Author Archives: Amber Tennant

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Maintaining a healthy weight

Did you know that our bodies can lose muscle and gain fat without effecting our weight?

One in four adults are obese in the UK. Obesity can cause a lot of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers and strokes. Anorexia is a mental health condition that effects the amount you eat. The mental illness causes you to think you are overweight when you aren’t. It is important to seek help from your doctor if you think you or another person has an eating disorder; the quicker you get the support the less chance you have of developing more health issues.

Maintaining a good body weight is important when looking after your health. Eating the correct amount of food and exercising weekly is the best way to control your weight. Keeping a food diary or setting yourself challenges each month is a fun way to record what you do and what you eat.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anorexia-nervosa/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Stay positive this results day

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction” Oprah

So its results day, you’ve opened your envelope and are disappointed in what you see – what do you do now? It’s easy to feel upset, because it’s always disappointing when you don’t do as well as you expected, but it’s not the end of the world. Results day is stressful enough as it is without you being unnecessarily harsh on yourself, and many of us end up moving in directions that we hadn’t originally planned for – it is these unexpected changes that make the future exciting.

You are now about to embark on a new chapter of your life that will present unique opportunities and challenges. Throwing yourself into new plans with a positive attitude will ensure that you make the most out of every new opportunity that comes your way, but if your original plan is no longer feasible – how do you go about forming a plan B?

Firstly it’s important to recognise that there are often many different routes into a specific career, therefore just because you can’t get there in one way, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get back on track through other means. For example if you’re looking to train as a veterinary nurse, but didn’t get the results needed to undertake a veterinary nursing degree programme, there is always the option to apply to start on our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing programme in January or April, which is an excellent course that can be undertaken as part of an advanced apprenticeship. Completion of the course, just like the degree programmes, allows students to apply for professional registration as a veterinary nurse.

Remember that your potential is by no means limited to letters printed on a page, and no matter how good or bad your results may be, there will always be a new opportunity waiting for you around the corner. Your choice now is this: are you going to accept defeat, or make the most out of an unexpected circumstance?

Our Customer Advice Team (CAT) is on hand to help those looking to pursue careers in veterinary nursing, veterinary care and animal care navigate their opportunities and make the right decision for their future. If you’re still unsure about what to do next, give us a call on 01480 422060.

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Addictions

Did you know people who have addictions are more likely to develop medical conditions such as cancers, strokes, lung disease and mental health problems. The two main substance addictions are drugs and alcohol. Other addictions include gambling, food, video games and work.

Seeking help when you develop an addiction is very important because it can cause a lot of physical and mental health issues for you and the people around you. Ignoring the addiction only makes it harder to deal with. Contacting your doctor or local rehab centre is the best way to deal with it and get the support you need.

“ Addiction doesn’t kill the addict. It kills the family, kids and people who tried to help “
-Abhishek Tiwari
“ Addiction is a family disease. One person may use but the whole family suffers”
-Shelly Lewis

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/addiction-health
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/addiction/Pages/addictionhome.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Drugtreatment.aspx

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Mental Health

Did you know almost 80,000 people aged 21 and under have serious depression? Your mental health is one of the most important parts to your health and wellbeing.

Looking after your mental health as well as your physical health helps prevent mental illnesses impacting on your daily life. Eating healthy and regular exercise can help maintain your mental health. Socialising and creating distractions which you enjoy can be a good way to improve your mood if you’re feeling down. There are over 200 named types of mental illnesses. The most common are depression, bipolar, dementia, schizophrenia, anxiety and eating disorders.

If you think you or someone else has a mental illness there are support centres across the UK;NHS, St.Andrews, Young minds. You can contact your doctor if you have concerns for your wellbeing, they will help you seek advice and support if you need it. If you are in college you can speak to a tutor about any concerns you may have about yourself or another student.

“Life is like a mirror; it will smile at you if you smile at it”
“We need to change the culture of this topic and make it okay to speak about mental health and suicide.”

International Youth Day (12 August)

Young people today face many challenges; as an example, economic uncertainty means that finding steady employment, affordable homes and long term financial security can become challenging. The United Nations’ (UN) International Youth Day aims to raise awareness of these issues, and encourage youth civic engagement in order to ensure that we can confront environmental, social and economic threats effectively. Below are some facts about youth issues in the UK:

  • 72% of 18-21 year olds are reported to be earning less than the living wage
  • Home ownership rate has halved for 25 year olds in the last 20 years
  • Around 35,000 young people are in homeless accommodation at any one time across the UK, with hostels always full or oversubscribed
  • Unemployment rates are three times higher for 16-25 year olds when compared with the rest of the UK population
  • By 2018, unemployment and underemployment is predicted to affect a third of all 16-25 year olds
  • Those graduating from English universities owe an average of £44,000, the highest level of university debt in the ‘English-speaking world’

For more information on Youth International Day, please visit the UN website. Alternatively, get involved with empowering youth at ukyouth.org

Clarification regarding lunch breaks for student veterinary nurses

Please note that we have received written confirmation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) stating that lunch breaks do NOT count towards the practical training hours of a student veterinary nurse when applying for professional registration; therefore please do not include lunch breaks when logging your number of hours in practice.

CAW tutor reaches milestone in distance learning support

We are proud to announce that, since joining the College in 2012, Distance Learning Tutor Kirsty Jones has provided learning support to over 100 veterinary care assistant students over the course of their online studies – hard work which, no doubt, ensured that each student reached their full potential and passed their formal qualification in veterinary care with flying colours.

On reaching this milestone, Kirsty said: “Seeing so many of my students’ efforts pay off, allowing them to go onto become successful veterinary care assistants, is a pleasure – and is what makes my job so rewarding”

Lisa Crowe, Head of Distance Learning at the College, added: “Kirsty is an invaluable and hardworking member of the team. On behalf of everyone at the College, I’d like to congratulate her on such a fantastic achievement!”

The College recognises the important role that distance learning plays in providing those with busy schedules the opportunity of further training if they wish to undertake it. As such, we are continuously expanding our range of online courses to make learning more accessible. More information can be found on our website.

CAW tutor reaches milestone in distance learning support

The College of Animal Welfare is proud to announce that, since joining the College in 2012, Distance Learning Tutor Kirsty Jones has provided learning support to over 100 veterinary care assistant students over the course of their online studies – hard work which, no doubt, ensured that each student reached their full potential and passed their formal qualification in veterinary care with flying colours.

On reaching this milestone, Kirsty said: “Seeing so many of my students’ efforts pay off, allowing them to go onto become successful veterinary care assistants, is a pleasure – and is what makes my job so rewarding”

Lisa Crowe, Head of Distance Learning at the College, added: “Kirsty is an invaluable and hardworking member of the team. On behalf of everyone at the College, I’d like to congratulate her on such a fantastic achievement!”

The College recognises the important role that distance learning plays in providing those with busy schedules the opportunity of further training if they wish to undertake it. As such, the College is continuously expanding its range of online courses to make learning more accessible. More information can be found at www.caw.ac.uk or by calling 01480 422060.

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
Marketing Executive
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk

Notes to editors:
The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.

The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.

For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Happy Feet!

Did you know that our feet take the full weight of our body? This is why it is very important to make sure they are supported. If your feet aren’t supported it can cause hip, knee and back problems.

Giving the muscles and joints in the foot a chance to rest on a regular basis is one way to support your feet. Another way to look after your feet is making sure your shoes fit properly and support the main parts of the foot.

Maintaining the foots skin and nails is very important because it can cause problems such as cracked and dry skin, athlete’s foot, verrucae, corns, fungus and ingrown toe nails. Moisturising, filing, washing regularly and clipping your toe nails can help prevent these issues from happening.

“If your feet are happy, you are happy too”

Health and Fitness tip of the Week: Preventing Cancer

Did you know in 2010, around 43% of cancer cases in the UK were caused by lifestyle and environmental factors? Making sure you’re healthy by eating right and exercising enough is one of the ways you can reduce the chances of cancer.

When you are in the sun it is important to make sure you wear the correct sun cream and cover your skin. UV rays from the sun can damage cells, which can cause mutations within the cell, creating a tumour.

Smoking damages the cells in the lungs; effects to the tissue happen almost instantly. Stopping smoking can reduce the chances of lung cancer as cigarettes are full of substances which cause cancer to form.

Reducing your alcohol intake can also minimise your chances of cancer. Alcohol is full of toxins which harm cells and stop them from repairing themselves.

“Your illness does not define you. Your strength and courage does” – Unknown