Last week I drove my son to Bath to start his first year at university. It was an emotional journey and reminded me of the many hours we spent in the car on the way to school talking, and listening to music. I felt excited for him starting on the post-school educational journey — learning about a subject you are interested in is a whole new experience, and being able to explore your own interests is freeing. Many of you will have had a similar experience recently, and some of you may have started on that exciting journey for yourselves on the route to becoming a veterinary nurse, or achieving an advanced nursing qualification. I envy you — learning makes us feel alive.
The British mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell said: ‘Education is not to be viewed as something like filling a vessel with water but, rather, assisting a flower to grow in its own way’. While your lecturers will provide you with the information you need, your own interest and curiosity will help you to become an even better student, and an even better nurse. The dear late Louise O'Dwyer, an inspiring veterinary nurse educator herself, said in her September 2018 editorial: ‘For me continued learning is vitally important. The more I learn, the better I become as a nurse, and this reflects on my ability to care for my patients.’ I think many of you would agree!
Over the last year and a half we have all learned a great deal. Apart from becoming an expert in coronaviruses and lateral flow tests, I have learned about online learning and the joys of online events. For me it has worked, but for many I know that face-to-face contact with people is essential. Earlier this month I went to my first in-person congress for a while (BEVA 2021), and this issue of the journal will go to BVNA congress. Some of you will have picked up your copy there — we are delighted to see you and we would love your input into what you would like to learn about in future issues of the journal.
All veterinary nurses have to do CPD (35 hours over 3 years), and congresses are a wonderful way to achieve this, but sadly not everyone can go. The Veterinary Nurse provides CPD questions to go with some of its articles, this enables you to read the article and then test what you have learned. The process of answering questions helps you to retain information — remember to also reflect on how the article will infuence the way you work in practice. We will also hold our own event again early next year, the dates and topics of which will be announced over the next few months — watch this space!
The RCVS now has a CPD Buddy initiative — they are seeking to build a network of veterinary professionals who can be on-hand to help assist colleagues who may have queries about CPD by signposting them to helpful content, or perhaps taking the lead on disseminating information provided by the RCVS. If you are passionate about CPD and would like to become a CPD Buddy, email onecpd@rcvs.org.uk.
In this issue of the journal we have an article on: ‘The use of an evidence-based approach for teaching student veterinary nurses during workplace anaesthesia training’, by Susanna Taylor and Liz Armitage-Chan (pp300–305). This article explains how using an evidence-based approach to educating student veterinary nurses (SVNs) can have a positive impact on their learning. It is important to understand SVNs as adult learners, and to help develop self-directed learning within all students. But, above all, it stresses the importance of passing on knowledge from experienced RVNs to SVNs.
As we entered the city of Bath, my son and I sang one of my favourite David Bowie lines: ‘Oh no love, you're not alone’, from the fantastic Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide. Sometimes learning can feel like a lonely process, but there are always people around who will take an interest and provide support. Remember, if you don't understand something, the chances are someone else doesn't either, and there is someone out there who will love to explain it to you.