confidence because they spent more time in practice gaining practical experience compared with the HE group , though there are no current data to support this . Further study is warranted to compare the curricula provided by the two routes , and to implement changes to the HE route that support an increase in confidence in HE-trained RVNs .
Results from the ‘ pre-1998 ’ group were excluded from analysis as , although they had higher confidence than those who trained through HE , the group was too small for statistical analysis . It is likely that the pre-1998 group had higher confidence due to their increased experience in the intervening 21 years between their qualification and this data collection , rather than any difference in the quality of education they received before 1998 .
The confidence in rabbit anaesthesia may also have been influenced by the respondents ' additional qualifications , as confidence in rabbit anaesthesia increased if they had undertaken CPD or other certificates . Almost a quarter of respondents commented about a lack of availability of rabbit-specific CPD , so more CPD is needed and RVNs should be encouraged to complete it to improve their knowledge . The difference in confidence between the ‘ CPD ’ and ‘ additional qualifications ’ groups was not significant , showing that inexpensive , informal and relevant CPD can be just as effective in increasing knowledge and confidence as certificates , so in-house CPD should be encouraged by practices .
Changes to be introduced
A number of changes are recommended to improve RVNs ' confidence in rabbit anaesthesia , based on the results of the current study , and these have been summarised in Table 3 .
Study limitations
Time constraints led to difficulty in obtaining further responses , and a larger sample size would have provided increased statistical power with more precise and reliable results [ 44 ] . The 2019 Institute of Employment Studies Survey showed that 64.6 % of RVNs were educated through VT , 17.4 % through HE and 15.8 % before 1998 . The proportion from HE was much higher in the current study , at 47.2 %, and only 2.1 % of respondents came from the pre-1998 group , so the results may not be representative of the RVN population .
Volunteer bias also may have occurred , as it may be the case that only those with an interest in rabbit anaesthesia replied to the survey . This may have skewed the results as these respondents felt more confident with rabbit anaesthesia , so the sample may not adequately represent the target population [ 45 ] . Despite this , the study provides useful descriptive information highlighting a general lack of confidence in rabbit anaesthesia in UK RVNs , and the causes of this low confidence .
Table 3 . Changes to be implemented by educators , practices and RVNs to improve RVNs ' confidence in rabbit anaesthesia .
Changes
Personal changes
Further details
• Obtain more experience with rabbits where possible
• Have a positive outlook and opinion about rabbits and do not give others negative opinions
• Study rabbit-specific CPD
Practice-based changes
• Provide the appropriate rabbit-specific equipment needed : small-gauge catheters , V-gels , anaesthetic circuits and warming devices
• Encourage all staff to have a positive mindset towards rabbits
• Have protocols in place for rabbit anaesthesia and emergencies
Education changes
• More in-depth anaesthesia training covering airway management , emergency techniques and patient monitoring
• Create more rabbit-specific CPD
Governing body changes
• Inclusion of rabbit-specific tasks on the NPL
• Encourage veterinary professionals to view rabbits as animals seen typically in practice , rather than ‘ exotic ’, to reduce stigma
42 Veterinary Nursing Journal