Author Archives: Alison German

VN Council seeks nominees for Golden Jubilee award

Nominations are being sought for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the veterinary nursing profession, for this year’s VN Council Golden Jubilee award.

Veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons and lay people can be nominated for the award which recognises those who have helped shape the VN profession. Kathy Kissick, VN Council Chairman, said “This award recognises those who have really made a difference and who can truly be described as exceptional.”

Any veterinary nurse or veterinary surgeon can make a nomination, and they need to be supported with detailed evidence for VN Council to consider. Nomination forms are available from the RCVS website and need to be received by 1 May.

Leadership and Management Courses Now Open for Enrolment!

We are delighted to announce that our new range of Leadership and Management Courses accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) are now open for enrolments with the first intake of students starting at the end of April.

Originally planned to start at the beginning of year, we made the decision in January to wait a few extra weeks due to a forthcoming change in the way the courses are structured; this now means that all students starting in April will be studying the very latest versions of the qualifications!

If you are already working in a leadership or managerial role such as head nurse, team leader or practice manager these qualifications can help you to maximise your ability to lead and support your team to deliver the highest quality clinical care to the animals in your care.

If you are not currently working in a leadership role but are looking to do so in the future, these professionally recognised qualifications are the perfect way to increase your confidence in your ability to motivate and lead a team and accelerate your opportunities in securing such a role.

Both the Level 3 Certificate and the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management are offered on a blended learning basis (i.e. online learning, supported by study weekends) and should take between 12 and 18 months to complete. Upon achievement of one of these qualifications, you will be able to apply for professional membership of the Institute of Leadership and Management, and thereby be permitted to use the Institute’s internationally recognised post nominal in recognition of the professional status you have achieved.

For further information please visit our website or contact Emma Helkenberg, Senior Lecturer, on ehelkenberg@caw.ac.uk / 01480 422060.

Nursing Progress Log Completion…

High percentage Nursing Progress Log (NPL) completion close to an NPL deadline may be subject to audit by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

Please make sure the NPL is fully case referenced, justification is present to support competence, all guidance notes are completed and the description line is used. Please make sure the student is competent in performing the skill and if the skill links to an OSCE they are able to perform it to OSCE standard. NPL completion should be reflected in your tutorial records.

Full Time Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing Placement Students

Please remember you must make sure your register of attendance, placement evaluation and behavioural tool is completed and submitted (copy of) to your course tutor by tomorrow (22 March 2013).

Reflective Training Logs

It is very important all Level 3 Diploma Veterinary Nursing students complete their reflective training logs to show they are receiving at least four hours of active training in practice per week. These hours are required to count towards your guided learning hours to allow you to register as a veterinary nurse.

Further information can be found on the VLE or by contacting your Quality Assurance Supervisor.

Nursing Progress Log Deadline Dates for Jan 13 Start VN Students

If you are a Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing Student and started your training in January 2013 please remember the following NPL Deadline Dates:

VN1,2 & 5: January – end of March
VN3,4 & 7: April – end of July
VN11: July – end of September
VN8,8 & SAVN13: September – end of December
VN10: January 2014

New BVNA Student Competition

The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) are pleased to announce a new competition open to all student veterinary nurses for a chance to win one of TEN free one day registrations for BVNA congress along with a travel bursary of up to £100!

Students are being asked to submit a reflective account on any aspect of their first practical experience as a student veterinary nurse. It should provide a clear insight into the role of the veterinary vurse in the 21st century as well as evidence of a passion for the role and an interest in development of the individual and the profession as a whole.

Entry is open to any veterinary nursing student who is registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Additional information can be found on the BVNA website along with a submission form and entry deadline.

RCVS News: Professor Stuart Reid Elected RCVS Vice President

Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the Royal Veterinary College, was elected to be the next Vice-President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) at the March meeting of RCVS Council. Stuart joined RCVS Council in 2005 and has served on a variety of Committees, including as chairman of both the Education Policy and Specialisation Committee and the Veterinary Legislation Working Party.

“It is an honour and privilege to be nominated for the Officer team,” says Stuart. “Having grown up in a veterinary household, the profession, and practice in particular, has been part of my life from as far back as I can remember. The opportunity to serve in a leadership role at a time when the profession at large faces so many challenges and our organisation itself is undergoing such fundamental change is as exciting as it is potentially daunting.”

A son of a veterinary surgeon, Stuart graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and began his career in practice in Aberdeenshire. He completed a PhD in 1992 and was appointed to a joint Chair at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde in 1996. Having worked in Africa, Australia and the USA, Stuart became Dean of Glasgow’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, and Principal of the Royal Veterinary College in 2011. He has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 2001. Stuart is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in veterinary epidemiology and a diplomate, and the first elected President, of the European College of Veterinary Public Health. He has served on numerous committees including the Scottish Science Advisory Committee and Veterinary Products Committee.

“The College’s role as a regulator and standard bearer is at the core of all our activities and I hope that I will be able to bring a comparative view from the profession elsewhere in the world, at the same time as helping us retain the professional continuum from science base to clinical practice,” says Stuart.

“We must broaden awareness in the profession and the public of the work the College does and seek greater engagement at every level. It will only be through reaching out that we can be a Council and a profession that reflect the society and communities we serve, fit for purpose and fit for practice in everything we do,” he adds.

SPANA’s 2013 Outreach Programme is now open to applications

SPANA, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, is a UK registered international charity that operates worldwide to improve the health and welfare of working animals (equids, camelids and livestock). SPANA achieves its objectives through the provision of veterinary care by locally employed vets and animal health workers. It has permanent veterinary operations in eight countries, working from fixed and mobile clinics, and education programmes directed at veterinary students, owners and children. In addition, SPANA operates an outreach programme to support working animal initiatives and respond to disasters and emergencies across the world. For further information please visit the SPANA website: www.spana.org.

SPANA’s outreach programme is now open to applications from local organisations, for small funds and technical assistance to support working animal projects across the world. Please visit https://spana.org/vets/outreach-programme for more information, and email enquiries@spana.org to register your interest in applying on behalf of an organisation. Please note that the deadline for submitting applications is Friday 26th April.

RCVS on the ‘first-rate’ road to reform

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has embarked on the road to becoming a first-rate regulator, according to Chief Executive Nick Stace, speaking at the Council meeting on 7 March 2013.

He gave Council members an update on progress in his first six months, which have fallen into three work-streams:

‘Building solid foundations’, focusing on governance, the working environment, leadership, IT infrastructure, staff engagement and customer experience;
‘Becoming a first rate regulator’, which includes activities flowing from that initiative, together with developing the Practice Standards Scheme and changes required by the legislative reform order;
‘Being ambitious about our future’, including the process of developing the three-year strategic plan.

First-Rate Regulator project
Nick advised Council that the first phase around evidence gathering was almost complete, with nearly 5,000 vets, veterinary nurses (VNs) and practice managers, and 20 per cent of public complainants over the last two years, having responded, as well as interviews with RCVS and VN Council members, staff and other stakeholder organisations. Analysis with how the RCVS compares with over 20 other similar organisations was also complete.

The next phase would consider measures to build on the positives and to recommend change around short comings.

Nick told Council: “The road to reform will take time and will be uncomfortable. Exposing the good, the bad and the indifferent in what we do and how we do it is important if the RCVS is to remain relevant to the profession and the public and to be seen to take seriously the concerns that people have. It will also be important for the Executive team and the Council to work together on the reform programme with the explicit aim of becoming a first-rate regulator.”

There will be a special open meeting of Council in June to discuss the recommended plans in detail.

Staff engagement survey
Nick also outlined the results of a recent staff engagement survey, which had taken place from 22 October to 5 November 2012. The confidential online survey, carried out by independent specialists Survey Solutions, achieved an excellent 96% response rate.

The results showed an overall ‘engagement score’ of 59, which compared badly with the average score for the top ten organisations at 81, but favourably against the average for the bottom ten at 45. Nick acknowledged that there is plenty of room for improvement, as well as the fact that the results are likely to reflect a difficult year of change for staff

Positive scores were achieved around staff understanding of the RCVS; job satisfaction and feeling of empowerment; team relationships; advocacy, pride and commitment; and, diversity and fair dealing. Areas for improvement included change management; leadership; reward; working across departments; the relationship between Council and staff; workload and working environment; and, internal communications.

“These results should be seen as the starting point on a journey towards improvement within the organisation, so that we can motivate and retain our team of excellent staff, who are so critical to our success,” says Nick Stace. “The important thing will be how we take these findings forward, and we have already made plans around four areas of activity: professional development, leadership/structure, work environment and internal communications.”

New Operational Board
Also at its March meeting Council agreed to the establishment of a new Operational Board that will manage oversight of organisational activities, with strategic issues and significant policy discussions being taken by Council. The operational board will be chaired by the CEO and will include the President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, the Registrar and the Chairs of the Committees.

Other decisions
Council also considered papers on the disclosure of convictions by veterinary surgeons and registered veterinary nurses, draft accounts for 2012, byelaws for the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees, General Administration byelaws and the report of a visitation to the University of Sydney’s veterinary school. Decisions made will be publicised in the March issue of RCVS News, and minutes from the meeting will be available online in due course.