20 Nov 2020
The group has launched its support team to help RVNs develop a career framework that allows for skill set development throughout their careers.
Rachael Buzzel
Job Title
Chief nursing officer Andrea Jeffery has spearheaded the creation of Linnaeus’s central support veterinary nursing team.
A leading veterinary group has introduced a unique central support veterinary nursing team (CSVNT) to help further support and develop its veterinary nurses.
Linnaeus, part of Mars Petcare Health, has launched its CSVNT to help its nursing population – which makes up almost half of its associates – develop a career framework that enables the skill set development of RVNs throughout their careers.
At the heart of the strategy are three key priorities – or pillars – that focus on:
Andrea Jeffery joined Linnaeus last year as chief nursing officer, a unique role within the veterinary sector that ensures the nursing team is represented at executive board level, and has spearheaded the development of the group’s CSVNT.
Mrs Jeffery said: “We want to ensure Linnaeus has a veterinary nursing population that is supported and developed to reach its full potential in its ability to deliver best patient care.
“To help achieve this, we aspire to enable the patient care and nursing team to achieve success through supportive, well-managed training programmes, which our newly established central support team will help to deliver.
“This will ensure the structure of our nursing teams can help each individual meet their personal goals, with clear progression opportunities. As such, the support team has been divided into three key areas, with each team having a clearly defined role in progressing Linnaeus veterinary nurses and patient care assistants.”
As part of the support team, student experience managers Trish Scorer and Lucy Middlecote will be responsible for developing a strong veterinary nursing population within Linnaeus.
This will be through a standardised and supportive training approach for SVNs, patient care assistants, and clinical supervisors and mentors who support them, encouraging a “grow your own” system in which members of the nursing team see Linnaeus as a life-long career that can meet their full potential.
Meanwhile, post-registration programme managers Sam Thompson and Sophie Venables will be responsible for supporting early career nurses to develop their skills in referral nursing and will support the development of “day-one” RVN post-registration training within the group’s multidisciplinary referral practices.
Professional development managers Claire Roberts (primary care) and Vicky Ford-Fennah (referral) will have responsibility for supporting nurses who join the group, along with the co-ordination, development and implementation of professional development for RVNs and patient care assistants who want to progress their skills and knowledge in specific areas of patient care.
For more information about Linnaeus and veterinary nursing team opportunities within the group, visit its website.
