nonmedical aspects of veterinary medicine: client interaction, staff interaction, office equipment, inventory, and paperwork. Now, it’s time to put that knowledge to use.

Instead of taking a final proctored exam, you’ll write a research paper. This research paper should be completed, submitted, and graded before you continue to your next course.

As a veterinary technician, you’ll become adept at researching information, both for your own use (continuing education) and for client educational purposes. You should familiarize yourself with the methods of research and be able to analyze, interpret, and understand the material you’ll find. Rewriting this information in your own words will also help you assimilate the information.

Instructions
There are two papers in this research project. Both research papers are required.

Paper 1: Veterinary Computer Software
Goals
Identify the various types of veterinary software programs that are available.
Explain the use and benefits of veterinary software programs in practice.
Report the pros and cons of different programs.
Categorize and examine the features of various programs.
Evaluate your research to determine which programs may provide the best service in a veterinary practice.
Instructions
Many veterinary clinics and hospitals rely heavily on computers for day-to-day operations. Computer software companies are constantly developing and upgrading programs for use in veterinary medicine.

Imagine you’re the head veterinary technician working in a multidoctor veterinary practice. The practice owner is considering upgrading the outdated invoicing software and paper medical records, wanting to replace them with veterinary management software that can perform a wide variety of management functions.

The practice owner wants each member of the veterinary team to gather information on two different brands of veterinary management software. Each team member will compile his or her information into a written report, which will be given to the practice owner and practice manager to help them make their decision.

As the head technician, you’re given the first choice on which software brands to research. Select two different brands of veterinary management software. Research each software brand, paying attention to the items in the following list, and then write a research paper that compares and contrasts the two software brands, including (but not limiting your writing to) the following information:

Name the two brands of software that you’ve chosen, and give a brief description of each of them.
Include information about the companies that make the software.
What are some benefits for a practice using a software program?
List office features and functions, as well as pros and cons of each software package—what does each program do, or not do?
How are technical support issues handled?
How is loss of data prevented in each type of program?
Is this a cloud- or server-based program? What hardware or software might be required?
Is training provided? In what ways?
Are laboratory and imaging results imported? Provide details on those that are compatible with the software program being discussed.
Paper 2: Interpersonal Communication
As a veterinary technician, you’ll be inundated with questions every day. These questions come from clients and coworkers. To handle these questions, it’s important that you be both a good listener and a good communicator.

Goals
List and define the four elements of communication.
Identify the methods for effectively communicating with others.
Apply knowledge of proper communication methods to client and colleague interactions in a veterinary practice.
Determine the importance of using and observing verbal and nonverbal communication.
Prepare yourself to work with clients and coworkers as part of the patient care team.
Establish adequate communication skills for use in a veterinary setting.
Instructions
Describe techniques for being a good listener. What can you do to clarify what a client or coworker is saying to you? Also, describe some ways you can communicate clearly so a client or coworker will not only listen to you but fully understand what you’re saying.

Be sure to include the following:

Body language
Nonverbal communication/gestures (including possible cultural differences that might arise)
Paraphrasing
Eye contact
Discrimination and prejudices
Patient records/handouts and brochures
Any other pertinent information you deem important
Next, provide at least two specific scenarios that relate to dealing with others in a hospital setting, and how and why you might use the previously mentioned techniques in these scenarios. Be sure to include multiple examples from the list above. Describe how those techniques would be used in your scenarios. These examples may include conflict with a coworker, conflict with an employee, dealing with a difficult client, or having an emotional conversation with a client.

Project Specifications
Your project must be submitted as a Word document (.docx, .doc)*.
Each title page should contain the following information:
The title: Veterinary Office Management Research Project
Your name
Your student number
The date your project was submitted
Each paper should be easy to read with appropriate font, double spacing, and correct spelling, grammar, and sentence and paragraph structure. You should use proper APA format for your reference page and in-text citations.
The recommended length is 2–4 pages per paper, excluding title and reference pages.
Each research paper should include at least three references. The information must be supported by trusted veterinary medical publications and websites. You can use your Penn Foster Veterinary Office Management courses for assistance, but they should not be your main source of data. Don’t use sites such as Wikipedia.
If you don’t have prior experience writing research papers, the Penn Foster Library offers assistance in writing a research paper and citing references.
Plagiarism is taking any part of a published piece of work and using it as your own. This also applies to those sections where you might change the wording slightly, or periodically interject personal comments. This also applies to sections in which whole paragraphs or pages were quoted from a source. Plagiarism is unacceptable at Penn Foster College. This is a reminder of the expectation to which all Penn Foster College students are held. Per your Student Handbook, students are expected to conduct themselves with the highest academic and ethical standards. Failure to do so results in disciplinary action. Be sure you’re properly citing your resources in APA format. More information about plagiarism, and properly citing in APA format, can be found in the Penn Foster Library, your Information Literacy course, and your English Composition course.
Grading Criteria