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How to conduct a nurse-led senior clinic part 1 — preparation and planning
Abstract
The current economic climate means the modern veterinary practice has to work hard to attract new clients, retain satisfied, committed clients and promote its services, as well as using the staff and facilities as cost effectively as possible. Increasing veterinary knowledge and changes in professional attitudes towards preventative care and client bonding mean that veterinary nurses have an ideal opportunity to expand their roles within the practice, becoming more involved in the preventative care and management of patients and owner education. The first of this two-part article will focus on the level of planning required in order to implement a nurse-led senior clinic in a veterinary practice.
Veterinary care is ‘nurse centric’ already but has not always been perceived as such because traditional practice hierarchy sees the veterinary surgeon as the main ‘care provider’ (Hoskins, 2004).
The term nurse centric better describes the healthcare services being delivered by a veterinary practice, such as nurse-led clinics. Certain nurse-led clinics, puppy parties for example, are well established in veterinary practices, but interestingly the senior clinic remains the least developed of all (McLeod, 2008). While the veterinary profession has been successful at implementing paediatric healthcare clinics, there are almost 2.25 times as many senior pets as paediatric ones; it is also worth noting that dogs are considered puppies for between 12 to 18 months of their life but considered senior for anywhere between 4 to 10 years (Fortney, 2012). It is therefore essential that the same services are extended to pets at the other end of the age spectrum and veterinary practices do everything they can to help owners understand the specific needs of their ageing companion.
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