Author Archives: Amber Tennant

World Population Day (11 July 2016)

According to Population Institute calculations, in just under half an hour, the net growth to the population has already increased by over 6,000. This is unsurprising, given that population levels have been rising steadily for thousands of years. Even endless wars, epidemics, natural disasters and man-made hazards have not been enough to halt the trend. However, from the 19th century population levels have been increasing dramatically. Numbers edged towards 7.3 billion people in 2015, and give little indication of slowing.

Positive developments such as improved medical knowledge, revolutionary scientific discoveries and technological advancement in fertility treatment are all partly responsible. An overall decline in death rate shows that illnesses that would once have claimed thousands of lives are now being treated effectively, which is a major achievement and a credit to our ability to work together to resolve massive problems. Social ills such as illiteracy, violence against women and poverty across the world, however, all contribute to limited access to health services and a lack of ability to plan for a family, producing high birth-rates.

As a result overpopulation is stretching the planet’s natural resources and creating profound implications on sustainability and urbanisation. Most severe are the depletion of natural resources and the overuse of fossil fuels producing dramatic changes to the environment and harmful levels of air pollution, but other problems that stem from overpopulation include conflicts and wars, increased unemployment levels and high living costs.

As a means to tackle these threats directly, World Population Day is an annual event observed on 11 July every year, which aims to promote the importance of family planning, gender equality, maternal health, human rights and lifting people out of poverty as the basis of stabilising population levels humanely. In the past the UN has used the day to advance the expansion of health services and women’s education in order to give more people the ability to plan for a family.

For more information about how to get involved this World Population Day, you can visit the UN website.

two puppies ready to be microchipped

Microchipping legislation: Stay up-to-date for £25!

A brand new online refresher course, designed to keep veterinary nurses up-to-date on the latest microchipping requirements, has been launched by The College of Animal Welfare (CAW)!

Designed in response to much confusion around the recent changes in microchipping legislation, the online course will clarify legal requirements, look at notifiable events, give advice on processes for non-functioning microchips, identify UK and European implantation sites and more.

Priced at just £25, this online course provides 12 hours of evidenced Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and is part of an ongoing commitment by the College to provide meaningful and accessible CPD to the veterinary community.

Sally Mitchell, CPD Course Tutor at the College, said “Registered veterinary nurses have a professional responsibility to ensure they are fully aware and knowledgeable about the procedures they are undertaking and the advice they are giving out to clients”. She continued “This course was developed following the recognition that many veterinary nurses were seeking clarification about the changes and how this directly affects their involvement in the process”.

Further information on the course can be found at www.caw.ac.uk/refresher

Microchipping legislation: Stay up-to-date for £25!

A brand new online refresher course, designed to keep veterinary nurses up-to-date on the latest microchipping requirements, has been launched by The College of Animal Welfare (CAW).

Designed in response to much confusion around the recent changes in microchipping legislation, the online course will clarify legal requirements, look at notifiable events, give advice on processes for non-functioning microchips, identify UK and European implantation sites and more.

Priced at just £25, this online course provides 12 hours of evidenced Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and is part of an ongoing commitment by CAW to provide meaningful and accessible CPD to the veterinary community.

Sally Mitchell, CPD Course Tutor at The College of Animal Welfare, said “Registered veterinary nurses have a professional responsibility to ensure they are fully aware and knowledgeable about the procedures they are undertaking and the advice they are giving out to clients”. She continued “This course was developed following the recognition that many veterinary nurses were seeking clarification about the changes and how this directly affects their involvement in the process”.

Further information on the course can be found at www.caw.ac.uk/refresher

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
Marketing Executive
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk

Notes to editors:
The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.

The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.

For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk

gung ho 2016

CAW students and staff raise over £700 for worthy charities!

Students and staff at our Edinburgh centre are thrilled to have raised £784 at Edinburgh’s Gung Ho Event on Saturday 11 June, efforts which have not gone unnoticed by Edinburgh Centre Manager Karen Hibell, who was quick to congratulate those involved: “The College has a proud history of fundraising for good causes and, as always, I’m extremely proud of our staff and students for participating.”

Hosted at The Meadows in Edinburgh, the event saw students and staff participate in a 5k fun run. The money was raised on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support and Therapet Canine Concern Scotland Trust. Chantelle Thayne, Administration Apprentice at our Edinburgh centre, attended the event, adding: “The fun run was a great way for us to come together as a group and raise money for charities that are sometimes overlooked, but do vital and important work for the community!”

The College of Animal Welfare encourage students to contribute not only to College life, but to the wider community. To this end students hold various fundraising events throughout the year. More information can be found on our website.

CAW students and staff raise over £700 for worthy charities!

Students and staff at The College of Animal Welfare in Edinburgh are thrilled to have raised £784 at Edinburgh’s Gung Ho Event on Saturday 11 June, efforts which have not gone unnoticed by Edinburgh Centre Manager Karen Hibell, who was quick to congratulate those involved: “The College has a proud history of fundraising for good causes and, as always, I’m extremely proud of our staff and students for participating.”

Hosted at The Meadows in Edinburgh, the event saw students and staff participate in a 5k fun run. The money was raised on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support and Therapet Canine Concern Scotland Trust. Chantelle Thayne, Administration Apprentice at the College, attended the event, adding: “The fun run was a great way for us to come together as a group and raise money for charities that are sometimes overlooked, but do vital and important work for the community!”

The College of Animal Welfare encourage students to contribute not only to College life, but to the wider community. To this end students hold various fundraising events throughout the year. More information can be found at www.caw.ac.uk or by calling 01480 422060.

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
Marketing Executive
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk

Notes to editors:
The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.

The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.

For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk

Health and Fitness tip of the Week: Forgiveness

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. – Buddha

When somebody or something makes you unhappy, you have two choices: you can dwell on hurtful events and situations, or you can accept what has happened, and focus on moving forward. It’s easy to hold onto resentment, but studies show that forgiveness can lead to healthier relationships, less anxiety and stress, greater psychological wellbeing, and higher self-esteem. By comparison, holding onto a grudge risks bringing anger and bitterness into your relationships with others, or becoming so wrapped up in negativity that you’re unable to see the bright side.

Choosing to let go of resentment is not about forgetting that something painful has occurred, or about condoning bad behaviour; but rather taking responsibility over your feelings and putting yourself before those who have hurt you. Next time you’re feeling angry at someone or something, ask yourself whether it’s really worth sacrificing your health over – or whether you should put it behind you and focus on your own happiness.

RCVS launch six week consultation on CPD policy

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is engaging in a consultation with both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses regarding its continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning policy, running from 17 June to 29 July.

The RCVS currently expect veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to undertake 105 and 45 hours of CPD respectively over a rolling three-year period. The consultation, however, will ask the profession whether they think a more ‘outcomes-based’ approach to CPD – focused less on the number of hours logged and more on the impact of interactive and reflective learning – should be favoured over the current requirement to log a certain amount of hours.

The consultation will also ask the profession about the potential changes to the online Professional Development Record, and how easy or difficult they think it will be to implement a new system.

More information can be found on the RCVS website.

If you’re a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse and would like to have your say, the consultation document and an online survey for submitting responses can be found here.

Our CPD and short courses are designed for both registered and student veterinary nurses, and can be undertaken to refresh veterinary knowledge and keep up to date with the latest developments in the profession. For more information you can visit our website.

Health and Fitness tip of the Week: Looking after your heart!

Did you know that the heart is the strongest muscle in your body? Every day, your heart creates enough energy to drive a truck for 20 miles. It’s even strong enough to keep beating after it has been detached from the body.

You heart can pump around 1.5 million barrels of blood during your lifetime. 75 trillion cells receive blood from the heart. All your cells receive blood except the corneas. This is why it is important to look after your heart. Daily exercise and healthy eating can help reduce problems with the heart such as heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. Healthy eating also reduces the chances of obesity and diabetes which reduces the chances of coronary heart disease.

A woman’s heartbeat is faster than a man’s heartbeat; on average it is 8 beats per minute faster than a man’s is. Women are more likely to develop heart problems than men are.

Stopping smoking is important when maintaining your health; especially when it comes to the heart because your heart needs oxygen to allow blood to be passed through the body. Smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure and damages your lungs, reducing your body’s ability to transport oxygen.

New degree section on Clinical Coach area on VLE

A new area on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has been developed for clinical coaches supporting degree students. Click the red BSc button along the top of the clinical coach area and then select the relevant section for the student you are supporting.

The RVC area provides you with a link to the RVC learn site.

The Middlesex BSc area provides you with the relevant handbooks.

NPL targets can be found in the information for each placement block.

The Napier BSc area is still in development…watch this space!

RCVS Release New Day One Skills for Veterinary Nurses and Registration Rules

The RCVS VN Council have met and released new day one skills for veterinary nurses. These can be found on their website.

These day one skills should be used alongside the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses, as the RCVS has made reference to these for additional guidance.

The RCVS have also released amended registration rules, which can be found here.