Royal Canin and the Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business will jointly sponsor 338 vet professionals across Australia and New Zealand to undertake further learning.
The offer is part of the newly launched Nurse Kind campaign, encouraging pet owners to utilise the expertise of vet nurses and technicians across the country.
Research from Royal Canin and the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA) showed that 90 per cent of Veterinary Nurses across Australia and New Zealand are eager to continue learning.
This growth mindset of Veterinary Nurses led Royal Canin to team up with Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business to jointly sponsor 150 Australian Nurses and Technicians to undertake a 12-month pilot with education from a training program called Emerging Leaders.
Dr Bronwen Slack, Chief Health Officer of Royal Canin ANZ, said they are so pleased to be coming together with the VNCA and respective education provider, the Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business, to launch the Emerging Leaders program.
“As a Vet Professional myself, formal qualifications prepare you well for the clinical aspects of the role, but less so for the complexities of running a clinic, how to handle difficult conversations with pet owners, or help contribute to a strong working culture.
“Vet Nurses and Technicians are dedicated and have a passion for animal welfare. Without them, the healthcare of our pets will suffer. Pet owners can play a role in supporting Vet Nurses by demonstrating our appreciation for the skill and commitment they show to the care of our pets.”
Slack said they had been overwhelmed with the level of interest from Vet Nurses in New Zealand and Australia for these extra training and professional development opportunities.
“Our Vet Nurse survey results showed ANZ Vet Nurses were hungry to learn new skills to help provide better healthcare for our pets and support their clinics. This interest shows this.
“Through the memberships of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association (NZVNA) and the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA), interest is well exceeding the number of places available.”
In New Zealand, Slack explained that the interest was three-fold the number of places offered.
“Seeing the interest, we’ve decided to expand our sponsorship of the program to include an additional 138 places. Every eligible Vet Nurse Practitioner who expressed interest in the training, during the EOI period will get the opportunity to complete the Emerging Leaders Program.
“We want to do our part to increase the skills and career development of ANZ Vet Professionals, and thank the Lincoln Institute of Vet Business for their co-sponsorship, and the NZVNA and VNCA for partnering with us on the NurseKind campaign.”
The research also showed that 95 per cent of Australian vet professionals have, or are currently studying, advanced qualifications in veterinary nursing, with the most likely reasons for further study being looking to build on their knowledge or expanding the services they can offer to pet owners in clinic.
Dr Michael Powell, Director at the Lincoln Institute of Veterinary Business, said they are delighted to be involved with this initiative aimed at empowering Nurses and Technicians to experience more success and fulfilment in the important work they do.
“This targeted non-technical competency training has proven over the last 11 years to support more wellbeing, satisfaction, and effectiveness for Veterinary Professionals, as well ensuring healthier cultures and enhanced outcomes for the organisations they work within.”
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