Dear Reader

We are starting to look forward to Spring and a bit more sunshine. This is also the time that we should be planning what the practice will do for VN Awareness Month. What’s amazing about this campaign to highlight the VNs role is that it started as an awareness day and has grown to a full month. This is the time for us to let the public and industry know what we can do and celebrate the impact we have on clinical practice. Make sure you are singing it from the tree tops (or at least in your waiting rooms).

We are launching Research Bites again and what is exciting about this year is that we have two new categories for you. Remember this is open to all nurses and student nurses so get your thinking caps on and start creating your abstract. We are happy to help you through the process, so please contact Charlotte if you have any questions.

We have plenty of peer reviewed articles for you; Katy Orton is giving us hints and tips to give to owners of blind dogs. They can live a very full life without their sight and as vet nurses we can help the owners and their dogs adapt to their new life. Hanna Buckoke lets us know why we need to be aware of Toxocara Canis and how we can educate owners about this parasite. Carol Gray shows how we can improve the process of gaining consent and reminding us that it is essential that the owner is giving informed consent. There’s a lot of clinical coaches out there and Larissa May has some top tips for this demanding role. Amber Rose Foote discusses common ophthalmic conditions of the rabbit giving us hints and tips on how to correctly clean the eyes and special nursing considerations.

Enjoy this issue, remember to contact me if you have any ideas for what you want to see in the VNJ or if you think you would like to contribute. This is your journal and we can’t publish it without you. Look out for new sections that will be coming in future issues for students and the general practitioner nurse.

Author

Nikki Ruedisueli RVN

Head of Learning and Development (Editor in Chief)

nicola@bvna.co.uk

DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2020.1741271

• VOL 35 • April 2020 • Veterinary Nursing Journal