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Nursing – a self inflicted wound
In a recent Sunday Times article “ Our flawed, uncaring NHS is a self inflicted wound” , Minette Marrin discussed the latest revelations that certain UK hospitals are not providing the basic level of care expected and deserved by patients.

The Care Quality Commission reports have been quite damming and thought provoking but distract from the excellent care offered by a large number of caring professionals.

In the article, it stated “uncritical faith in NHS nurses as angels of selfless mercy is finally beginning to fail” and this points to a fundamental flaw in the training of nurses as a root cause.

“Taking all nurses out of hospital training into universities and insisting that all should have degrees has been disastrous for skilled bedside nursing. It has devalued it in the eyes of nurses themselves …”

The recent survey into veterinary nursing, ‘ New Awarding Body Seeks Your Views” showed an overwhelming desire by practices to retain a focus on practical nursing skills. In the change over from an NVQ to QCF qualification the RCVS made a number of significant additional changes, which received a lot of criticism and sparked a call for change.

The RCVS VN department has very firm views and interests in veterinary nurse training and the power to control the veterinary nursing profession resides in its hands. Its role as both regulator and provider of qualifications has recently come under scrutiny and it continues to be a source of frustration.  

With a new veterinary nursing qualification from an alternative awarding body on the horizon it seems the RCVS can either embrace the changes for the good of the profession or construct barriers to oppose the changes.

In the interest of care for our patients lets hope it’s the former.

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Two new roles on BEVA Nurse Committee

News Story 1
 The BEVA has opened two new roles on its Nurse Committee.

There is one role available for a full member (for three years) and one role for a student member (until they qualify).

Members must attend all meetings, occurring four times a year. They will assist the committee in understanding the field, identifying issues and engaging with external parties.

More details can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA publishes Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice

The BSAVA has added a small animal nutrition advice booklet to its series of BSAVA guides.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice offers a resource for veterinary professionals to provide appropriate nutrition for animals. As well as maintaining the wellbeing of healthy pets, the guide explores how nutritional requirements change in times of illness and disease.

The guide is divided into five sections, which explore the importance of nutritional assessment; diet types; feeding at different life stages; feeding for specific situations; and feeding for specific diseases. Online resources are also in the BSAVA Library including client handouts and videos.

It is designed to be suitable for referencing, in-depth case planning and team training sessions.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice can be purchased online from the BSAVA store.