VNAM….Continuing Professional Development for Nurses
There are two ways to train to become a veterinary nurse. One route is to gain a diploma for which you need to be employed by a practice and go to college on day release. The second route is to go to university to obtain a degree. As part of the degree you have block placements in practice where you receive your practical training.
Everyone receives the same initial training but once you are qualified you can follow areas that you are interested in. As a registered veterinary nurse you are required to undertake 45 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over a 3 year period.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) govern veterinary nursing and describes CPD as ‘the process of continually maintaining, improving and broadening your skills and knowledge to help ensure you remain professionally competent. By progressing your professional learning in whichever way is most relevant to you, will help you develop and improve the professional service you provide’. This means that you can use your CPD to gain knowledge in areas you are interested in and even become specialised. Our current nursing staff have diverse interest covering a range of topics including medicine, behaviour, complementary therapies, critical care, wound healing and education.
Cat Burdett
Our head nurse Cat been qualified for 7 years and has an interest in feline and emergency care. Cat has develop her skills further by gaining a COAPE award in feline nursing, a Vets Now certificate in emergency and critical care and she is currently studying towards a diploma in advanced nursing. She is also one of our clinical coaches and has a keen interest in educating our student nurses.
Leonie Handford
Leonie has been qualified for 4 years and has an interest in physiotherapy, medicine and oncology. She has recently gained the BSAVA Vet Nursing Merit Award in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.
Aimee Richardson
Aimee has been qualified for 3 years and has an interest in endocrinology and will soon be doing a course on hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease).
Alicia Steele
Alicia has been qualified for 3 years and has an interest in educating clients in the form of her displays throughout the practice, as well as educating our students in her role as a clinical coach. Alicia also has an interest in nutrition and is currently looking for courses to further develop her existing knowledge and skills in this area.
Natalie Mcall
Natalie has been qualified for 7 years and has a keen interest in canine behaviour, wound management and rabbits. Natalie has followed her interests completing a City and Gulids Certificate in exotic nursing (along with numerous other rabbit cpd in dentistry, health and husbandry), BVNA Certificate Delving deeper into wounds and she has also complete CPD with a registered behaviourist leading to her running desensitising clinics for dogs that don’t enjoy coming to the vets.
Jessica Crump
Jessica has been qualified for 19 years and uses her City and Gulids Certificate in exotic nursing to educate clients on guinea pig and rabbit husbandry. She also has an interest in medicine and is currently looking to start a course on diabetes management.