Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Emma Jarratt — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:24:47 GMT

Has anybody elses VNAC told them about the review by the way?

We have two VNACs, it was Hartpury that told me, Harper Adams haven't mentioned it.

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Emma Jarratt — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:23:38 GMT

I know it's a pain in the bum but if anyone can highlight any repetitions let me know.......doesn't have to be soon the review isn't until the end of the year, but whenever/if you spot anything when using the standards. I'm starting to keep a note of all the little niggly things s when they ask for input I have it ready!!!

My 'thing' today was in VetN6 where they write 'blood (to include serum and plasma)', obviously most blood samples are either serum or plasma not both, so i reckon those two should be separate rather than having to faff with 'partials' in the tracking.

Laura I do a mix, I have the student write the references, but I do help and will add other things as I mark, especially at the beginning of the portfolio when they're less sure.

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

lskm 23 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:44:28 GMT

I have to agree that there is too much repetition in K&U. There is also other areas of repetition too, These need cutting out. Having different IVs telling you different things also does not help. for example, I have been told by one that the student should write the pc, scope down the side and then the other told me I should do it. I find it much easier to do it myself and then ask the student if there is anything alse she/he feels they have covered then I wil look at it again to double check.

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Katy — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:28:05 GMT

I just don't think it's very logical. That's the only way I can think to describe it.

Put me right off!

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Doolally — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:06:24 GMT

I did an NVQ in Horse care before the VN course and the horse care one was so so much simpler.

Having just qualified the dreaded portfolio is still fresh in my mind...I agree about the standardisation, opinions about the way things are done vary so much from assesor to assesor and IV to IV there's such a massive variation across the board. I did the foundation degree and some people really struggled to get things covered the way their assesor/iv wanted, whereas i seemed to have a really smooth ride with my assesor and IV.

There's too much repetition through each of the elements....in the NVQ 3 portfolio the same knowledge and understanding questions were asked a few times in a few differnet elements with exactly the same wording, so I had to trawl through my portfolio to say see page xx to save me repeating myself.

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Fiona Leathers — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:24:37 GMT

Get rid of the health & safety aspect of the units. Make it into one project if it needs to be kept. All practices have to be h&s conscious but in every unit/element its taking the pee

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Katy — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:49:49 GMT

I think that is the problem, that different VNACs interpret the standards differently. I.e how they should be written up and assessed.

It is apparently the hardest NVQ to do.

My cousin is currently in his first year of a plumbing apprenticeship which also involves level 2 and 3 NVQs and his doesn't sound half as much as a faff as the VN NVQ!

Now I know plumbing is totally different. But you're still training at the same level of NVQ.

I think the amount of work did put me off doing it. I.e. a lot of writing for a very practical job. I have been in practice for over a year now, and I do admit I still need a lot of training, mainly with anaesthetic monitoring, nursing (as don't get that many in patients), and blood sampling, but surely there must be a better way to do it.

It would be better if we had a QVN at the practice too, but seeing as they are as rare as hens teeth round our way, who knows what will happen!!!

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

starbucks — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:23:28 GMT

I am a trainee assessor at the moment, and i cant believe how much the whole portfolio thing has changed, and i only did it myself 3 years ago!!! It bugs me how much it has changed, from the "green book" to a massive collection of caselogs, and dont get me started on APL evidence! I agree about the way H + S has to be covered on pretty much every page, why is this neccessary? its just extra unneccessary work! Also our vnac keep changing there mind on how things should be marked, how they shouldnt.

I feel a big part of the portfolio now seems to be about presentation rather than the actual content of the work, which is not fair. After been told i had to write my comments and observations in pencil because the work was APL evidence, and after completing a 16 page anaesthesia observed assessment in pencil, to then be told, actually it can be written in pen, i was NOT happy!!!!!!!

Rant over!!! lol!

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Emma Jarratt — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:39:07 GMT

can't seem to edit previous post.....what i meant to add is that whilst i think the system is workable, with a little tweaking, the standards are ridiculous and need a radical overhaul to be ideal!!!!!

Over the next few months I am going to write a point-by-point constructive criticism so I have it prepared for when we hear about the review officially. So I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks so I don't miss anything.

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Emma Jarratt — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:26:48 GMT

they're not going to be going anywhere I'm afraid! But we do have an opportunity to raise concerns about them for the review, to try and change them for the better.

I think that the 'system' itself can actually be quite workable once you understand it and if your VNAC supports you well - all the problems I've come across with portfolios have been down to lack of understanding by the assessor, or student, or both, or VNACs changing their instructions every 5 minutes because of more mystical advice they've had from the RCVS. My main criticism is that I don't think leaving everything so open to interpretation works well at all - just see the thread further down on APL. I think that the system needs to be a little bit more prescriptive on exactly what is acceptable and what isn't, to stop the huge variation between VNACs. They're very keen on us assessors being standardised after all!

So, given that there are going to be occupational standards, what would you like to see changed about them?

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

loobylou — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:18:51 GMT

I absolutely agree!

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Emily Hibbs — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:37:42 GMT

Get rid of them all together!!!!

Re: Review of the 2006 Occupational Standards

Mrs Dot Dot — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:27:08 GMT

There are many, many, many things I would like to do/ change about the standards but am just off to the beach for a dog walk so will come back to this....................................