New WSAVA webinars to teach non-clinical skills
Webinars can be booked free of charge for WSAVA members.
A new series of World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) webinars will aim to develop non-clinical skills, such as communication, management and leadership, within veterinary roles.
They will also explore the opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) may offer to support veterinary teams with improving their quality of care.
The series, which is sponsored by the Purina Institute, is designed to support veterinary professionals’ clinical skills to optimise their veterinary practice and ensure better outcomes for patients.
One such non-clinical skill that is set to be explored is navigating conversations with clients.
The webinars will provide veterinary surgeons and nurses with the knowledge they need to approach discussions such as pet nutrition, animal bereavement and diseases. It is hoped that the additional support will give veterinary professionals more confidence, and improve patient welfare.
Other topical discussions that are already scheduled include how to communicate about pet obesity, how to approach pet bereavement, and the place of AI in companion animal practice.
The first talk, ‘Tips on Client-Friendly Communication for Improving Pet Obesity Prevention and Management’, will be hosted by Dr Jason Coe on 9 November.
Each webinar will be hosted by an industry expert, and can be booked free of charge for WSAVA members on their website.
Dr Ellen van Nierop, WSAVA president, said: “As veterinary team members, we know the importance of developing our clinical skills but, in today’s challenging environment, it is not always enough to be a fantastic clinician.
“In order to provide even better care to our patients, we must successfully navigate difficult conversations with clients, for instance those around pet obesity, early-disease detection and pet bereavement. We need to be able to educate clients and encourage them to maintain the health of their pet, perhaps through a weight loss program or other form of intervention.”
She added: “The inspiring speakers in this webinar series will equip veterinary team members with the non-clinical skills they need to optimise their interactions with clients to ensure the best outcomes for their patients.”
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Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
