Personal reflections , tips and advice
Vanessa Dawson , RVN
Bromyard Vets , Herefordshire
Vanessa qualified in 2021 and currently works at a small animal practice in Herefordshire . Since qualifying , Vanessa has completed her BVNA Oral Care Nurse Certificate and her Advanced Programme in Veterinary Nursing in Wildlife . Her favourite aspects of veterinary nursing are ward duties , nurse consults and laboratory work .
Before qualifying , veterinary nurses ( VNs ) are required to sit objective structured clinical exams ( OSCEs ) – there ’ s no getting out of it ! For some , they can be extremely nerve-racking while others may find them hard to revise for . However , for many VNs , the stations covered in the OSCEs are tasks we do every day in our jobs , just with someone watching over us .
I was very nervous about my OSCE . On reflection , I think this was because OSCEs are the final exam between being a student and a registered veterinary nurse ( RVN ). It is normal to feel nervous before any type of exam but it is important to manage those nerves so they don ’ t get the better of you . Everyone has a different strategy for controlling nerves but , for me , it was trying to stay calm and make revision fun so it stuck in my mind .
50 Veterinary Nursing Journal