Vet Times

Tag: RVN

  • OSCE season – the myths are out there

    OSCE season – the myths are out there

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    The final RCVS objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) for diploma nurses will be held this month, and in July City and Guilds have theirs. CQ will also have some around the end of term, too. There are many myths around OSCEs (everyone cries, someone always vomits, you can fail for wearing make-up, etc), but don’t worry. It’s…

  • Tie-over bandages can be great for wound management

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    One of my colleagues showed me a technique we found to be a really useful aid to wound management. We all know open wounds can take ages to heal by second intention, depending on wound size, infection, blood supply and a patient’s health. My colleague recommends tie-over bandages are used until the wound is no longer infected…

  • The lost art of tortoise husbandry

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    In the role of client, I found myself praised and then shamed in equal measure when taking my tortoise for a check-up this week. Being a paranoid RVN pet owner, I was getting a bit worried because Bridget seemed considerably smaller than a friend’s female tortoise of the same type. After being quizzed on her housing, feeding,…

  • Salary transparency needed… for employees and clients

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    I work for a flat salary rate at the moment – and I like it that way. I know what is coming in at the end of the month, and I can budget. When I’ve been “paid on production”, it has never really seemed fair – someone in an office somewhere works out what to pay me. In…

  • Get qualified

    Get qualified

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    According to the RCVS there is no such thing as an unqualified veterinary nurse, and thanks to the Royal Charter we now have defined roles of RVN, SVN and care assistants. This is a massive advance, but the situation has left a number of unqualified, yet experienced people feeling marginalised. In recognition of this, however,…

  • Election fever

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    Living in a democracy is taking its toll at the moment… Sadly I’m back on sick leave with my back, so I have plenty of time to peruse the candidates for both RCVS VN Council and the general election. If I was still at work it would be hard to keep up! Luckily, even with…

  • Peer assessment in student veterinary nursing

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    Supporting a student nurse takes many forms. Once the nursing progress log (NPL) is complete, the task of getting in objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) practice arises. We use peer learning in our classes, and you can use it in practice too. In it together Peer learning and assessment is taking people of similar levels and encouraging them…

  • Tremorgenic toxins and chocolate poisoning

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    This past fortnight or so we’ve seen a handful of cases in which dogs which have been struck down with severe whole-body tremors and seizure-like episodes shortly after (or while they are on) a walk. Each dog was from a different part of town, and all were out walking in different areas. Initially we didn’t…

  • Forever defending vet practice as a business

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    Through no fault of my own (promise) I recently found myself in a couple of situations where I had to defend vet practices being run as businesses. The first was in response to an acquaintance who, when discussing vets who offer help to stray pets that need medical help, laughingly suggested that “the extra fiver…

  • Obesity: facing the big dog in the room

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    Obesity is a huge welfare problem that is rapidly increasing. We all know this. That owners with obese animals are guilty of neglect is obvious[1.yes, rarely there can be endocrine or metabolic problems], as is the state of their animals, and they don’t need a vet to bring this up in a consult – all…