Veterinary care assistant mentor

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Mrs H — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:28:53 GMT

Sorry I must have got a little confused! I agree I also think its great that practices are trying to train their staff, the VCA course has been wonderful for me as it's like a little head start before doing the diploma.. and having a years experience under my belt helped me to find a placement for nursing easier as they liked the idea of me having a little experience in the basics. I've really enjoyed it too and the nursing diploma seems a little less daunting now. :)

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:58:53 GMT

[quote user="Mrs H"]

Seems like there's alot of fuss about being a VCA mentor and that baffles me..

[/quote]

When we say mentor we're referring to the on line tutor not the mentor in practice. Hence the mention of work not being marked etc

My mentor in practice has been really great but she also thinks the course is rubbish due to the lack of communication from the online tutor

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Sal the 1st — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:52:25 GMT

[quote user="Mrs H"]

Seems like there's alot of fuss about being a VCA mentor and that baffles me..

[/quote]

I suppose it depends on what else the mentor is trying to juggle to fit in the working day alongside?

I dont feel you can really generalise, it may be easier for some practices than others dependant on their staff levels, workload and other factors you may not even be aware of . But the good thing is that there are practices who are trying to train their staff

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Mrs H — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:27:08 GMT

I'm really shocked by all the negative comments!

I'm doing the VCA (finish in just a few weeks) and my mentor at my placement is also mentor to a couple of trainee nurses. She does not mark any of my written assignments, that is upto my college. She has been wonderful doing all of my practical assignments and they were all completed and signed by the start of April ready for me to hand in, in June. (They are basic, practical assignments, eg. administering topical medication, assisting in preparing an animal for radiography etc. etc...) There is minimal work involved for the mentor in comparison to the NPL. She has been wonderful with my monthly tutorials, and is also wonderful as clinical coach to her trainee nurses. Seems like there's alot of fuss about being a VCA mentor and that baffles me..

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:32:49 GMT

I've done a fair few but barely any have been marked yet. There is an example on my vle of 201li

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Selena Carnell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:21:11 GMT

Never knew there were examples on there, we asked for examples and told there we none! We have done basic assignments but had the returned to us as not meeting criteria and have had to go quite in depth before actually getting passed etc. Have you had many assignments marked? We have completed 201, but still have elements of 202 and 203 .

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:03:35 GMT

Perhaps, I guess it will depend on the needs of the practice really. So confused by this one assignment and the examples on the vle just serve to confuse me more as they have no structure :S

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Sal the 1st — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:10:42 GMT

well its in depth for my vca trainees - maybe they are learning more than they need to?

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Sal the 1st — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:08:52 GMT

[quote user="Selena (Hypnorm) Carnell VN"]Who is your assessor? As we at constantly having the same troubles, I certainly would not be recommending this course or the college to any one to be honest, they course is actually very indepth considering its supposed to be only a care assistant... Some of the knowledge is vn standard!

[/quote]

I agree the course is in depth - that is why I feel it should be something along these lines that should be the basic VN qualification with a bit of tweaking - rather than what we have ended up with now. If more specialist knowledge is needed then this should be an add on to the basic qualification.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:57:42 GMT

I don't think what you have to write for the assignments is very in depth people are just surprised that you have to assist in monitoring anaesthetics etc for a few of the assignments. Personally I don't think that its too in depth i just think the way its been handled is rubbish

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Selena Carnell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:53:50 GMT

Who is your assessor? As we at constantly having the same troubles, I certainly would not be recommending this course or the college to any one to be honest, they course is actually very indepth considering its supposed to be only a care assistant... Some of the knowledge is vn standard!

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:10:55 GMT

If another nurse is willing to do it then i would let them. My mentor in practice is also mentor for a svn and its been a real struggle

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

lskm 23 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:33:19 GMT

Thanks guys.

May have to double think this as not sure I can find the time to do this on top of NPL.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:16:42 GMT

I was happy to start with but now I'm just angry about it all the time. I have assignments on there from before Christmas which still haven't been marked and then I get an email from my CAW mentor asking if i can send her a list of all assignments I've submitted! Er perhaps just look they're uploaded in the way you asked. I just think its ridiculous the whole thing and wouldn't recommend it to anyone

And the mentor in practice is supposed to read through the assignments and give feedback as well as carrying out practical assessments with their students. It does say that any vet/nurse can watch you do the practicals but only one person has access to the vle so seems a bit silly imo, might as well just stick to having the mentor do it as they have all the access to mark sheets

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Craig McDonald — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:04:46 GMT

I know a practice/students who had loads of trouble and kept having to chase up CAW but the students were happy with the rest of the course was just with the college marking (or lack of) and some communication issues.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Selena Carnell — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:43:24 GMT

Interestingly we have also had trouble with the vca course and have to constantly change the collecge to mark our work. We are with CAW.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Sal the 1st — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:25:30 GMT

[quote user="Laura Mackay"]

Elerrina - is it the mentors job to mark the assignments or the colleges? I have no issue reading through but I would have thought that it is the colleges job to mark the assignments.

[/quote]

its a bit of both, and its a bit more than just reading through - I have tested my pair on a few of their assignments and only when they have got them right have they been submitted along with any comments on where they could have improved or have done very well. We are no where near finished but there is a fair bit of time gone into it already. Originally when they started it was the boss doing the mentoring

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

lskm 23 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:07:30 GMT

Elerrina - is it the mentors job to mark the assignments or the colleges? I have no issue reading through but I would have thought that it is the colleges job to mark the assignments.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Elerrina — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:57:18 GMT

I am currently doing the course and have found it terrible. It started out well but as it went on my mentor contacted me less and less there is no structure and shes barely marked any of my assignments. I actually complained to CAW about how appalling i thought it was.

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

lskm 23 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:17:29 GMT

Thanks Sal.

I'v had my fair share of students who are frustrating and don't seem to want to learn anymore!! One even told me that I should have come in to work in my own time to help her - she never spent any of her own time studying!!

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

oconnoanan — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:44:11 GMT

Oh no! Can't understand that, when there are so many of us who are desperate to get a training position! I eat, sleep and breathe animal health care, I've spent two years as a full time volunteer in two different clinics to get experience, I've now been hired as their head receptionist - yay! But I live outside the UK and we don't have the same brilliant training system that you guys have over there, so we don't have the option of on the job/block release training. I'd kill (metaphorically only!) for a training position and would move to UK in a heartbeat if got offered one. Can't understand people taking it for granted - what an amazing opportunity and how could they be so blase about it - particularly considering how many people would be desperate to be in their position - I'm so jealous!!

Re: Veterinary care assistant mentor

Sal the 1st — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:59:52 GMT

I am co mentoring 2 - there is a fair bit of paperwork, but I did a deal with the boss and I do everything but the submissions

little tip - make sure your trainees are well motivated - mine started out ok but currently are a bit frustrated