Nursing – a self inflicted wound
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.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
