James Colver Cert. Ed, RVN's Activities

How would you justify investing in a Multiparameter?

bexxy123 — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 20:25:06 GMT

Hello,

A little of the branch practices I work in is asking for a mtiparameter. I have been tasked with putting forward the justifications for this. I can think of so many for the team and the benefit of the patient etc, however the leaders are looking for financial justifications, of which I have so far come up with - blood pressure is quicker costing less in time, but otherwise I'm not quite sure what to put.

Has aanyone got any ideas please?

How do you prepare and administer omeprazole vials?

Mafy ccr — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 12:57:38 GMT

Hi all

how do you guys preparing and administrating omeprazole 40mg/ml vials? im trying to make a SOP for it and would like to hear your imput on this one

thank you

CPD Objectives (1CPD app)

Alice Weaver — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 10:16:47 GMT

Hello everyone!

I’m looking for some advice about creating CPD objectives in 1CPD. Training students has made me realise I should probably be more structured in my planning and reflect afterwards as it will solidify what I have gleaned from each piece of CPD I do.

Are there any good documents/videos/etc out there that help with creating objectives? So far I just have ‘gaining confidence in supporting students’ and something about cat behaviour (I am studying the ISFM Advanced Cat Behaviour Cert). Should I be thinking of the ‘objectives’ as SMART targets?

Many thanks!

Recycling waste water from the autoclave

KizzieB — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 06:44:19 GMT

Hey guys,

We have a water purification device in practice to turn tap water into distilled water for use in the autoclave.

Has anyone any knowledge on recycling the waste water from the autoclave, through this purification device to use it again through the autoclave?

Would it affect the sterility of the equipment? Would it impact the function of the autoclave?

Thanks in advance.

Naoimh

Do pet owners need or deserve confidentiality in their dealings with a vet?

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 18:09:11 GMT

The Code of Professional Conduct states that:

2.6 Veterinary surgeons must not disclose information about a client or the client’s animals to a third party, unless the client gives permission or animal welfare or the public interest may be compromised.

I'd like to open a debate about whether this part of the Code is fit for purpose in the world we live in today, and whether it is time to remove it.

From where I sit, one has to question whether confidentiality was ever necessary with regard to a domestic pet.

It's not like we're talking nuclear secrets, or even embarrassing secrets like, I dunno, STDs.

For most normal pet owners, there is nothing about anal glands or worming treatments, or spaying that demands confidentiality. Nothing.

I asked my mum, a dog owner for 40 years what she thought. She did not even know there was a pledge of confidentiality from vets, and thought it completely unnecessary. Slightly mad, actually.

Sure, there is a need for confidentiality regarding dealings with commercial clients, such as breeders and farms.

But there is simply no need for confidentiality about Fido's lump removal.

And why does the confidentiality clause need removing (or rather changing to cover only commercial clients).

Well, the issue is that consumers have become far more demanding, far more complaining and far more likely to make a vexatious complaint than ever. Not only that, everyone has got their own soapbox these days, in the form of social media.

That, combined with the consumer-centric regulator, has put all the power, unfairly so, in the hands of pet owners.

They can say or claim whatever they like on social media, whilst the veterinary surgeon or nurse can do little or nothing to defend themselves, for fear of breaching client confidentiality.

I'm not suggesting that the point of relaxing the rule is to allow vets to go out onto social media and start slagging off clients.

This is more about not feeling defenceless than anything else.

But actually there are times when it is perfectly right and proper to respond to clients who post inaccurate or false claims about their vet or practice, and I believe veterinary professionals should be empowered to do so without fear of breaching client confidentiality.

What do you think?

AG CUFFILL

Rowena Weald — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 19:43:36 GMT

Hi all

Anyone know the appropriate pressure when using the Ag Cuffill in dogs and cats?

Many thanks

Rowena

Lap Spay. Pros and Cons please

Calli D — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 21:59:10 GMT

Hello all. Not sure am on the right discussion forum but after some advice about Laparoscopic spays over routine surgical technique. Asking for a previous colleague who has been thinking a long time about booking her lively young bitch for a lap spay. She has found a practice in the area who perform the procedure and is due for a consultation with them to book her girl in. Since making the decision she has been receiving conflicting information and concerns (well more like grief) from colleagues and others close to her about the procedure and now is quite worried. I have only worked in one practice where a lap spay was performed but the vet was new to the procedure and I didn't participate in the surgery itself so can't help with advice - esp since it scared the bejeazers out of me but I am pretty sure that was more down to inexperienced surgical technique.

For those of you who work in practices where they perform both surgical and lap spays can you offer some advice that I can pass on please. Pros and Cons of a lap spay etc. One concern is about the air in the abdomen as has been told this can cause complications, nausea and vomiting on recovery and/or post op, pain due to bloat. If a bitch has cystic ovaries then she would have to have a surgical incision anyway resulting in more surgical wounds that would otherwise be necessary. I guess most nurses remember most the complications seen post op from lap spays performed elsewhere but percentage wise I am assuming this is very small when you think about the number of lap' surgeries performed.

Does anyone have any handouts or references for reading for myself and to pass on.

Thanks all

Mixing pre-medications with saline if using small volumes

sarahradley123 — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:33:48 GMT

Hello,

I just have a question regarding drawing up small volumes of pre-medications or reversal drugs (Atipamizole). Would you mix with saline if the volume was less than 0.02mls? I've heard a few different opinions and wondered what other nurses would do? Would saline cause dilution of the pre-med or would this be acceptable?

Many thanks :)

Inspired CO2

Meow1950 — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 06:04:54 GMT

I have moved practices and the capnograph very often shows inspired CO2. None of my usual tricks to get rid of this work (e.g. increased oxygen flow rate, giving sigh breaths). Soda lime is fresh etc. Why is it there so often!? Is it just the machines are in fact not perfect and will always read a little differently?

They routinely use methadone as a pre-med where as my last practice usually used buprenorphine. Perhaps slight respiratory depression not giving them the puff to move the CO2 along? But then surely this should correct with an increased flow rate etc

TIA

Feeling totally demoralised

FINNIGAN — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 22:06:52 GMT

Been a vet nurse now 16yrs, am now hating the industry I work in, have spent this week trying to justify our profession, constant complaints from clients that we don't care about the animals we are just greedy bastards after their money, the last straw today when I was confronted by a client about charges for her pet, telling me I don't care about the animals just the money I'm taking from them!@ i worked my arse off as a single mum to get where I am today, pure sweat and tears, I loved my job and used to be proud of it, but I can honestly say I no longer feel the same, I'm not in control of the charges IVC are, I DONT SET THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT ITS US NURSES THAT are TAKING THE CALLS from these irate clients, no support from above , clients dint think twice about paying 4000 for a puppy but moan to death about the charge for a vaccine!! I'm tired of it, you see on Facebook posts constantly about vets and charges, saying we are all about the money, it's heart breaking, I don't want to do it anymore, I'm tired of taking the crap !!

Vets 'helping pet owners prolong animal agony'

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 08:39:00 GMT

Interesting article in the Sunday Times this weekend. Think this share link will work, but it may expire after a few people click it:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/7198fbec-18b6-11ec-a4b1-45d6202ceafe?shareToken=eb32d0aa9f11e27eb1c966b930c5097a

It's a bit of a variation on a theme. I've argued for a while that the level of treatment given these days is increasingly out of proportion to the value of the thing being treated (however you measure value). The ST article argues that overtreatment causes unnecessary suffering.

I'm trying to find out more about the somewhat secretive group behind the story: https://www.ethicsfirst.co.uk/

Meantime, what does everyone else think?

Crisis in the veterinary profession

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:47:43 GMT

Wondering what everyone's take is on this news story:

https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/b/veterinary-nursing-news/posts/veterinary-crisis-hits-itv-news

Does it reflect what you are seeing elsewhere in the country?

Is OOH becoming unsustainable?

Anyone got any clever ideas for solutions, or ways the situation could be improved?

Littmann’s nursing stethoscope for sale

hazjemgre27 — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 09:34:11 GMT

Great condition and boxed, has faint writing in the bell where I wrote my name. I’ve upgraded to a cardiology one because I’m now partially deaf and can’t use this one. £20 plus p&p

What do you wish more pet owners knew?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 14:49:29 GMT

Just found out about the latest initiative from Canine Arthritis Management, a training course / qualification for paraprofessionals, designed both to get paraprofessionals and vets singing from the same hymn sheet, and to encourage them as influencers to spread the word amongst other pet owners.

What do you think pet owners are most ill-informed about, where it could be really effective to better educate paraprofessionals, so that they in turn will pass the message on to owners?

ET tubes

raggydoll — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:13:42 GMT

[quote user="James Colver Cert. Ed, RVN"]Hello :) I have seen this with all sorts of disinfectants, particularly if they are left soaking in it for ages or if they are not rinsed properly. To the best of my knowledge there is no widely accepted / standard protocol for cleaning them because they are meant to be single use. Personally I like to disinfect them in the Medistel type of disinfectants but again I have seen problems when soaked for too long / insufficient rinsing afterwards. Others may have differing opinions on this protocol but I like to inflate the cuff, soak and clean in enzymatic cleaner (brush through tubes, pipe cleaners for small ones), disinfect, rinse then dry, deflate cuff before they go back in the drawer (having tubes on the wall on a rack is another story..) Why not come up with a protocol and then use it for a clinical audit..? That way you can make an informed judgement whether what you are doing is OK, change accordingly, and use for PSS inspection (if applicable!) Best wishes[/quote]

Hi there,

We have used many disinfectants over the years for ET tubes and have had similar problems with patient reactions, around 6 years ago we started steeping our ET tubes in Milton sterilising fluid/tablets and since we introduced this, we have not had a single reaction.

Hope this helps!

Lisa

Tangent of: RE: G9 disinfectant was used with the ET tubes and it had an effect on the airway of cats when the ET tubes were next used