When the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' voluntary practice accreditation system, the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), was relaunched in 2015, it came back with a new approach which focuses on those aspects that impact on the care of animals and provides a clear pathway to improvement for all types of practices.
This culture shift would not have been possible without an increased emphasis on the role of veterinary nurses and the input of veterinary nurses into the development of the new standards. We know that veterinary nurses play an increasingly important role in veterinary practice. Consequently, when revising the Scheme the Practice Standards Group (PSG), which is responsible for coordinating the PSS and its ongoing development, and in response to consultations on the future direction of the Scheme, wanted to ensure the veterinary nurses' critical role was adequately reflected in the standards.
It helped that the PSG already had veterinary nurses playing an active role. When the PSS was relaunched the PSG had Liz Cox, Chair of VN Council, and the past BVNA president, Kirstie Shield, providing their input and experience as well as the Veterinary Practice Management Association's (VPMA) Renay Rickard, a veterinary nurse herself.
The development of the new Scheme by PSG was based on feedback from members, extensive consultation with the professions and stakeholders, and focus groups.
The feedback demonstrated that practices clearly wanted a PSS that more accurately reflected the contributions they made to the positive outcomes for patients, and the relationship they had with their clients. This made it absolutely necessary to include veterinary nurses.
‘We know that veterinary nurses play an increasingly important role in veterinary practice…and wanted to ensure the veterinary nurse's critical role was adequately reflected in the standards.’
The PSG have therefore introduced a new module dedicated to veterinary nursing, which recognised the critical role that veterinary nurses play in the practice team and rewards investment in the training and development of nurses. This module contributes to three of the six new Small Animal Awards, together with the Equine In-patient Service Award.
Under the new Scheme, in addition to the existing accreditations, practices will be able to apply for optional awards in specific areas. It is these awards that go beyond facilities and equipment and address how practices use their resources to create a positive outcome for patients and clients. The awards allow practices at all accreditation levels to demonstrate those areas in which they excel. Within the awards, practices are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ in each award applied for, thus providing differentiation and marketing benefits.
Another change is in the development of an online administration and support system, Stanley, for PSS. This will simplify the accreditation process and offer step-by-step guidance, document storage facilities, a reminder service for appointments and expiry dates, self-assessment tools to mark progress and an easier way to communicate with the assessors and the College's Practice Standards Team. As it is often veterinary nurses who actually manage the application process, including organising all the materials and liaising with PSS assessors, it has the additional benefit of lightening the work load of many veterinary nurses, and giving them more direct contact with support and advice.
With veterinary nurses' time often being stretched this will make a key difference. One Nursing Manager, Kelly who works at a practice in Garstang, Lancashire, says: ‘For my practice it seems like when we've had inspections in the past, we've had rows of files out and going through them and checking them was one of the things that I was worried about. With the new IT system we won't have to do that because it will have all been checked before the assessors visit us’.
She also mentioned the impact that applying for PSS awards has had on the practice, and on everyone's morale: ‘The whole team seems to have wanted to get involved this time, which is good. I think because we really informed them of everything that is going on, and provided them with information about the awards, they're all really liking the idea that we can gain an award. They want an Outstanding Award…I think the veterinary nurses are really looking forward to it; we've got the accreditation anyway, but if we can get the awards as well it would be really good.
‘Overall, the assessment process is more of an exciting challenge than a scary ‘they're coming to find something wrong’ situation’.
Renay Rickard, VPMA President and current member of the PSG, has spent quite a lot of time working with PSS, and can confidently say: ‘With the new format there are areas for which veterinary nurses can now take responsibility. For example, they can lead the way in striving to obtain the additional ‘awards’ that focus on behaviours within the practice team and that go above and beyond the accreditation standards. With the previous scheme, it was often felt that it was a ‘box-ticking’ paper exercise that many practices used as an auditing tool to ensure that they were compliant with regulations and requirements, rather than engaging the whole practice team into achieving something to be proud of and that they would shout about to their current and prospective clients.
‘The new PSS is a tool to be used when marketing and promoting the services of veterinary nurses.’
‘The role that veterinary nurses have within the practice team, and where they are utilised fully to account for their knowledge and skills, will now be recognised within the new standards and this can be communicated clearly to clients.
‘I am a firm believer that nurses should be fee earning and be part of the profit-making team, not seen as a cost to the practice, and the new PSS is certainly a tool to be used when marketing and promoting the services of veterinary nurses.’
Now, along with Renay, the PSG also includes Erika Feilberg, representing BVNA, and Amber Richards, who is on VN Council. With such a strong veterinary nurse contingent, veterinary nurses will continue to have a voice in the development of the Scheme, and within practices themselves.
In the 10 years since the Scheme was launched, almost 60% of eligible practice premises are registered with the Scheme, and we are seeing that percentage continue to grow, with the help of dedicated veterinary nurses.
For more information about applying for RCVS accreditation or a PSS award, please visit our website: www.rcvs.org.uk/practice-standards-scheme/.