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VN candidate advocates 'educational culture'
Susan Howarth
Susan Howarth is programme manager for a range of veterinary nursing courses at Harper Adams University.
Susan Howarth believes education should be tailor-made for nurses
 
Veterinary nurse Susan Howarth hopes to promote an 'educational culture' in which education is built around the busy practising nurse, if she is elected to the VN Council this year.

She is one of two new candidates standing for election to the council. Existing members Andrea Jeffery and Marie Rippingale are also standing for re-election.

Mrs Howarth believes the veterinary nursing profession can be best promoted through the advancement of knowledge and skills. However, while nurses want the opportunity to excel and drive the profession forward, they 'do not want to feel forced to leave the coalface in order to do so,' she writes in her candidate manifesto.

'I strongly believe that we must tailor education to the needs of these nurses if we are to continue the positive development and growth of the veterinary nursing profession.'

Before qualifying as a veterinary nurse in 1997, she trained at a busy first-opinion practice in Manchester where she was inspired to further her knowledge and skills, going on to achieve the DipAVN(Surgical) and the DipAVN(Medical).

She became involved in training student nurses at the practice around this time, going on to lecture at the College of Animal Welfare in 2003. She gained a Certificate in Education in 2005 and a top up Bsc(Hons) in Veterinary Nursing in 2010.

Having worked with Harper Adams University since 2009 she is now employed as the programme manager for a range of veterinary nursing courses. For the past few years she has also been a member of the RCVS veterinary nursing education committee, as a representative of higher education providers.

Voting in the VN Council elections will begin on the week beginning 13 March.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."