Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Vicky RVN — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:26:11 GMT

Woohoo!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:55:58 GMT

wooooo! super exciting!!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Honeybadger — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:26:33 GMT

Yay, very exciting!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:49:20 GMT

Woooooooooooooo email confirmation to say that tickets for award ceremony are in the post!!!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Sun, 09 May 2010 06:00:34 GMT

[quote user="Phrin SVN"]

PS - Nick, have you got your actual blue badge yet?

[/quote]

No yet phrin award ceremony in July and yes I will be attending. I f I decide not to go will have to wait till after so thought I'd go and get it quick.

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:29:58 GMT

PS - Nick, have you got your actual blue badge yet?

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:28:43 GMT

I would love to do this once I am qualified! It has always been my ambition to do the dip with a sugical bias!

And this thread hasn't put me off like I thought it would do!

Bring it on! Red badge is in sight! Blue badge after that!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Sarah Bolton — Sat, 08 May 2010 11:03:43 GMT

Thanks for all the information. Definately given me something to think about. I have looked into the Harper Adams one and it is a lot more expensive than the Myerscough one.

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Mon, 03 May 2010 00:15:19 GMT

As far as I'm aware the only difference is that the DipAVN is recognised by the RCVS and the RVC Grad. Dip ain't. Not sure thou......

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Honeybadger — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:57:52 GMT

Whats the difference between the Dip AVN and the RCV graduate diploma in veterinary nursing?

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

S-J — Sun, 02 May 2010 20:21:54 GMT

i am really tempted but i think i was saving it, iv been qualified for 3years now and was thinking if i did it was there any further awards to do.

i have to keep my brain moving (usually with a whip etc) and usually have a couple of online cpds on the go

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:15:10 GMT

For the exams you can opt to do them at the college, three of my old work mates did this!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

sazzle — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:04:19 GMT

Im doing the new style diploma with Sandra at Myerscough in Preston. I am lucky as my practice are paying for the course and accomodation, and i agree it IS a lot of work, they said at my interview that you have to achieve approx 15hours of work a week. I am averaging about 10-15 most weeks and at the moment (exams next week) its probably about 20-30hrs a week - There are 4 essays to complete in the 1st yr (3 x 2500 words - on law & ethics, a nursing care plan and critical appraisal of a journal and 1 x 3000 words which is he anatomy & physiology paper)

In the second year you choose the 3 out of 5 modules which have their own essays (varying from 1 to 5 for each subject so depending on what you choose as subjects means that your amount of essays will alter!)

The surgery has 2 cases, medical has 2, anaesthesia has 5 as does diag.imaging and theatre prep has 1.

Then you have written exams in the 1st and 2nd year and then orals also in the 2nd and also a 6mth dissertation which is 5000 words on your chosen subject - Mine will be orthopaedic based as i LOVE anything to do with bones! And a 30min viva on that......sigh!

It is TOTALLY worth it and i am at a tier 2 TP - I was worried before starting the course that i wouldnt be able to compare to any referral nurses, but im FINE! You DO have to have the support of your practice tho and someone at work who is available for about 6hrs to be your 'invigilator' for the written exams (they are done at work)

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:46:14 GMT

Also you need the full support of your practice!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Kerry Brennand DipAVN (Surgical) RVN A1 MBVNA — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:33:42 GMT

Hi,

I did the DipAVN (surgical) whilst working in general practice............I did the "old style" diploma as Nick did and it was hard work as needed a lot of self motivation. I am sure its much better now to have the supprt of the colleges.

I did enjoy doing the course although it was a lot of hard work and took over my life whilst getting the casebooks done and the revision for the exams.

As Nick said you dont need fancy cases at all I did:

Surgical: Ferret ovariohysterectomy, Cat unilateral thyroidectomy, Dog gastrotomy, THR & Trochlear Wedge Recession.

Radiography: DV/Lateral thorax of a cat, VD pelvis for HD, Double contrast study using a pneumocystogram & iv urograpgy technique.

Anaesthesia: Caesarian, Ovariohysterectomy in a rabbit & Intensive care of a cat following RTA.

They want to see a variety of cases enabling you to discuss the nursing.

I did enjoy the course and I thoroughly pleased with myself for succeeding I would say go for it but just be prepared to give up your life for the time you are doing it and warn your other halves!!!!!!!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:50:03 GMT

A lot of hard work! Think it's definitely worth the effort. gaining a proper in depth knowledge.

Well it didn't stipulate that you had to be in referral practice. I know several nurses that have completed the diploma whilst in general practice. unsure of what cases they used for the casebooks.....

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

S-J — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:28:28 GMT

it sounds like a lot of hard work, is it worth it? i enjoy my learning and do it constantly but i do find it difficult despite doing the degree. you said Nick that you dont have to be in a refferal practice but we only do about half of the procedures that you mentioned. in general practice would the procedures be detailed and in depth enough for this.

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:48:08 GMT

I did work in referral practice, but it was not a requirement of the course.

You do need to have good cases thou I would say. Broad range of cases.

For my anaesthesia cases I did a Portal Systemic Shunt in a Yorkie, a Tonsilectomy in a Rough Collie and a Pelvic Fracture repair in a Cat.

Surgical cases were: Feline Perineal Urethrostomy, Canine Radial fracture repair, Canine Femoral head and neck excision, Feline Flank skin Flap (wound management), Canine Diaphragmatic Hernia.

Radiography: thoracic Radiographs measuring for tracheal stent placement, Left and right orthogonal views of elbows, retrograde urethrogram

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:39:56 GMT

I dont know about the harper adams one, but Myerscough you have to be in at least a tier 2

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

SmegSlayer — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:38:21 GMT

do u have to be in a referral centre to do them?

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:15:59 GMT

As far as I'm aware these are the only two universities that lead to the RCVS Dip AVN

I did the one run by the BVNA and RCVS. One week residential at RVC followed by one year of correspondent essay on all core and elective areas. Casebooks had to be completed.

3 anaesthesia case reports + diary of 50 cases

3 radiography case reports + 2 x 2 week sessions of radiography work

5 surgical case reports

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Honeybadger — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:12:42 GMT

[quote user="Nick 'Batfink' Shackleton DipAVN(Surgical)VN MBVNA"]

Myerscough, lancs http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/?page=course-search&action=factsheet&reference=10DHCVNMYP01P&query=&html-title=Diploma%20of%20Higher%20Education%20Clinical%20Veterinary%20Nursing

Harper Adams, Shropshire www.vetnurse.co.uk/.../8004.Diploma-in-Advanced-Veterinary-Nursing-handout.doc

[/quote]

Are they the only 2 places that run the course? Which ones did everyone use? Harper Adams seems to be quite a bit more expensive.

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:49:56 GMT

[quote user="Nick 'Batfink' Shackleton DipAVN(Surgical)VN MBVNA"]

I would say that the support from the two colleges is much better than us old style diploma nurses!!!

[/quote]

Agree, you guys had it much harder, you were basically left to just get on with it with no support

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Nick Shackleton — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:46:23 GMT

I would say that the support from the two colleges is much better than us old style diploma nurses!!!

Re: Dip AVN Course. How much work is involved?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:46:06 GMT

[quote user="Bizzy McClure SVN"]

Wow, that sounds like ALOT of work! I still want to do it though! Is your practice funding it?

[/quote]

When I started it, I was locuming, so self funded the 1st yr, which cost about 1300 pounds. Not including accomodation and travel costs for study weekends.