Lynne Kerrigan

Myerscough College BSc(Hons) and FdSc Veterinary Nursing Course Tutor and Lecturer, Lancashire, UK

Creating a just and learning culture through staff support

The medical paradigm demands that healthcare practitioners practise to perfection, and if a person falls short of this high standard, that person is to blame (Reason, 2000). Professional...

How to conduct an effective patient handover

Start by finding out any existing policies or protocols for transfer of care within your organisation. At this point, you may be unsure exactly what part of the handover process you want to improve,...

Strategies for managing conflict within a team

Conflict amongst healthcare professionals has been recognised as a significant issue both in the UK within the NHS and globally (McKibben, 2017; ACT Academy 2018; Labrague et al, 2018). Patton (2014)...

Motivating and engaging others: driving practice change

Change is concerned with altering the way we do things or the way we behave. Girotti (2011) suggested that some change is only a matter of perception, while other change can have a dramatic and...

An introduction to effective leadership of teams

Tuckman (1965) proposed a model of team development that is still considered influential today. He suggested that teams move through four stages, namely: forming, storming, norming and performing...

An introduction to veterinary nursing leadership part one: getting to know yourself

Helen had been working at a veterinary practice for 12 years. Three years ago, the practice was sold to a corporate organisation and Helen was offered the position of Head Veterinary Nurse. As she was...

The case for resilience in veterinary nursing care

Resilience is not a new concept. History is filled with the biographies and poetry of men and women whose greatness was achieved primarily through the resilience with which they met and overcame...

Coaching and mentoring: beyond the role of the clinical coach in veterinary practice

Mentoring usually involves a more experienced practitioner (mentor) who serves as a role model in support of a more junior member of staff (mentee) in an area or technique. Mentoring within health...

Surgical skin preparation — are we just going around in circles?

Transient or contaminating flora do not normally colonise skin (Gregory, 2005). They are acquired by contact with people/animals or the environment and include organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus,...

How to Prepare for an Infection Control Audit

Clinical audit is not a ‘witch hunt’, it is not about apportioning blame, and it is not a negative activity. It does not involve large amounts of statistical analysis or technical expertise. It should...

How to maintain joint health in the ageing canine

Obesity can be defined as the accumulation of body fat in excess of what is necessary to maintain optimum condition and health. While this condition may appear obvious in a grossly obese individual,...

Modelling compassionate veterinary nursing care – eight steps towards a more compassionate approach to patients, their owners and oneself

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that compassion is not some ‘woolly add-on’ we can afford to dispense with in our hectic, resource limited times: it is the creator and hallmark of...