Dear Reader

Welcome to the June edition of the VNJ, what a busy few weeks it has been! Veterinary Nursing Awareness month was hugely successful once again, with an array of events being held across the country. BVNA Congress bookings are flying in and everyone is looking forward to the summer and the months ahead.

As Chair of the BVNA Learning and Development committee, my role is to oversee our committee meetings and items of discussion in relation to courses, CPD, guidelines, events and speakers, and publications. It is important that we thoroughly discuss all agenda items and make sure that all learning and development plans are supported and monitored, thus allowing us to provide high quality choices and improved pathways for our members. Education, development and expansion are key steps to progressing our profession.

In this edition of the VNJ, we have published an informative, relatable and passionate article by Lynne Kerrigan, detailing her career change from practice to the classroom. Lynne’s passion for her career shines through along with her dedication. After such a successful Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month that raised awareness of where your RVN qualification can take you, Lynne’s article is a prime example of a popular route nurses decide to take. Along the education and change theme, in a feature article this month Emily Hall examines an alternative to the OSCE, the time-constrained Scenario-based Practical Examinations (TSPEs). As a nurse in industry myself, I think it is extremely beneficial to share our stories and discuss how we got to where we are now.

Courtney Scales and Niamh Clancy have also written an interesting and informative article on brachycephalic anaesthesia – focussing on the pre-anaesthetic period. This is a hot top within the industry at the moment and the article is definitely worth a read, with plenty of useful tips to take away.

I would also like to take this chance to encourage you all to cast a vote in the BVNA Council Elections. We are very pleased to have such outstanding candidates, and look for your support in making the election a success. Please look in your inbox for details on how to cast your vote.

Author

Gemma Reeve RVN ISFM Cert FN

Chair of the BVNA Learning and Development Committee

DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2019.1608005

VOL 34 • June 2019 • Veterinary Nursing Journal