Author Archives: Amber Tennant

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Stress

Did you know the work place is a key factor in causing stress? Stress can be caused by many different things; trauma, exams, work and daily struggles. Stress can have lot of symptoms and these can be shown through physical, psychological and behavioural. Over-eating, unable to concentrate, lack of interest, tiredness and behaviours such as nail biting are all symptoms of stress. Seeking help when having symptoms of stress is very important because it can affect your daily life massively.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/low-mood-stress-anxiety.aspx

Nomination period for RCVS and VN Council elections 2017 now open

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is now accepting nominations from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who would like to stand as candidates in the RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses Council elections next year.

In order to stand, candidates for either council will need to submit a nomination form, short biography, personal statement, and high resolution digital photo by Tuesday 31 January 2017. Each candidate will also require two nominations; these should be veterinary surgeons who are on the College’s register but or not current RCVS council members for RCVS Council Candidates, and registered veterinary nurses who are not currently on the VN council for VN council Candidates.

Further information and guidance for prospective candidates for either councils can be found on the RCVS website.

Application for entry to the register of VNs – Employed Students

When applying to the RCVS to register as a VN, you must include evidence of meeting the RCVS Registration Rules i.e. a minimum of 94 weeks and 2990 training hours.

You will need to send to the RCVS a completed Record of Veterinary Nurse Training.

You will need to complete pages 1 – 3, the college will have sent you evidence related to page 4 that you must send to the RCVS alongside this form.

WVS launches bursary for VNs volunteering around the world

A bursary launched by The Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) for veterinary nurses who would like to volunteer for charitable projects, will cover the travel and accommodation costs of sending up to 12 nurses per year on animal welfare projects around the world.

The bursary is available to qualified VNs working in a UK or European veterinary practice, with at least three years’ experience. More information, and details about how to apply, is available at www.wvs.org.uk/bursary

UFAW opens applications for animal welfare scholarships

The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) has opened applications for its Animal Welfare Student Scholarships 2017. The aim of the scheme is to help students pursue their interests in animal welfare through research and other projects.

Successful candidates will be awarded up to £2,000 to cover subsistence, and up to £400 towards project expenses. The funded projects must be relevant to improving the welfare of farm, companion, laboratory, zoo or free-living wild animals whose welfare is compromised by human factors.

Application forms must be submitted by 28 February. Further information, and details about how to apply, can be found at www.ufaw.org.uk/awss

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Lung Cancer Awareness

Did you know almost 45,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in the UK? There are little or no symptoms in the early stages of the cancer forming. The signs to look out for are continuous coughing, breathlessness, coughing up blood, pains when breathing, weight loss and tiredness. Your GP suggests that if your cough continues for more than 3 weeks (with no improvement) you must book an appointment. If you have a concern about you or someone you know make sure you book an appointment with your doctor as catching it early is always best.

To reduce your chances of lung cancer stop smoking as smoking causes damage to the cells in your lungs. Watching what you eat; be careful of how much fatty foods you consume.
Exercising regularly can also help reduce the chances of developing lung cancer. Its suggested that adults do at least 2 and a half hours of exercise a week to keep fit and healthy.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-lung/Pages/Introduction.aspx 

Remember, Remember – pet safety this November!

Bonfire Night is fast approaching, but random explosions and flashing lights make the night stressful for some. It is estimated that 45 percent of dogs in the UK show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. Remember to look out for your pet in advance by…

  • Knowing the signs of distress in your pet so you can comfort them if need be; for instance pacing, trembling, cowering, hiding or loss of appetite.
  • Making sure your pets are indoors where possible to prevent them from running away and getting lost or injured.
  • Preparing your house so it is as comfortable as it can be; for instance by creating a suitable hiding place that your pets can go to if they’re scared, closing windows and curtains to reduce the visibility of flashing, and by creating similar sounds such as TV or radio to muffle the sound of fireworks.

For more information and resources on how you can help your pet cope with firework phobia, you can visit the RSPCA website.

Looking for your first step into employment?

Look no further! CAW is offering the chance to take part in a brand new Traineeship Programme. Within 10 weeks you can gain the experience you need to make that first step towards your chosen career.

The programme is run from our Huntingdon centre and will provide you with the opportunity to spend 2 weeks attending college to ensure you are feeling confident when you begin your work placement. You will learn how to search online for a job, tips on boosting you CV and some simple interview techniques to help you along the way.

Following these two weeks you will then have the chance to gain a real insight into your chosen industry sector by spending time over the following 8 weeks on a work placement. CAW offers traineeships in the following areas:

  • Animal Care
  • Customer Service
  • Business Administration

Upon completion of your placement you will be offered feedback from your employer and possible even the chance to apply for a permanent job role with them!

Does this sound good to you? Visit www.caw.ac.uk/traineeships to apply now for a chance to take part and to find out more information. Alternatively call us on 01480 422060 or email admin@caw.ac.uk

National Anti-Bullying Week (14-18 November 2016)

Anyone can experience bullying, and at any time; whether that be at home, school, work or online. Children and young people who are bullied are more at risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and over half of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people have experienced homophobic bullying at school.* This year’s theme for National Anti-Bullying week is ‘Power for Good’, which aims to tackle the issue by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to take individual and collective action against bullying where they find it. This could include…

Starting with yourself Not everybody that bullies is aware that they’re doing it. Making sure you understand what constitutes as bullying; including physical, verbal, social and cyber bullying, can help you identify if you’re behaving in this way towards other people. The best way to avoid bullying yourself is to remember that everyone is deserving of respect, thinking before you speak or do something that may hurt someone, taking responsibility for personal mistakes when they occur, and apologising to those you have hurt.

Standing up to bullying Bullies thrive with support, so make sure you avoid encouraging them. If you ever become a witness to bullying, make it clear that their behaviour is unacceptable, for example by saying so clearly and directly. If speaking up is going to put your personal safety at risk, you could take a stand by simply walking away with the victim.

Offering support and friendship to victims Bullying can make the lives of its victim’s miserable. As well as undermining a person’s sense of security and self-confidence, those that are being bullied often feel isolated, anxious and frightened. The best thing you can do as a person is to offer support and comfort to victims during this time, and let them know that they’re not alone.

Encouraging victims to speak out Victims might feel reluctant to speak up about what they’re going through out of fear of how the bully will respond, however the problem cannot be solved if nobody knows about it. You can help people speak out by encouraging them to confide in someone they trust, and by making them aware of the many people they can talk to that will support them, such as teachers, parents, friends and colleagues. You could also support them by accompanying them when they decide to speak out; and acting as witness to the bullying when necessary.

Finding the right policies Having a greater understanding of your college, school or company policy in relation to bullying can help you take the right course of action if you, or somebody you know, ever becomes a victim of bullying. This will ensure that problems are identified and resolved as quickly as possible.

If you have any concern about your wellbeing, safety or rights, please reach out to someone. The College has a zero tolerance policy towards abuse, harassment and bullying, and there are many people that can help to support you and resolve any issues. In the first instance you can talk to your tutor; a member of the Customer Advice Team (CAT) or a designated safeguarding officer. More information on bullying can be found at www.bullying.co.uk

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Does shivering count as exercise?

Now that the colder and darker months are here we must make sure we stay safe when exercising. Whether it’s in the morning or at night make sure you have reflective wear on if you are on or near roads; if you’re cycling don’t forget your protective gear too. Exercise can increase your mood which will help during the winter blue months.

Make sure you wrap up warm. Although you may feel warm while exercising wearing the right clothing can help avoid getting colds and flu.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Winterexercise.aspx