SQP- is it worth it?

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Sal the 1st — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 08:46:48 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

As long as we r under the RCVS and tied to them we will never progress!!!

The development of the veterinary nurse is never going to be a priority of the RCVS.

[/quote]

And this has come as a surprise?

I recall making similar comments myself before the millenium turned - nothing has changed in fact in many respects things are a lot worse but this is what all of you bought into when you blindly accepted accountability without a murmur and this is what some of the listed nurses were fighting against - in accepting accountability we are now forever wedded. It was bloody obvious that the development of the veterinary nurse role was never going to be a priority - this is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - nowhere does it mention nurses.

Perhaps the RCVS should change its name to include those of us who pay towards its upkeep year on year?

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Sal the 1st — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 08:25:44 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

Oh and another comment that I just picked up on from Sal NO I am not trying to get extra letters after my name.

[/quote]

Hey! I don't know how you have taken my comment but it wasn't made to cause upset. I was just suggesting that even tho this qualification has postnominals attached to it it may not be a worthwhile course for you ie the only thing you would get from this course is a few more letters - nothing else

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 02:13:08 GMT

Oh and another comment that I just picked up on from Sal NO I am not trying to get extra letters after my name.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH WANTING TO PROGRESS AND UTILISE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE WE SPEND YEARS LEARNING AND FEEL VALUED SO IF THAT GIVES EXTRA LETTERS AFTER A NAME SO WHAT!!!!

As a dyslexic I was always told I would amount to nothing so very proud of my achievements and want to show for it but would never just do a course for extra letters after my name. I do it to develop and be the best I can be!!!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 23:25:47 GMT

As long as we r under the RCVS and tied to them we will never progress!!!

The development of the veterinary nurse is never going to be a priority of the RCVS. Vet nurse futures only came out after vet future was launched!!

Someone actually pointed out to me that it's like a snobbery thing! In other words that's a vets job and your just a nurse so won't allow nurses the opportunity to use skills, knowledge, develop new skills, have more autonomy and a wider scope of clinical practice as will take that away from vets.

But just like human nurses the whole point of being a profession in our own right is a autonomous professional able to develop and progress like having a career rather than just a job!

I am having to leave the industry entirely as like the above post says it's difficult to find something outside clinical practice so having to go back to university to retrain to an entirely different job so 16 years in vet nursing is down the drain including my 4 year degree however learnt many skills which are transferable

It's just a shame really

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Meow1950 — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 21:34:08 GMT

[quote user="Chris Alderton"]

I've been looking for a way out of vet nursing for the past year and am struggling to say the least...trying to find a job outside of clinical work, yet doesn't completely waste 12 years' of veterinary experience and knowledge is next to impossible. Out of curiosity I was looking at the SQP course today, just to see if it would be of any benefit whatsoever, and after speaking to the RCVS, it turns out they're just as confused about the whole thing as I am.

So yes, you can legally prescribe a POM-VPS, which doesn't require a clinical assessment by a vet, but this generally covers only a few anthelmintics and that's about it. That does however contradict the fact that we're still not allowed to diagnose anything (even fleas and worms), which led to the RCVS person on the phone to say it was a 'grey area'.

It just seems everything is designed to block any form of meaningful progression for a VN.

[/quote]

Great point about the not being able to diagnose, I've often wondered about this myself. Definite grey area. The whole thing needs revised.

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Chris Alderton — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 17:51:47 GMT

It just seems everything is designed to block any form of meaningful progression for a VN.

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 16:02:06 GMT

Yeah well you can only dream lol !!!!

This is why I am leaving the profession (if you can even call it that) next year to go back to university to train in a profession that is valued!!!!

There's gonna be hardly any nurses left at this rate, most of my uni friends that I qualified with are no longer registered and in practice and I don't blame them!!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

molladog — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 10:05:57 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

I don't know maybe once vet nursing comes more established as a recognised profession it might change!

[/quote]

I won't hold my breath on that one - I don't see it happening in my lifetime

[/quote]

I think I just saw a pig fly.......................................

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Sal the 1st — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 21:26:47 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

I don't know maybe once vet nursing comes more established as a recognised profession it might change!

[/quote]

I won't hold my breath on that one - I don't see it happening in my lifetime

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:08:27 GMT

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that we should be able to independently prescribe like our human counterparts and go around willy nilly prescribing all sorts not that we would do if we had independent prescribing given to us!

But flea and wormers, seriously!!!

Under POM-VPS it states a suitable registered profession can proscribe them so is an RVN not a suitable registered professional. By doing the sqp we only end up covering what we already know which is why amtra give recognised prior learning to vet nurses etc

I don't know maybe once vet nursing comes more established as a recognised profession it might change!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Meow1950 — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:02:44 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

Yeah I agree it is a Joke!

Especially after how in depth the pharmacology elements of my vet nurse course was. For what we actually do in practice there is no need for it to be that in depth.

Only a vet, pharmacist or sqp can proscribe your pom vps but you would think that a vet nurse after all that training and knowledge would also be a suitable qualified person.

My mum is a human nurse and they don't go into half as much stuff as we do in our training but they have so much more autonomy than we do and progression routes and can independently prescribe!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

[/quote]

Noticed this recently when I had to go to the hospital for treatment for my eyes (pretty important organ really) and the nurses independently prescribed my meds. C'mon veterinary nursing, catch up! But that's a whole other topic of conversation really lol

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 15:17:49 GMT

Yeah I agree it is a Joke!

Especially after how in depth the pharmacology elements of my vet nurse course was. For what we actually do in practice there is no need for it to be that in depth.

Only a vet, pharmacist or sqp can proscribe your pom vps but you would think that a vet nurse after all that training and knowledge would also be a suitable qualified person.

My mum is a human nurse and they don't go into half as much stuff as we do in our training but they have so much more autonomy than we do and progression routes and can independently prescribe!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Meow1950 — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 11:43:28 GMT

Hey, I'm an SQP. Tbh I really don't think it was worth it for the very small amount of things I'm allowed to prescribe. Basically it's a few select parasite treatments and weirdly vitamin K and Pardale V...which realistically why would you be prescribing anyway without a vet being involved? Bravecto, advocate, and frontline combo are all pom-v. So it would only be the frontline pet stores sell that you can legally dispense and the likes of drontal really.

I agree that I think it's a joke all the knowledge RVNs have and they can't prescribe these things but someone in a pet shop can. But sure!

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 22:10:28 GMT

They don't fund any courses unfortunately. We don't have a cpd budget so not just for this course but any course

My practice have said it would be beneficial to them as we do flea and worm clinics but every time we have to get a vet in room to give a quick check and then give the go a head to dispense/give it which in my opinion a RVN could do!

So it's a bit of both why I want to do it, one due to the above and two as mentioned above I find it ridiculous that a RVN can't dispense flea and wormers and a lot feel that way considering the in depth pharmacology we do in our training. Sqp will just be a refresher for me!

So find it frustrating so thought by just doing the sqp I might take the frustration out of it

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Sal the 1st — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 18:16:54 GMT

might be a daft question but do the practice actually want you to do the SQP and is it useful to them? If its something they don't require that may be the reason they don't fund. The question I would be asking of myself is why am I wanting from the course? Is it something I will find useful or is something that will just string a few more letters on the end of my name?

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Danni Wiggins RVN — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 17:46:39 GMT

I was an SQP for years. I enjoyed the course and, at the beginning it was very difficult to obtain the correct CPD, it is now relatively easy. I have not renewed this year because, to be honest, I found that there was so little I was allowed to dispense - it really wasn't worth it.

However, drugs do change categories from time to time so, in the future it might be more worthwhile

Hope this is helpful

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

apache — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 17:33:47 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]

Also does anybody know how many RCVS cpd allowance you can claim for doing the course.

I asked amtra and rcvs but they don't know

[/quote]

As long as it takes. Just log the hours. No one is ever going to come back to you and say you only spent 40 hours doing it not the 50 you claimed. Be honest and realistic. Remember you can average over 3 years.

The designated number of hour thing is silly

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 17:19:22 GMT

Also does anybody know how many RCVS cpd allowance you can claim for doing the course.

I asked amtra and rcvs but they don't know

Thanks

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 17:17:37 GMT

Hiya

Thanks for your comments

In regards to advantage and so on not being POM- VPS. That's just want I was told from another sqp which is why I am asking other people!

No the practice won't pay the annual renewal. I don't even get RCVS fee paid or a cpd budget so they definitely won't pay the sqp fee. I am paying the Amtra course myself as I don't get a cpd budget which is why I want to make sure it's worth it and not waste money. Amtra have informed me it's £28 annual fee!

No I don't work in mixed practice either, only small animal so will be only doing the small animals one. I have never worked in a mixed practice!

My practice stock all flea and wormers

Bravecto

Frontline

Advantage

Advocate

Drontal/Droncit

Effripro

Milbemax

And so on....

But as I say was told I would only be able to dispense frontline so will need to double check all the categories for theses!

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

apache — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 23:58:59 GMT

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]I am also aware that I need to pay an annual fee[/quote]

I hope your practice pays that fee!

[quote user="Kirsty RVN"]do more cpd on top of what I already need to get as an RVN[/quote]

AMTRA CPD needs to be pre-approved and has a points weighting. Whilst SQPs have a CPD requirement that CPD will also count towards that for remaining on the VN register (often not the other way around due to limited subjects especially if just small animal, and no pre-approved points).

We are a mixed practice and when our nurse qualifies she will do the SQP training for small, equine and farm. There's a lot of equine and farm medicines that fall into the category but fewer small animal ones.

Maybe do the training, use that as your VN CPD (can average over 3 years as you will log many hours) and see if you use the qualification in the next year, then decide whether to carry on?

If your practice does any farm or equine work then I think you'll use it daily.

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Nicola Smith — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 21:15:10 GMT

It's not only frontline, advantage and drontal are both definitely pom vps and there are more it just depends on what your clinic stocks as to if it's worthwhile as if you don't stock any drugs in theses categories it' pointless as you wouldn't use it. A lot of the course is repetition but i think its quite good as a refresher but then i enjoy parasitology!!

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Kirsty RVN — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 20:50:17 GMT

Thanks for messages above

Yeah I know it means I can dispense POM- VPS

But have been advised that the only flea and wormers which fall under that category is frontline. I have been told Advantage and Advocate and others fall under POM-V so would not be able to dispense those if I was a sqp also. I am also aware that I need to pay an annual fee and do more cpd on top of what I already need to get as an RVN so after all that additional training and more cpd hours and an annual fee I was just asking that if all I can dispense is frontline, Is it worth it? I might just get more frustrated if after putting additional learning and training in although I will probably just be covering the same stuff I did at university if further limited!

Or do others have a different perspective of what I can do as an SQP

Kirsty

FdSc RVN, ISFM Cert FN

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Nicola Smith — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:35:11 GMT

It means you can dispense pom vps products such as frontline, advantage, drontal etc so just depends on what you stock as to how worthwhile it is. Cpd needs to be accredited and it goes on a points system so think for small animal sqp its 30 points every 2 years - most online webinars are 4-6 points, I did a lecture at bvna that was 8 points. You also have to pay an annual renewal fee. Hope that helps!

RE: SQP- is it worth it?

Robyn — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 14:57:17 GMT

I did the degree too and I've had the same thoughts!! I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts.