Vet Times

Tag: RCVS

  • Burning out

    Burning out

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    This is a different blog to usual. It involves mental health, and all I am going to ask you to do is “read up” on this subject. I don’t think you’re in this profession very long before you come in to contact with a colleague who has “burned out”. Have a think, though, and be honest:…

  • Singing from the same hymn sheet

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    My thanks to fellow blogger Will Easson – we seem to think alike on many subjects, and his blog post regarding the RCVS survey on graduate employment struck a chord. In particular the paragraph that read: As a profession our treatment of colleagues is variable, to say the least. Many practices are very good, understanding,…

  • Planning the VN year: an update

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    An update to my previous post, entitled “Planning the RVN/SVN year” for you… OSCE dates from City and Guilds: Three windows this year and more centres available. EXAM WINDOW ENTRY DEADLINE RESULTS PUBLISHED LOCATIONS Friday, May 16 Saturday, May 17 Sunday, May 18 April 1 w/c June 30 (1) Myerscough, Lancashire Friday, Aug 1 Saturday,…

  • 24-hour provision: have your say

    24-hour provision: have your say

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    On December 23, 2013, an important announcement was made by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons: an open consultation on out-of-hours (OOH) services! The college is calling for evidence on provision of 24-hour emergency veterinary cover, in order to understand “how best to meet the expectations of all those involved”. Further details are available from…

  • Where are the training practices?

    Where are the training practices?

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    The RCVS has announced an increase in the number of Training Practices (TPs) to just over 2,000. In a recent article I wrote of the differences between EMS for vet students and the TP scheme for student nurses. I have been spurred on by a recent Twitter chat (@JaneRVN) with @vetinpractice about where the TPs…

  • Planning the RVN/SVN year

    Planning the RVN/SVN year

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    We can start our good intentions now! Let’s make 2014 the year of pre-planning and proactive rather than reactive decisions… promise? To help, here’s a few dates we already know: RCVS diploma exams – written and OSCE [link]. City & Guilds (C&G) and Central Qualifications (CQ) exams are held “in-house”, so you should contact your…

  • OSCE results: what if it’s bad news?

    OSCE results: what if it’s bad news?

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    RCVS OSCE results are due on January 9, 2014 – another new group hopefully entering the RVN workforce. Exam results should mean celebration – but that won’t be the case for everyone. The national average pass rate is usually between 70-80%, so not all will receive good news. So, what to do if it isn’t…

  • No need for vet nurses?

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    A fellow Vetsonline blogger, Will Easson, recently wrote a post about the potential impact of an increased number of vet grads, in which he kindly remembered veterinary nurses. (Editor’s note: In his post “Recruitment and retention“, Will suggests that the increasing number of UK graduates searching for employment could result not just in a scarcity of…

  • EMS vs TP

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    I would like to thank Michal Szulc and Jill Hubbard for their letter in a recent edition of Veterinary Times (Vol.43, No.42), in which they speak of an issue close to my heart: in-practice training of vets and nurses. The TP and EMS schemes try to do the same thing, but are structured very differently. Michal…

  • Where are all the RVNs?

    Where are all the RVNs?

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    I have perused VN Times, Veterinary Times, recruitment websites, and spoken to those in practice, but am left with one question: where are all the RVNs? A recent issue of Veterinary Times had 20 vacancies for the south-east of England alone! In 2008 the BBC stated there were 16,000 “nurses” in practice (Lantra 2008 survey), yet the…