Author Archives: Amber Tennant

Health and Fitness tip of the Week: Forgiveness

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. – Buddha

When somebody or something makes you unhappy, you have two choices: you can dwell on hurtful events and situations, or you can accept what has happened, and focus on moving forward. It’s easy to hold onto resentment, but studies show that forgiveness can lead to healthier relationships, less anxiety and stress, greater psychological wellbeing, and higher self-esteem. By comparison, holding onto a grudge risks bringing anger and bitterness into your relationships with others, or becoming so wrapped up in negativity that you’re unable to see the bright side.

Choosing to let go of resentment is not about forgetting that something painful has occurred, or about condoning bad behaviour; but rather taking responsibility over your feelings and putting yourself before those who have hurt you. Next time you’re feeling angry at someone or something, ask yourself whether it’s really worth sacrificing your health over – or whether you should put it behind you and focus on your own happiness.

RCVS launch six week consultation on CPD policy

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is engaging in a consultation with both veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses regarding its continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning policy, running from 17 June to 29 July.

The RCVS currently expect veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to undertake 105 and 45 hours of CPD respectively over a rolling three-year period. The consultation, however, will ask the profession whether they think a more ‘outcomes-based’ approach to CPD – focused less on the number of hours logged and more on the impact of interactive and reflective learning – should be favoured over the current requirement to log a certain amount of hours.

The consultation will also ask the profession about the potential changes to the online Professional Development Record, and how easy or difficult they think it will be to implement a new system.

More information can be found on the RCVS website.

If you’re a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse and would like to have your say, the consultation document and an online survey for submitting responses can be found here.

Our CPD and short courses are designed for both registered and student veterinary nurses, and can be undertaken to refresh veterinary knowledge and keep up to date with the latest developments in the profession. For more information you can visit our website.

Health and Fitness tip of the Week: Looking after your heart!

Did you know that the heart is the strongest muscle in your body? Every day, your heart creates enough energy to drive a truck for 20 miles. It’s even strong enough to keep beating after it has been detached from the body.

You heart can pump around 1.5 million barrels of blood during your lifetime. 75 trillion cells receive blood from the heart. All your cells receive blood except the corneas. This is why it is important to look after your heart. Daily exercise and healthy eating can help reduce problems with the heart such as heart attacks, heart disease and strokes. Healthy eating also reduces the chances of obesity and diabetes which reduces the chances of coronary heart disease.

A woman’s heartbeat is faster than a man’s heartbeat; on average it is 8 beats per minute faster than a man’s is. Women are more likely to develop heart problems than men are.

Stopping smoking is important when maintaining your health; especially when it comes to the heart because your heart needs oxygen to allow blood to be passed through the body. Smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure and damages your lungs, reducing your body’s ability to transport oxygen.

New degree section on Clinical Coach area on VLE

A new area on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has been developed for clinical coaches supporting degree students. Click the red BSc button along the top of the clinical coach area and then select the relevant section for the student you are supporting.

The RVC area provides you with a link to the RVC learn site.

The Middlesex BSc area provides you with the relevant handbooks.

NPL targets can be found in the information for each placement block.

The Napier BSc area is still in development…watch this space!

RCVS Release New Day One Skills for Veterinary Nurses and Registration Rules

The RCVS VN Council have met and released new day one skills for veterinary nurses. These can be found on their website.

These day one skills should be used alongside the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses, as the RCVS has made reference to these for additional guidance.

The RCVS have also released amended registration rules, which can be found here.

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Bring on the sunshine!

Did You Know sunshine directly onto your skin helps you produce vitamin D, which fights depression, heart disease & osteoporosis? Sunlight has all sorts of health benefits such as; reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, strengthening bones, lowering blood pressure and helping you sleep better.

Although sunshine is great for increasing our mood and has good benefits for our health, it can also be very bad for our skin. Every time you are burned by the sun protein and genetic tissues are damaged; increasing your chances of skin cancer. This is why it is important to cover your skin/put on sun cream.

“Sunshine is the best medicine”

Applications for Advanced Learner Loans now open!

Please note that the ‘Fees and Finance’ section of our website has been updated to reflect the changes from 24+ Learner Loans to Advanced Learner Loans.

If you are aged 19 or older and starting a Level 3 or above course on, or after, 1 August 2016, you may be eligible for one of the government’s new Advanced Learner Loans to help cover the cost of your studies.

It is easy to apply for a loan, as there is no credit check and your household income isn’t taken into account. You also won’t have to pay anything back until you earn over £21,000 a year.

For more information, and to find out if you are eligible, please visit our website.

The College of Animal Welfare Launches New City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Animal Care Online Course

The College of Animal Welfare is delighted to announce the launch of its new City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Animal Care online learning course.

The availability of the level 2 diploma, accredited by City & Guilds, as an online distance learning course will now enable those looking to study animal care alongside any existing commitments the opportunity to do so.

All course materials are supplied via the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), meaning that learners can study from the comfort of their own home without needing to attend College. Consequently the course can be studied from anywhere in the UK and overseas; a development that the College believes will secure wider training opportunities for those with aspirations to work with animals.

Lisa Crowe, Head of Distance Learning at The College of Animal Welfare, said: “We recognise the crucial role that distance learning plays in helping those with busy home or work lives to pursue further training and expand their knowledge and skills” She continued: “We are therefore delighted to see the addition of this fully accredited course added to our portfolio of online learning qualifications”.

The one year programme consists of online tuition and practical work experience, covering the health, welfare and care of a variety of small animal species. Completion of the qualification should give learners the confidence to pursue a career in the animal care industry if they so wish.

For prospective learners looking for advice on help with course fees, the College runs a ‘Pay As You Learn’ scheme; allowing learners to pay monthly if needed.

What’s more, anyone enrolling before 1 September 2016 will be eligible for a £100 discount!

For further information please visit www.caw.ac.uk or call the College on 01480 422060.

Learning Disability Week (20-26 June 2016)

This month sees the return of Learning Disability Week, a welcome opportunity to come together to celebrate the achievements of people with learning disabilities. NHS figures estimate that around 1.5m people in the UK have a learning disability, but what does it mean? A lack of understanding of the range of conditions that exist means that many people face social prejudice every day. Mencap, the leading voice on learning disability, describes the term as “a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money”. As a result many people with a learning disability are treated differently to others and often struggle to make friends. This year’s theme of ‘friendships and relationships’ aims to combat this problem by raising awareness of the crucial role that friendships play in helping people with a learning disability avoid social exclusion and feel valued within society.

Below are some more facts about the issues surrounding learning disability:

Children with a learning disability are often socially excluded and 8 out of 10 children with a learning disability are bullied.
Just 1 in 3 people with a learning disability take part in some form of education or training.
Less than a third of people with a learning disability have some choice of who they live with, and less than half have some choice over where they live.
People with a learning disability are 58 times more likely to die aged under 50 than other people. And four times as many people with a learning disability die of preventable causes as people in the general population.
1 in 2 families with a disabled child live in poverty.
At least half of all adults with a learning disability live in the family home – meaning that many don’t get the same chances as other people to gain independence, learn key skills and make choices about their own lives.

To find out more about Mencap and what you can do to help, you can visit their website.

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: Ready, Set, Breakfast!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As well as supplying us with energy, breakfast is a good way to provide the body with important vitamins such as iron, calcium and vitamin B. Studies show that breakfast can be important in maintaining a healthy body weight, skipping breakfast can lead to you over eating during the day.

Eating breakfast can have long term health benefits such as reducing high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Students who eat breakfast have higher test scores than those who skip the morning meal. Having a well-balanced breakfast may provide better concentration levels when it comes to difficult tasks.

“There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food” – Ron Swanson

“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast” – John Gunther