As most people involved are now aware, the VN qualifications are under review: the current NVQ and VRQ qualifications will be phased out by government from summer 2010, to coincide with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework. As it is vital that this important opportunity to review the VN awards takes account of the views of all those involved with training, we have carried out two consultation phases – one over the summer and one leading into autumn.

The RCVS Awarding Body (AB) has delegated the development of the new award to a Working Party (WP), which met in early December to discuss the responses to the second consultation, which focused on proposals for the new qualification. Over 400 responses were received, including submissions from all the key representative organisations – our best estimate is that the views of over 2,000 individuals were heard – and all responses were reviewed by the WP.

In broad terms, the proposal was well received. However, although the aims of the AB in developing the new qualification remain – that is, to increase the number of people who can access VN training and reduce the burden on training practices – feedback from the consultation has helped to reshape the proposals to produce a model which, it is hoped, will better meet the needs of both employers and the VN profession.

Key changes to the proposals outlined in October include increasing the practical experience in the first year to a minimum of 20 weeks, to be spent in any training practice – the original proposal was for five weeks. Although most units remain generic, i.e. taught/applied across species to give nurses a sound knowledge base from which to specialise, the new proposal includes 45 credits of either small animal or equine-specific nursing units in year 2 – in the previous proposal there was no distinct small animal or equine ‘track'.

A large animal option could be added at a later date if there is a demand. We are also increasing the overall credits to 180 (from 70), in order to recognise the importance of practical learning.

An electronic logging system remains a key part of the assessment process, to record practice-based tuition, experience and competence. A system is currently being developed in partnership with Skillwise. This will be used by all FE students and we also hope that it will be adopted by the majority of universities. The ‘Nursing Progress Log' (NPL) will be based on a series of day-one practical nursing skills, which are being identified by the Working Party, based on the National Occupational Standards and the hands- on skills needed by nurses in practice (such as clinical cleaning, monitoring patients, bandaging etc).

Although Assessors will no longer exist per se, students will require an accountable mentor in practice – an experienced RVN or MRCVS – who will be responsible for ensuring requisite clinical tuition, suitable experience and for verifying competence. The NPL will be accessed and monitored by the responsible centre and by the RCVS for quality assurance purposes.

Centres will still have affiliated Training Practices, but will not be required to visit them as frequently – unless there is a specific need (for example, students not making expected progress, change of key practice staff, change of premises etc).

TPs will have one ‘key’ centre for approval and ongoing quality monitoring purposes, but may also link with other centres if they wish to send students to different courses. They will have formal agreements (in relation to practical tuition and experience) with each such centre in addition to the one they have with their key centre.

The next phase is for the Working Party to start the process of developing units for the new qualification, bearing in mind that the National Occupations Standards (which are set by the Skills Sector Council, Lantra) are also currently under review.

Author

Jacqui Molyneux,

BSc BVSc CertSAS MRCVS, Chairman of the Working Party

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 25 • No1 • January 2010 •