Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Sal the 1st — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:39:19 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

thats good that a referral centre is training their own staff - I wish there were more doing the same

[/quote]

There are only a handful of referral centres that's also have a 1st opinion practice attached

[/quote]

which goes right back to my original point - most referral centres benefit from qualified staff without putting anything financially or timewise into the training of the next generation of nurses, they depend on the smaller training practices to foot the bill for training and then poach the qualified staff that they need. I have said this before but I feel strongly that practices who do not train should pay an annual levy to help offset the costs for those that do - it might even encourage more practices to train if there is less of a burden. BUT the mess that is training seriously needs sorting for this to happen

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Vicky RVN — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:36:27 GMT

[quote user="Jenny Cook SVN"]

Could i ask then, for those who did the NVQ route, were you taught advanced imaging equipment??

[/quote]

We had a lesson on MRI and CT. Don't remember having any questions, if we did it was asking what MRI stood for.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:15:11 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

thats good that a referral centre is training their own staff - I wish there were more doing the same

[/quote]

There are only a handful of referral centres that's also have a 1st opinion practice attached

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Sal the 1st — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:10:43 GMT

thats good that a referral centre is training their own staff - I wish there were more doing the same

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

maylane — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:50:41 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

Where do a large number of qualified staff tend to end up these days - referral centres. But then how many referral centres are training their own nurses - not that many actually as they prefer to employ qualified nurses. Is there any wonder that many of the small GP practices have dropped out of training, it just doesnt pay them to invest money in training staff because they arent seeing the benefits.Before anybody tells me that referral centres pay their nursing staff better wages well yes they do but many of them can afford to because they have contributed nothing financially to training.

If nurses want or need specialist knowledge then do it as an add on and if employers want nurses with specialist knowledge and training then they have to take some responsibility for the financing of it but dont burden every nurse with something they either dont want or dont need.

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I've got to stick up for my employer here, I am training in a multi disciplinary referral centre with MRI and shortly CT as well. I am very aware of my bosses absolute commitment to training staff both from a financial stand point and the huge investment of time. Referral centres are not all bad!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:35:39 GMT

[quote user="Jenny Cook SVN"]

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

I had to describe the health and safety steps I would take when working in an MR and CT unit.

[/quote]

One of my questions in exams on scintigraphy was to do with health and safety whilst using this imaging technique!!! Craaaaazy!!

[/quote]

use lead shields on syringes and don't spend to much time in and around the patient!!!! We don't stay in the room whilst the patient is being scanned! This video kinda sums up how I feel of Scintigraphy

www.youtube.com/watch

There is no need to know this stuff as a General practice nurse!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Jenny Cook RVN — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:30:42 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

I had to describe the health and safety steps I would take when working in an MR and CT unit.

[/quote]

One of my questions in exams on scintigraphy was to do with health and safety whilst using this imaging technique!!! Craaaaazy!!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Sal the 1st — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:31:15 GMT

I think all of this is a symptom of the one size fits all training. There are too many people (employers) wanting specialist training that lets face it dont want to fund it. There are too many out there influencing the vet nurse training who want their particular area or speciality covered ( be it referral specialities, exotics or large animal or whatever else anybody wants to add )within the basic qualification so it doesnt incur any extra cost for them at a later date ( plus it also gives them a greater 'pool' of potential employees when they advertise a job vacancy - and for some that have a particularly rapid staff turnover this is really important ). Where do a large number of qualified staff tend to end up these days - referral centres. But then how many referral centres are training their own nurses - not that many actually as they prefer to employ qualified nurses. Is there any wonder that many of the small GP practices have dropped out of training, it just doesnt pay them to invest money in training staff because they arent seeing the benefits.Before anybody tells me that referral centres pay their nursing staff better wages well yes they do but many of them can afford to because they have contributed nothing financially to training.

All this has done is increased the amount that needs to be learnt and increased the time it takes to train and the amount of money it costs to train at a basic level- its crazy !

I will make a prediction - with the number of practices that invested in hydrotherapy pools its a matter of time before that gets added in too.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:45:47 GMT

I did NVQ and no wasnt taught advanced imaging techniques!

I touched on in it on my Advanced Diploma and only got one question based on it in my exams. Like I said I only read up/looked into it as we had mobile CT and MR visiting my old practice and now I work in them everyday

I had to describe the health and safety steps I would take when working in an MR and CT unit.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Jenny Cook RVN — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:35:10 GMT

[quote user="Nick Shackleton"]

Personally you should be taught and examined on core stuff that will actually be of use. A&P, general nursing, medical & surgical nursing (inc theatre practice), nutrition, lab skills, anaesthesia, radiography (inc ultrasound & plain film plus the 4 processing techniques). the usual suspects.

[/quote]

I totally agree, yes we are taught all those subjects anyway, and automatic and manual processing, anodes/cathodes, FFD, MAs and KVp, radiography calculations, etc. But yes i agree, CT and MRI etc are a bit to much to take note of especially if i never get to use any in my nursing career.

I think the RCVS have seriously shaken things up this year with the new diploma.

Could i ask then, for those who did the NVQ route, were you taught advanced imaging equipment??

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:01:34 GMT

[quote user="Jenny Cook SVN"]

we had to learn the basics this year at college on the more advanced diagnostic imaging stuff. We had lessons on CT, MRI and scintigraphy. Pointless i think seeing as we work in small animal practice and will probably never see any of this specialist equipment unless in referal centres, only about 2-3 other trainees in my class work in mixed and equine practices!!

I really thought id have more than one calculation throughout my 135 questions.

[/quote]

like I said totally above and beyond what you guys need to know. Hardly any GP that I know have access to these types of imaging. I only started learning about these imaging techniques due to studying for Advanced Diploma and the fact that one we had visiting MR and CT in my previous job and also I'm actually interested in Diagnostic Imaging!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Jenny Cook RVN — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:41:41 GMT

I really thought id have more than one calculation throughout my 135 questions.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:20:49 GMT

I really don't think you guys should be expected to know about all these advanced imaging techniques as most general practices don't have these facilities and expecting SA nurse to know equine stuff and vise versa. What a complete farse!!!!!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:27:47 GMT

[quote user="Jenny Cook SVN"]

and also had 2-3 questions on scintigraphy!!! stupid i think!!!

[/quote]

That's pretty tough going!!!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

PHA86 — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:22:41 GMT

Me too! I'm first year and pretty sure we've not covered this in class at all

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Jenny Cook RVN — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:07:28 GMT

i did transitional diploma paper 3 last thursday. I was disapointed about how much college focused on and said must focus on calculations through all subjects. I only had one relatively easy pharmacology one.

and also had 2-3 questions on scintigraphy!!! stupid i think!!!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Nick Shackleton — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:17:34 GMT

[quote user="Percy"]

I was really surprised how much 'new radiography' stuff I got asked, didn't expect to see so much about MRI and CT.

[/quote]

I think this is completely stupid! Why would you need to know about CT and MRI its not like your average practice has access to these modalities. I had questions on it in my Advanced Diploma exams, which I fully expected. I dont think its fair to expect SVNs to understand these modailties.

I think you have understanding of the different types of processing ie manual, automatic, CR and DR. and also a good understanding of the physics.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Percy — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:00:17 GMT

I was really surprised how much 'new radiography' stuff I got asked, didn't expect to see so much about MRI and CT.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Clairebear — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 08:48:49 GMT

[quote user="Amy McSheffrey"]Paper 3 was quite nice :-))

[/quote]

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

hannah20 — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:34:20 GMT

I sat mine thoughtit was all background stuff, and too many horsey and year 2 type questios, really disapointing after revising so hard yet nothing 'relavant' came up

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

agunson — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:11:11 GMT

I sat my VN1, 5 & 6 paper yesterday, was not happy at all. I can honestly say there was too many questions open to interpretation. I got half way through the 1st section and thought someone was playing a joke on me.

give me A&P questions any day i'd prefer questions that are facts and figures not guidelines with ambiguous questions, dont get me wrong i appreciate thats its an important area but even though I had done so much revision for this exam many of the questions were beyond this even with the extended reading i did.

and with regards to the horsey stuff i got a fair bit. some straight forward others werent so kind. dont even deal with horses at work.

wish it was all a little clearer though, i dont like being a guinea-pig.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Vicky Duffy RVN — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:29:05 GMT

A few of the girls I know said exactly the same... lots of horsey questions!

When I was at college, we were told that if there were a number of questions that people were getting wrong that they would disregard these questions completely in the best interest of the student, and it gives them a higher pass rate.

I don't know obviously if that still satnds with the new syllabus, but I would assume it is as they're bound to find problems with it!!!

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE TAKING THEIR EXAMS -x-

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Sally Seddon — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:01:41 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Someone has just pointed out to me that you sign an agreement not to discuss the content of RCVS exams in any form. I haven't seen the agreement, so I don't know how restrictive it is, but I thought I would just flag it up.

[/quote]

Im hoping what ive said hasnt breached this, all ive said is that i got alot of equine questions. No specific questions were mentioned. Thanks for warning though Arlo, best shut my mouth now then . Bit worried now!

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

shelly jefferies — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:54:33 GMT

With regards to previous comments on learning bits about horses is no use to my student at all as scared of horses and never intends to work with them, could spend her time more productively revising relevant stuff to her, also all her horsey stuff has been tagged on the end as internet notes and this is not very useful to somebody who has no idea about horses.

Re: Rcvs level 3 paper 1, any done this over the past week?

Sal the 1st — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:13:03 GMT

yes I can see where discussing actual questions whilst the exams are taking place may offer an unfair advantage to those still to take the exam this time around. But after this current round of exams perhaps it really should be discussed openly and opinions from everybody saught - there is far too much going on that isnt openly discussed, is pushed through, affects a lot of people and they have no inkling about it until it affects them directly. For pity's sake people if you do feel strongly about what is happening to veterinary nursing then open your mouth and say something dont leave it for the same few of us every time