19 Jul 2023
Northwest Veterinary Specialists has become the ninth referral hospital to join the national programme that aims to support early-career RVNs.
Rachael Buzzel
Job Title
Cath Dean, lead PRP manager at Linnaeus.
A Cheshire-based referral hospital has signed up to veterinary group’s national post-registration nurse training programme.
Northwest Veterinary Specialists has joined Linnaeus’ Post-Registration Programme (PRP), which supports early career RVNs as they enter referral practice, and already has PRP nurses supported in eight other Linnaeus referral hospitals nationally.
The PRP is the UK’s first preceptorship programme for multiple referral sites that recruits from education institutions around the UK. It comprises five professional development and clinical skills days, plus nurse-led projects to promote evidence-based clinical practice and quality improvement.
The programme runs two cohorts in March and September each year. This allows for those entering the professional register through both college and university routes to access the programme at two points in the year.
Kathryn Latimer-Jones, head of nursing services at Northwest, said: “The PRP offers our nurses a unique range of career progression and learning opportunities, and I believe our participation in the programme will have a positive effect right across the hospital.
“To deliver the best clinical care, it’s vital our nursing team is highly trained and fully supported, so they can follow best practice, innovate and think critically.
“We already have three nurses signed up to the programme, and I’m sure there will be many more to follow.”
Cath Dean, lead PRP manager at Linnaeus, added: “We have seen a real increase in interest and demand for the PRP since it launched three years ago. Referral nursing can be a big career jump for many, so the programme is designed to boost nurses’ confidence and ambitions, as well as their clinical skill set.
“We recruit nurses from all educational backgrounds and experience levels – the most important requirement is a desire to learn.”
Four PRP graduates have now trained to become preceptors to future cohorts, while two have become skills supervisors. Meanwhile, Jessica Hill, nurse team leader at Paragon Veterinary Referrals, recently published a research paper about surgical safety checklists in Vet Record and has been appointed to an interim lead nurse position.
