Align-ju STUDENT
50 % increase in calls to its helpline in the first 3 months of 2023 compared with the same period in 2022 [ 2 ] , and revealed that veterinary surgeons ( VSs ) in the UK are three to four times more likely to die by suicide compared with the general population [ 3 ] .
If you ' re struggling with your mental health , there are various options available for support , some of which are veterinary specific . Vetlife ( www . vetlife . org . uk ) offers a health support service that helps veterinary professionals who are struggling with issues such as anxiety , depression , trauma and eating disorders . Its team consists of professional therapists , mental health nurses and psychiatrists . The service is free and is available online and via telephone . Vetlife also runs a confidential support helpline on 0303 040 2551 that is open to all those employed in the profession , 24 hours a day , 365 days a year .
The RCVS funds an initiative called Mind Matters ( vetmindmatters . org ), which aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of VSs , VNs and practice managers . Mind Matters has some helpful projects , campaigns and resources but , in urgent cases , Mind Matters recommends contacting Vetlife .
Self-development is key
Practical skills are essential throughout a veterinary career , but it is important to understand why you are doing something , rather than simply doing it because that ' s how it has always been done . In an ever-changing profession , CPD is a vital part of evolving our skills and knowledge to ensure they remain up to date .
When I started my career , I didn ' t realise that VNs could focus on particular areas of interest in veterinary nursing . Developing skills in areas of special interest , such as animal behaviour or emergency and critical care , can enrich our careers and be of benefit to our practice and patients . At my practice , we have a list of the VNs ' special interest areas , so the reception and veterinary teams are aware of our individual expertise and they , and our clients , can make the most of our knowledge . In doing so , VNs feel valued and the practice is able to use the skills of all its team members effectively .
I highly recommend that you discover areas of nursing that particularly interest you , and explore CPD in these areas to enhance your knowledge , which can often lead to you providing support and advice to rest of the veterinary team . A couple of the VNs at my practice attended a CPD course on wound management . Following this , we began trialling new techniques and products they ' d learned about and we saw an improvement in our wound-healing cases . This improvement in quality of care and the increase in the team ' s confidence has boosted our morale as well as the patients ' experience .
Don ' t dwell on mistakes
It is a fact of life that anyone , including SVNs and experienced RVNs , can make a mistake . While lessons should be learned from errors , there is no need to dwell on mistakes unnecessarily . It ' s natural to feel deflated , embarrassed and perhaps a bit anxious after making a mistake , but try to focus your energy on learning why the mistake occurred and how to avoid it happening again . Then put this understanding into action , so you are better prepared should a similar scenario arise in the future .
The Veterinary Defence Society runs a programme called VetSafe ( www . vds-vetsafe . co . uk ), which helps practices to learn from their mistakes and improve overall patient care . VetSafe has a no-blame ethos and is aimed at learning , development and education [ 4 ] , which can enhance patient care and safety . If your practice has not already signed up , it may be worth further exploration to see whether you feel it could be beneficial .
Any mistakes that occur in the veterinary practice should be reviewed and , ideally , details of the incident should be logged and formally reviewed . By recording and understanding errors , areas of practice requiring staff development can be identified and / or any weaknesses in current procedures can be addressed in new protocols .
If you find that you are making mistakes in certain areas of your role , discuss this with your clinical coach if you ' re an SVN , or the head nurse if you ' re an RVN . Try to remain positive when reviewing your mistakes : you ' re not a bad nurse for making a mistake , but you can make yourself a better nurse through education and self-development .
Your opportunities are endless
The day you qualify as an RVN you really do feel on top of the world , knowing that all of your hard work and determination has paid off . What you don ' t necessarily expect is the feeling to wane and be replaced with a feeling of uncertainty and insecurity . I felt unsure of my place and imposter syndrome set in , leaving me wondering what I brought to the practice . My advice to any newly qualified RVNs who recognise these feelings is to focus on grounding yourself instead and enjoying your new role without the pressure to study for exams or to finish assignments – you can simply turn up to work and do the job that you have trained for years to do , in a career that is full of opportunities .
Veterinary nursing is an extremely diverse profession , which means you can branch into a variety of different job roles ; sometimes you can progress at your current practice , and at other times you may want or need to move elsewhere to further your career . You may even opt to apply your skills beyond veterinary nursing in the future , in careers ranging from content creation , marketing and insurance to drug representation , teaching and auditing .
Volume 39 ( 1 ) • February 2024
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