Nurse Clinics

RE: Nurse Clinics

KathW — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 07:06:40 GMT

In the last few years I've worked with one trainee male vet nurse and one who's starting on the first steps to veterinary nurse training.

RE: Nurse Clinics

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 06:54:57 GMT

It is trivial. But it is, IMO, important.

Unless next time he talks about vets it is ok to just 'ask the boys'?

I've worked with 3 male nurses.

RE: Nurse Clinics

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 06:50:15 GMT

Just injecting a bit of fun... My previous post was very helpful and on topic. I suppose a bit of gentle ribbing was uncalled for... Apologies if I offended you.

RE: Nurse Clinics

vetbl.locum — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:41:10 GMT

Whilst I wish not to engage in gender stereo typing .....................

In 30+ yrs of vet practice I have met 3 male vet nurses and 200+ female vet nurses

Please, shall we not deviate discussion for trivial gender issues..........

.'Well I know two guys who are veterinary nurses, Michael! An 'Andy' and a 'Matt'. Both in Yorkshire. Proudly representing the XY White Rose!!! '.....

I personally, care little of nurse's gender but more of their ability to place iv catheter etc and their empathy to the patients.

Rgds

RE: Nurse Clinics

Alison Clare Hickman — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 21:41:18 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]For vets and nurses 'girl' is a pretty safe bet these days![/quote]

Well I know two guys who are veterinary nurses, Michael! An 'Andy' and a 'Matt'. Both in Yorkshire. Proudly representing the XY White Rose!!!

RE: Nurse Clinics

Alison Clare Hickman — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 21:35:35 GMT

I've done a few blog editions on being a good consulting nurse - not about specific consults but the communication skills you need, what you can and shouldn't say/do and how to be prepared from a basic start to a flourishing end; and including those difficult clients you encounter... might be of some use to your nurses? (I'm a nurse)

I also have some specific examples of a Geriatric Clinic self-designed leaflets, info, client questionnaires and nurse check-list etc... again, pick out what you want from it or trash as desired!

If you're interested, PM me and I will email them across to you. Happy for you to pick them apart and any feedback would be welcomed

RE: Nurse Clinics

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 20:48:05 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]...and possibly the boys too? [/quote]

I looked on his website, all the nurses listed are female. I don't think I've ever met a male vet nurse in real life, there's just 1 guy (Nick) that I can think of on the VN forum.

For vets and nurses 'girl' is a pretty safe bet these days!

RE: Nurse Clinics

Julie Innes — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:01:37 GMT

Our nurses run clinics, and have never had any specific training from me! They all seemed to know what was expected and be keen to do them! My student nurses have a section in their NPL about "carrying out nurse consultations", so I assumed it was something they were already trained in. I suppose if you wanted your nurses to do more specific clinics (ours just do weight/ nails/ diabetic/ 6 mth puppy checks etc) then you might want to do a bit more training.

RE: Nurse Clinics

Iain Richards — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:21:29 GMT

[quote user="Nick Taylor"]We are looking for some recommendations for training or consultants who could come and help us?[/quote]

This is an excellent question. Do nurses get taught consultation skills in the course - I don't think so, it certainly isn't part of the practical element of the course, yet those of us who've used nurses in this way sort of assume they know what to do. (Edit, apparently they do)

Apart from asking what you want and where you are so I can work out a mileage rate, I suspect a good point to start would be what do your clients want? Onswitch may have that data for you. You also need to work out what it is you want the nurses to do or what it is you want to provide for your clients. Are you looking to augment the client's experience by offering an additional service? There's lots to think about here

RE: Nurse Clinics

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 07:22:39 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Have you asked the girls[/quote]

...and possibly the boys too?

RE: Nurse Clinics

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 01:36:23 GMT

Have you asked the girls what training or support they need to run the clinics? They are registered professionals too.

RE: Nurse Clinics

Virginia Campbell — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 23:39:04 GMT

Not what you actually asked but one piece of advice is to try to group a block of nurse consults together. If things are a bit sparse at the start then there's a temptation to just let owners book times whenever they feel like it to encourage the maximum number of consults- but if you are tight for room space that just means the poor clinic nurse will be stuck searching for a spare room as all the others will be full of sedate-to-grooms, cats that didn't like being in the waiting room with dogs, and all the other fates that befall an empty room. The vets get the pick of rooms for consults and the nurse coming for a single No man's Land consult has to hang about talking to the owner in reception waiting to nab a room.

Far better and less frustrating for nurse and owners if the nurse can get ensconced in a room for a block of time, even if it's just two or 3 consults in a row to start off with. Also less chance of the nurse being late for consults if they have a nice block of them rather than "oh you've only got one, they're not due for another 5 minutes, can you just hold this dog for bloods.....and stick an IV in it...and run the bloods....and....."

RE: Nurse Clinics

Robert FalconerTaylor — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:35:48 GMT

First requirement is a nurse on-staff full if ideas, willing and champing at the bit to take on the role and develop it. Or you'll end up doing it all yourself!

RE: Nurse Clinics

Niall Taylor — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:29:07 GMT

[quote user="Nick Taylor"]We are looking for some recommendations for training or consultants who could come and help us?[/quote]

My recommendation would be to do the training entirely in-house. You know what you want to achieve and what you like your nurses to do and what not to do.

External consultants in my opinion are pretty clueless about the real world aims regarding what a practice wants to achieve. They are either far too ambitious about what they expect nurses to do (e.g. full clinical examn, cardiac assessment and so on), far too by the book ("on no account must you even mention the WORD insurance" type-thing) or, if they come from pharmaceutical or food companies, are far too fixated on their own agendas.

And once someone gets the idea, especially if it comes from someone outside the practice, that something must be done in a certain way, or not done at all or whatever, it is a nightmare trying to correct that view.

RE: Nurse Clinics

Anthony Dennison — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:04:35 GMT

When you say training, is it for something specific or just generally how to approach a nurse consult?

What are you wanting your nurses to do? A lot of what can be done in nurse consults will be covered in nurse training received to become an RVN - flea and worm checks, nail clips, puppy and kitten checks etc.

Royal Canin will do some good nutrition CPD - can be aimed mainly at weight clinics or nutrition in general.

Or are you wanting training on how to incorporate them into your diary?