ABSTRACT: Patients are often fearful, stressed or anxious when visiting the veterinary practice. Staff members go to great lengths to ensure that patients have a positive experience and to limit negative emotions. Waiting areas and kennel environments are becoming increasingly species-specific and practitioners are more aware of, and more empathetic towards, stressed and anxious patients. Isolation of patients is sometimes necessary due to the risk of infectious disease, but are all isolation facilities adequate? Do we transfer our skills and knowledge effectively to minimise stress and anxiety when caring for isolated patients and provide a standard of care comparable with other areas of the practice?

Author

Kelly Druce BSc(Hons) RVN DTLLS

Kelly qualified as a VN in 2001 and later completed the BSc top-up in veterinary nursing, gaining a first-class honours degree. She has a keen interest in feline internal medicine and domestic animal behaviour: In 2005 she gained the Improve International Nurses Certificate in Animal Behaviour and in 2007 the Improve International Nurses Certificate in Advanced Anaesthesia. Kelly worked as a nurse, assessor and internal verifier in practice until 2008 when she left to pursue a career in teaching, and has since gained her Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS).

In 2015 Kelly returned to practice and currently works as a medicine and oncology nurse and clinical educator at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals.

Keywords: Clinical, Stress, Veterinary practice

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 31 (07) • July 2016 pp206-209

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