Align-ju FEATURE

Learning is more fun with other people . Veterinary nurse Jamielee Garland tells us about learning clubs and reveals how to set up one in a practice .

What is a learning club ?

A learning club ( sometimes called a journal club ) is a meeting of veterinary nurses ( VNs ) who want to further their knowledge and improve practice standards and protocols , with input from their colleagues . Veterinary surgeons ( VSs ) and other members of the practice team can be involved , to present or answer questions , or the sessions can be completely VN-led ; it ' s entirely dependent on the preferences of the individual club .

What happens at the meetings ?

There ' s no fixed rule – each session can take a different form , based on the needs of the practice and the VNs involved at the time . Sessions can include things like presentations , discussions on pre-agreed journal articles , information leaflets or podcasts , and Q & A sessions with one of the VNs or VSs . Topics can be based on the specialist interests of the VNs or recent interesting cases seen in the practice .

Who can share their knowledge at the meetings ?

Any member of the practice team can provide input and should be encouraged to get involved . VNs have a variety of interests , skills and experience , all of which can be drawn on in learning clubs .

How often do learning clubs meet ?

This will vary from practice to practice . My team meets for our Medicine Club monthly within working hours . This allows sufficient time for any chosen articles to be read by the team , or a presentation produced , as well as time for the team to undertake other training , continuing professional development ( CPD ) and their own commitments between each session .

At my practice , the entire medical team attends the meeting , so we have to seek support from other departments to ensure the practice continues to run smoothly during the session . Sessions in work hours can be tricky to facilitate , as they need to take into account wider practice support , staff shift patterns and caseloads . However , not everyone wants to meet regularly outside work , so a bimonthly session may better suit this scenario .

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Volume 40 ( 2 ) • April 2025

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