Hayley Walters delivers webinar for MSAVA

JMICAWE’s veterinary nurse, Hayley Walters, was invited by the Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA) to deliver a webinar to its members and non members last week. The topic was ‘Maintaining welfare standards during hospitalisation’ and was attended by over 170 delegates. 

Hayley talked about how to handle, examine, and house cats and dogs in the most positive ways possible in the clinic, thereby reducing stress for the patient, and considering their veterinary experience from the animal’s perspective. 

Hayley also covered how welfare can be improved in each section of the clinic the animal moves through, understanding dog body language and what you might see before a dog has to bite, and how to recognise and score pain in cats and dogs. 

Hayley said, 

“So much emphasis is placed on the physical health of an animal when being treated in the clinic and whilst that IS important, it shouldn’t be our only focus. We cannot break animals down to their biological values and thought needs to be given to their emotional state. Fear and stress are detrimental to an animal’s health and there are many simple, practical steps we can put in place to mitigate this and ensure their time in the clinic is as positive as possible.”

Hayley received many questions after her webinar and looks forward to working with MSAVA again in the future. 

BVNA Guest Lecture - Hayley Walters

Last week, veterinary nurse Hayley Walters delivered a virtual, special guest speaker presentation for British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) from the comfort of her spare bedroom! Originally intended to be a live event in Telford, the three days of lectures changed to online due to COVID-19.

Hayley was invited to give an inspirational talk about her career and highlight just how many opportunities are available now to registered veterinary nurses (RVNs). Hayley’s vocation has taken her from cows and sheep in the Peak District in England to moon bears and meat dogs in China, to teaching in vet schools in developing countries to receiving an MBE at Buckingham palace.

 

Hayley said, 

“The veterinary nursing profession still has a long way to go to receive the same recognition as human nursing but our profession has not been around for nearly as long. Even after 21 years as a RVN, I am still very proud to be one. It was an honour to be asked to speak at BVNA about the prospects that we have and the difference a well trained RVN can make to an animal’s experience and welfare when in the clinic.”

 

Hayley also revealed the advice she would give her younger self starting out as a young RVN which included being better informed in dog and cat behaviour and recognising pain in patients post-surgery. 

Hayley encouraged all student and registered veterinary nurses to enrol on The University of Edinburgh’s free online MOOC in dog and cat behaviour if they wanted to improve their knowledge in this area.  https://www.coursera.org/learn/cats-and-dogs

 

JMICAWE Release of Vet Nursing Skills Resource!

A free online resource has been launched by the University of Edinburgh to mark Veterinary Nurses Day on Friday the 9th October.

Veterinary Nursing Skills provides vital insights into the principles and practice of nursing dogs and cats in a clinic setting. Content is provided by the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) at the University’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

The new resource, which is aimed at qualified and student veterinary nurses, will provide fresh perspectives on the interactions between nursing care, animal health and patient behaviour. Its content – also a valuable teaching tool for vet nursing lecturers – will highlight how focusing on these vital overlaps can improve patient welfare and clinical outcomes. Vet technicians and veterinary assistants are also expected to benefit from the new material, which includes video tutorials, downloadable fact sheets and interactive quizzes. Topics covered include clinical skills, patient handling and behaviour, wound management and bandaging, animal welfare and inpatient care. Registration is free via the University website. 

Demand for the resource has never been greater. There are some 15,000 registered veterinary nurses in the UK alone and an estimated 400 million cats and 500 million dogs worldwide. The Royal (Dick) School’s Welfare and Anaesthesia Nurse Hayley Walters, who teaches final year vet students, said the role of the veterinary nurse is being increasingly recognised. Ms Walters said the module was an attempt to address the fact that not all para-veterinary professionals have access to the same professional training resources.

This new resource aims to support vet nurses in providing the best clinical care and welfare for their patients no matter where in the world they work.

Knowledge and compassionate veterinary nurses improve patient welfare, so we want to share some of our educational and animal welfare expertise with a global audience, this new resource will help to promote the role of the veterinary nurse as a para-professional who is an essential part of the veterinary team.

Hayley WaltersJMICAWE Welfare and Anaesthesia Nurse