‘100 not out’ for referral nursing programme as it welcomes 100th trainee
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A pioneering programme that supports early career Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) as they enter referral practice is now training its 100th nurse.
Tarnia Jordan has joined the Post-Registration Programme (PRP), which is run by veterinary group Linnaeus, after spending a year in primary care. She is now completing her PRP training while working at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull, which is part of Linnaeus.
Tarnia said:
“I had heard amazing things about Willows and was really keen to join its referral team to enhance my nursing techniques. Joining the PRP will help me to transition from primary care to referral medicine by expanding my knowledge and skills. I really want to focus on anaesthesia in particular, so I can learn how to adapt to different situations in theatre.
“Educating myself in a variety of referral nursing tasks, and improving my skill set, will open my career to new possibilities. More importantly, this knowledge will help me to provide patients with gold standard quality care.”
The PRP is the UK’s first preceptorship programme that recruits from a range of educational institutions. By running cohorts in March and September, nurses entering the professional register through college and university have two opportunities to join the PRP each year.
The programme comprises five professional development and clinical skills days, plus nurse-led projects to promote evidence-based clinical practice and quality improvement. It is based at nine Linnaeus referral hospitals across the UK.
Cath Dean, Lead PRP Manager at Linnaeus, commented:
“We are so pleased to welcome Tarnia and the rest of her cohort to the PRP. Having launched during the covid pandemic in 2020, we are now training our 100th nurse and looking at ways to develop the programme further. We introduced more content about career development this year, and are planning a greater focus on wellbeing in our training for 2024.
“Helping nurses to progress their careers in referral medicine is incredibly fulfilling. We have heard so many success stories from our PRP graduates, many of whom are now supporting our latest cohort as preceptors or skills supervisors. I look forward to hearing what the next 100 PRP nurses achieve in their careers.”
The nine Linnaeus referral hospitals that are part of the PRP comprise: Cave Veterinary Specialists, Davies Veterinary Specialists, Eastcott Referrals, North Downs Specialist Referrals, Northwest Veterinary Specialists, Paragon Veterinary Referrals, Southfields Veterinary Specialists, Willows Veterinary Centre & Referral Service, and Wear Referrals.
For more information about the PRP, please visit linnaeusgroup.co.uk/careers/graduates-students-and-apprenticeships/referral-nursing-post-registration-programme.