In-person sessions launched for nursing referral training programme

The event took place in Solihull on 19 April, gathering 18 attendees from Linnaeus’s nationwide referral hospitals.

The PRP is a unique year-long programme designed to support newly qualified veterinary nurses as they enter referral practice. Its launch coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and the programme has been delivered remotely despite the intention to provide in-person training.

Part of the day was dedicated to a teaching and mentoring workshop, with the nurses given time to plan lessons as a group and then teach them to others. The day also covered topics ranging from CV writing to a clinical audit Q&A session.

Sam Thompson, one of the Post Registration Programme Managers at Linnaeus, said:

“Like the rest of the company we continued all our training programmes via Teams throughout the pandemic, but it makes a huge difference to our attendees when they can meet colleagues from other parts of the business. We want them to create friendships and support networks with each other.

“When it comes to teaching and mentoring, reactions through body language can play an important role in how your deliver information – so practising this in a real-life setting can really help.”

Niranjani Kanthagnany, an RVN at Linnaeus-owned Cave Veterinary Specialists, attended the session in Solihull. She said:

“The PRP training has taken me out of my comfort zone, helping me to develop my soft skills as well as my clinical knowledge. It was great to meet other nurses taking part in the programme and discuss our different experiences of working in a referral hospital.”

As part of the PRP, participants rotate around wards, theatre and diagnostics. They can then choose an optional rotation such as soft tissue, orthopaedics, neurology, internal medicine or dentistry. The nurses are supported by a broad team – including PRP managers, skills supervisors and clinical mentors – and offered ringfenced training and study time.

The PRP is welcoming its next cohort in September with applications open until the end of May, although candidates can express an interest in the course throughout the year.

Sam added:

“We’re already planning our next in-person professional development day in July. We will continue with a hybrid of virtual and real-life training; alongside our monthly clinical workshops, this offers a great balance for our PRP nurses.”

The eight Linnaeus referral hospitals that take part in the PRP are Cave Veterinary Specialists, Davies Veterinary Specialists, Eastcott Referrals, North Downs Specialist Referrals, Paragon Veterinary Referrals, Southfields Veterinary Specialists, Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, and Wear Referrals.

For more information about the Linnaeus PRP click here.