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The snappily titled "Veterinary Educator Training in Mental Health Integration and Nurse Development (VET-MIND) project" is led by Dr Faye Didymus, Reader in Sport and Performance Psychology, and Dr Jackie Hargreaves, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, both of whom are based at the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University.
VET-MIND builds on a previous Mind Matters-funded research project from Dr Didymus and Dr Hargreaves in 2023 that explored how mental health and wellbeing is integrated into the Student Veterinary Nurse curriculum, in order to produce a set of evidence-based recommendations for how mental health education could be improved.
The new three-year project takes the recommendations from the previous research with the aim of upskilling veterinary nurse educators in further and higher education on how to integrate mental health principles into their curricula.
The £40,000 funding will be used to design mental health training webinars, deliver interactive training to VN educators in higher and further education and evaluate the impact of learning over time.
Julie Dugmore, RCVS Director of Veterinary Nursing, said: “By equipping educators with practical tools and the confidence to integrate mental health principles into everyday teaching, the project supports more responsive, reflective, and psychologically informed learning environments.
“This benefits not only educators, but also students, who gain vital self-efficacy and wellbeing skills that strengthen their readiness for professional practice.
"The project provides evidence-based guidance that enhances curriculum design, supports learner welfare, and contributes to developing a future workforce that is both clinically competent and mentally resilient.”
www.vetmindmatters.org/research
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