Each May we celebrate Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM). This was originally started by The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) in 2005 in order to raise awareness of how important veterinary nurses are to the veterinary profession. It has become increasingly popular over the years and has now spread to one whole month of appreciation and promotion of the veterinary nursing industry.
Each year our nurses at Hollybank get involved and this will be our fourth year of educating the public about a nurse’s daily roles and responsibilities. We try to include useful, interesting and informative information with, of course, some cute and cuddly pictures thrown in! We feel it is really important to do this as your pets spend lots of time with our nurses and their hard work, time, commitment and love can often go missed behind the scenes.
We have six registered veterinary nurses (RVN’s) at Hollybank, Cat, Leonie, Aimee, Alicia, Jess and Natalie. We also have two Student Veterinary Nurses’s (SVN’s) carrying out their placement with us. First off are in fact our SVN’s detailing how to become a veterinary nurse.
How to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN)
Veterinary nursing is a profession where attention to detail matters. Whichever route you take, there is hands-on training and requires a lot of dedication and different skills. However, veterinary nursing is rewarding and can open a lots of career avenues in the animal sector!
To become a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), work experience prior to getting on any course is essential and the amount of experience needed varies between institutions. Experience could include being in practice, wildlife sanctuaries, kennels/catteries, animals shelters, farms or zoos. Time spent at these places is invaluable and will really boost your personal statement. Qualifications needed to get onto a veterinary nursing course includes, but is not limited to, A-levels (Biology) and BTEC Level 3 Extended Diplomas (science or animal related).
Full-time university courses such as the Bachelor (BSc) (honours) or Foundation (FdSc) degrees at Harper Adams University offer two-three years of theory and one year of a practice work placement at an RCVS approved training practice. Some institutions offer both degree courses and diplomas. Level 3 diplomas or apprenticeships (BTEC, City of Guilds or NVQ) are known as vocational courses where you will be employed within a veterinary practice and attend college one day (or more) a week to learn the theory behind veterinary nursing. The length of all courses varies, have a look around and see what best suits you!
For more information on veterinary nursing apprenticeships please visit the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/agriculture-environmental-and-animal-care-apprenticeships.
For more information on university veterinary nursing courses please visit The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website: https://www.ucas.com/ or the list of RCVS Accredited Further Education Qualifications in Veterinary Nursing: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/list-of-rcvs-accredited-further-education-qualifications-in/.
All veterinary nursing courses have a range of assessments including examinations, reports, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), and completion of your Nursing Progress Log (NPL). Some task areas of the NPL include: handling and restraint, radiography, communication, laboratory techniques and theatre practice which can be practiced on a wide range of species (from dogs and cats to exotics). These tasks will be complete once you feel confident in those areas and your practice clinical coach approves this. Once qualified as a RVN, a minimum of 15 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) should be completed to keep your knowledge up to date. This can be done by attending organised CPD events.
Most veterinary nursing courses focus on small companion animals, but there is the option to do other courses too such as equine nursing. You can also further your knowledge in areas of your interest such as nutrition, pharmaceuticals, behaviour, rehabilitation, exotics and complementary therapies by doing additional qualifications. There is also the possibility of working in different clinical environments such as a first opinion practice or referral hospital once qualified.
Hollybank’s Student Veterinary Nurses (SVN)
Katie
I am studying a foundation veterinary nursing degree at Harper Adams University and I was able to get onto this course by completing an access year post A-levels. This totals 4 years including my placement year in practice. I have always wanted to be a veterinary nurse from a young age and from work experience completed in the school holidays. I wanted to experience university life away from home and do the theory groundwork before going into practice. It takes commitment, perseverance and time to achieve the final goal. Once qualified, I would like to do an accompanying qualification in nutrition and equine nursing.
Leah
I am studying BSc veterinary nursing and practice management at Harper Adams University and I am on my third year work placement at Hollybank. After completing my A-levels at sixth form, I believe I chose the university route over the vocational route as I am more academically minded. I have been able to gain the theory based knowledge before heading into practice and I feel this gave me a foundation of understanding to work from and apply. It also gives you the chance to split the theory work from the practical work. It is good that there are other routes into veterinary nursing to cater for everyone but I personally wanted to be away from home and seek independence.
I chose to go to Harper Adams University because it is a rural university with lots of opportunity to work with livestock. I have always wanted to work with animals both big and small and I particularly strive to incorporate farm animal nursing into the agricultural-veterinary sector more. I have also thought about the possibilities of working or volunteering abroad with a wider range of species. What is great about veterinary nursing is that you are not restricted on the types of animals you can nurse!
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
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.
What Do Our Weekend and Night Nurses Do?
Animals can become unwell at any given moment and an important part of our job as a registered veterinary nurse is to look after them around the clock. At Hollybank, we are very lucky that our nurses provide all of our night time and weekend care as part of our their rotating rota; this means the nurses you meet in day are the ones that care for your pets out of normal working hours. Part of being a Tier 3 registered Animal Hospital is also having someone on the premises 24 hours.
The Night Nurse
Everyone one in six weeks we complete a week of night shifts. This starts at 7:30PM and finishes at 8:30AM the following morning. This means we are able to provide the highest standard of care to our patients overnight and are available on site for any emergency cases that might walk through the door.
At the beginning of our shift we attend rounds, where we discuss the patients that we have hospitalised during the day. This allows us to gain a history of who the patient is, why they are in with us and what their needs are overnight. Most overnight patients are checked at least every four hours and more frequently if needed. We use a grade of care system on a case to case basis to determine how often each patient needs to be checked. Each patient is graded by the vet when they arrive at the practice and their own individual hospital care sheet is written out. The nurses then carry out these checks overnight and we will inform the vet if we have any concerns.
The patients are taken out to toilet regularly throughout the night and are given lots of TLC! Being on nights allows us to have one on one time with each patient and to build up a bond which is always a great part of our job as nurses. As well as our hospitalised patients we also treat any emergency patients that may come in. These can range from patients who are feeling a little bit under the weather to patients who have been in a road traffic accident or require emergency surgery for life threatening conditions.
The patients are always our main priority, but once 8pm checks are completed it’s time for them to get some well needed rest. During this time we have a list of jobs to complete ready for the practice to open the next day. These jobs include ensuring the practice is fully stocked ready for the days consultations and operations, cleaning and maintenance of our equipment such as the ultrasound scanner and x-ray cassettes, preparing the consent and anaesthetic forms for patients who are being admitted the following morning and forming a plan for the days operations so they can run as smoothly as possible.
In the morning before the practice opens we set up the consultation rooms and prep and theatre ready for the days surgeries. This involves selecting endotracheal tubes, tube ties, laryngoscopes and intravenous catheter equipment which we keep in a tray designated to each patient. We also select an appropriate breathing system for each patient dependant on their weight and place sterilised surgical kits, drapes, surgical blades, suture material and any extra instruments needed for the surgery onto the surgical trays so they are all prepared and ready for the first surgery of the day.
Once this is completed we carry out our final patient checks ready for the morning rounds at 8am. During morning rounds we discuss how each patient has been overnight, if we have any concerns and what the plan for them for the day is.
As we have been with them overnight and built up a bond we can also pass on information of what makes the patient happy and what they like or dislike. For example, some patients are reluctant to eat when they are in the hospital but if you pretend you are going to eat their food then they will eat straight away! Some patients like to be sat with and stroked whilst eating and some like to be left alone. We are able to find out what each patient likes which allows the patient to feel more relaxed during their stay and allows a quicker recovery time. This information is invaluable and always passed on to the nurse who will next be spending most time with that patient. be looking after the patient It’s always nice to spend one on one time in a quiet environment to get to know your patient and also nice for owners to know their beloved pet isn’t going to be left alone all night.
Once we have set up for the day and completed our handover it’s time to go home and get some well needed sleep before our next night shift begins!
The Weekend Nurse
As well as working night shifts, we also work weekend shifts to continue to provide the highest standard of care outside of normal working hours. We work from Saturday morning right through to Monday morning. There are lots of things we need to do over the weekend to keep the practice running smoothly, most of which are ‘behind the scenes’, so many people don’t really know what we as RVN’s do during this time.
The weekend begins at 8:30 Saturday morning, where we attend rounds with the overnight nurse and the vet on duty for the weekend. This allows us to plan the patients needs for the day and learn anything about them that we need to know.
All inpatients are checked at least every 4 hours, and more often if needed. Each patient has their pulse and respiration rate taken at each check and their temperature if required. We also carry out a demeanour check to assess whether the patient is bright, alert and reactive, quiet or flat. If the pet is on fluids we check the drip is running correctly, and that there are no issues with the drip or the patients catheter. We administer any medication they have been prescribed, and record everything on our hospitalisation sheets.
Dogs are also walked outside to let them stretch their legs and go to the toilet in our specific dog walking area. A big part of caring for inpatients is giving lots of TLC! It can be quite scary for a pet to stay in the hospital away from their family, so we try and make their stay as comfortable as possible, and ensure they get lots of cuddles!
Between 9am and 1pm we are open for consultations as normal, during which time we have nurse appointments available. We spend these appointments clipping nails, expressing anal glands and seeing pets that have undergone surgical procedures back for post-op checks. We also have a range of clinics including weight clubs, where we work with owners to help their pets reach a healthy weight, and puppy clubs, which allow young puppies to get used to coming in to the practice and being handled; all important things to learn for later life.
Between appointments we assist the vet with any animals they need another pair of hands with, this may be for an examination or to help collect blood and urine samples. We also dispense medication prescribed by the vet and help the receptionist by answering phones and talking to customers if needed. After morning appointments are over, we ensure the whole practice is clean and tidy, and restock everywhere ready for the next day.
We have lots of jobs to keep us busy throughout the weekend, including lots of washing and cleaning, but also things like preparing consent forms for operation admissions, scanning and filing documents, and caring for Hollybanks resident guinea pigs, Marmite and Marmalade.
Most of our time over the weekend is spent caring for any inpatients we may have, and as the only nurse caring for a patient during that 48 hour period, we get to have more one to one time with our patients. Many of them need a lot of TLC, which we are happy to give! This one to one time allows us to get to know the patient, what is normal for them, and their likes and dislikes. We can then tailor our care to the individual pet and make their time with us as stress-free as possible. We all treat the patients like our own pets, so you can be sure they are well looked after whilst in our care.
When the on-call vet receives a phone call out of hours, they decide if the pet needs to be seen for an emergency appointment. The RVN makes sure that any necessary equipment is ready to use and is prepared if the patient needs to be admitted. If the client and pet arrive at the practice before the vet does, we will triage the patient, which allows us to decide if the patient needs urgent treatment, such as being placed on oxygen before the vet arrives. We then assist the vet with any investigations or treatment they deem necessary.
Sometimes these emergency cases are admitted, and we care for them along with any other inpatients we may have. Sometimes these emergencies require urgent surgery, so we would prepare the theatre and anaesthetic equipment ready to use. We then monitor the animal under anaesthetic, prepare them for surgery and assist the vet in any way whilst they perform the procedure. We then monitor the patient during recovery until they are awake enough to move to the wards. Once the patient is stabilised and comfortable in their kennel, we thoroughly clean the theatre and preparation rooms ready for the next emergency that may walk through the door.
After all the jobs are completed, we have the chance to catch up on a little bit of sleep in between our day and evening four hourly checks. We have a bedroom where we can get some rest, which is a little home away from home during the weekend.
On Monday mornings we prepare the theatres and anaesthetic equipment ready for the days operations. We then attend rounds at 8am where we pass on information about the patients we have been caring for over the weekend. We finish our shift at 8:30, when we can go home and catch up on sleep!
Working at the weekend can be very different to working during normal opening hours. As the only RVN, it is up to us to make sure the practice runs smoothly, everywhere is kept clean and tidy and the inpatients are cared for to the highest standard. No two weekends are the same, and you must always be prepared for an emergency to arrive. Whilst nobody wants to be separated from their pet, you can be confident your pet is being cared for to the highest possible standard, and treated as one of our own.
Veterinary Nursing History
As early as 1888 a prominent veterinary scientist wrote that nursing required “strict attention to the animal’s comfort and well-being in matters of warmth, quietude, cleanliness, pure air and diet”.
By 1925 there was a canine distemper hospital in London staffed with specially trained canine nurses.
In 1934 King George V’s veterinary surgeon tried to get the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to recognise the title “Canine nurse” if nurses pass a suitable examination and held a certificate of efficiency. They refused but he felt certain they would change their minds sooner rather than later.
A veterinary textbook written in 1947 contained a chapter about veterinary nursing and again called for a registration system which would be a sign of competence.
Finally, in 1961, the Registered Animal Nursing Auxiliary (RANA) scheme was approved and veterinary nursing became an officially recognised professional qualification with the first nurses qualifying in 1962. This did not however include a disciplinary system holding RANAs anymore accountable than lay-staff in the treatment of veterinary patients.
The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) formed in 1965 but the title Veterinary Nurse was not used until 1984 as the term “nurse” was protected until then, this meant the BVNA had to change their name to the British Animal Nursing Auxiliary Association until 1984 when the statue expired.
In 1991 the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 was amended to formally recognise the role of the veterinary nurse in law.
In the 1990’s Veterinary Nurse training consisted of a small green book that contained a list of tasks that had to be carried out. The veterinary surgeon signed the book when a task had been completed.
The Nursing exam consisted of a short answer paper, a multiple choice paper and a practical exam. Qualification enabled Veterinary Nurses to enter the List of VNs.
The RCVS was accredited as an awarding body for vocational qualifications in 1997 meaning that in 1998 they started to offer nationally recognised vocational qualifications (NVQs)and the first undergraduate courses became available.
In 2000 the first equine veterinary nurses qualified. Student Veterinary Nurses (SVNs) began logging their clinical skills in the form of a portfolio. This was built up of case reports written about the clinical skills learnt and used in practice whilst treating patients.
2002 established the Veterinary Nurses Council and the first cohort were awarded BSc Hons in Veterinary Nursing.
The non-statutory Register of veterinary nurses started in 2007 and the first veterinary nurse was given a place on the RCVS council in 2010.
2011 brought both the introduction of the Nursing Progress Log, an online tool to log clinical skills training and competence and the introduction of a disciplinary system for Registered Veterinary Nurses and in 2012 a new Code of Professional Conduct included, for the first time, a declaration to be made by Registered Veterinary Nurses on professional registration.
2013 saw the end of the RCVS offering the vocational Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing. with new awarding bodies taking over. The RCVS Council approved changes to the veterinary nursing Bylaws in order to strengthen its role as a regulatory body and be better able to ensure that qualified veterinary nurses are fit to practice and accountable for their actions.
The Royal Charter came into force in 2015 to end the List of VNs and move all qualified VNs over onto the Register, and now all qualified VNs are RVNs and are regulated by the RCVS.
In 2016 RVNs campaigned for protection of the title ‘Veterinary Nurse’ and despite gaining 37,000 signatures (double the number of RVNs and SVNs at the time) they were unsuccessful in doing so. The NPL was updated to reflect the clinical skills required by an RVN at ‘day one’ of their professional life.
The RCVS held a consultation on Schedule 3 (the section of the RCVS code of professional conduct relating to RVNs and SVNs) in 2017 to help shape the future of veterinary nursing. This was open to both vets and nurses to comment on and suggest changes to the current legislation.
2018 the VN Futures Action Group has created several working groups focusing on a number of ambitions and creating specific actions to ensure their completion. The ambitions of VN Futures include: Creating a sustainable workforce, structured and rewarding career paths, Proactive role in one health, maximising nurse’s potential and confident, resilient, healthy and well-supported workforce.
At Hollybank our RVNs have all qualified at different times and worked through different periods within the veterinary nursing timeline. From the Green book to the NPL we are lucky enough to be able to utilise our nurses shared experience of over 43 years! That doesn’t take into account the time they spent training and the skills brought to our team by our SVNs.
Thank you to the veterinary nursing community for providing photos.
A Nurse’s Role in Photos
As our last VNAM post we thought it would be nice to see all the different roles and tasks our nurses get up to in photos.
Also, please start following us on INSTAGRAM at hollybankvets for more photos of our wonderful patients!
