Registered Veterinary Nurses looking to advance their careers are being invited to an open day at one of the country’s leading referral centres this month. (FEB)
Southfields Veterinary Specialists, in Basildon, Essex, will be holding the event on Saturday, February 25, from 8.45am to 4pm, with a variety of activities on offer for nurses looking for their next career move.
With dozens of vet nurses already signed up for the event, Linnaeus-owned Southfields will be offering visitors the chance for a tour of its state of the art £16 million, 40,000 sq ft hospital, which opened last summer.
Nicola Barrigan, Head of Nursing Services at Southfields, said the event would be a great opportunity for potential new recruits to see the fantastic facilities at the hospital, as well as presenting a great opportunity to network with fellow professionals.
Nicola said: “The open day will give visitors an informal opportunity to speak to members of our nursing team in relaxed surroundings to find out a bit more about what life is like here at Southfields.
“There will also be the chance for them to attend nurse-led presentations, including Q&A sessions, chat with our clinicians and discuss progression opportunities with the Linnaeus professional development team. Information will also be available on our post-registration programme.”
The Linnaeus referral nursing post-registration programme (PRP) launched in 2020 and, in doing so, became the first veterinary nursing preceptorship in the UK, mirroring the schemes commonly seen in human healthcare.
As a key participant in the programme, Southfields offers bespoke support for its newly qualified, or soon to be qualified, nurses.
The open day begins with arrival at 8.45am, when visitors can enjoy welcome pastries and refreshments.
Hospital director Daniel Hogan, himself an RVN, will give an introduction to Southfields before visitors can learn more about the PRP and progression at the hospital.
There will then be a meet the team session with both vets and RVNs, plus a Q&A session before a lunch is provided at 12.30pm, followed by a tour of the hospital and oncology building.
To end the day, there is an optional CPD featuring bite-size nursing sessions from 2pm to 4pm.
