The global pandemic that has over-shadowed 2020 has severely impacted veterinary practices around the world. Not just financially but also from staffing issues and the knock-on effect of mental health. With staff having to self-isolate, childcare logistics, home schooling and care for other family members, extra strain has been placed on veterinary practices. This week saw the start of mass vaccination across the UK — but it will be some time until the full effect of this is felt, and in the meantime we must continue with our social distancing and PPE.
New terminology has become the mainstay of everyday conversation, work bubbles being one of them. Our work bubbles are really important and protecting them is vital for us to be able to continue working and provide veterinary care to our patients. Preserving the integrity of that work bubble is paramount; hence pharmaceutical representatives are discouraged from visiting practices, clients aren't permitted inside, but also work experience and placement students are also being put on hold.
This reduction of placements for students will have a massive knock-on effect. Even if the awarding bodies reduce the amount of time in practice that these students need to qualify, what will this mean when they do qualify and enter the work environment? Not only from the lack of practical experience but also the confidence levels of these individuals.
As a training practice with several student veterinary nurses, five of them attending college, preservation of work bubbles is difficult. They are no longer allowed to car share the 2 1/2 hour round trip, because of social distancing. Different methods of teaching are being adopted, such as online learning, but not everyone learns well in this format. As an employer, stipulating distance learning helps to maintain the work bubble and the potential likelihood of infection, but what affect does this have on our students? Do we have a responsibility to the student and their learning or should it lie in reducing the risk of infection of everyone within the work bubble; or can a compromise be found? Ideally we don't want personnel mixing with their cohorts at college and then mixing with their work colleagues — social distancing and PPE is vital.
Many practices have not taken on new students at the beginning of this academic year, the pressures of COVID-19 already being too high. Even where colleges have delayed the new intake to the beginning of the calendar year, it is unlikely that many student nurses will be starting their training soon. With a profession that is already desperately short of numbers, what impact will this have in a couple of years?
Training of students can be advantageous to both the practice and the staff providing the training. It encourages you to keep up-to-date with new skills, techniques and medical advancements. Teaching also helps you with the soft skills such as communication, teamwork, flexibility, problem-solving and adaptability. A culture of learning within veterinary practice should always be advocated, with free open discussion about new ideas and opinions.
COVID-19 also has the potential to make us more insular. It does create a more confined dynamic to how we work. It is vital though that it doesn't hinder the free passage of knowledge, and stifle education within our profession. More practices need to be taking on at least one student (vet or nurse) as fewer numbers will be taken by current training practices. Delivery of student education needs to adapt to help reduce the potential for spread of the virus, while being able to maintain our work bubbles.