Calculated approach to CPD

the veterinarybusiness journal

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february

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2018

Make learning more than the sum of its parts

Parental guidance: practical help for working mums to be

Liz Barton > page 11

Tax: how to lower your pain threshold

Adam Bernstein > page 16

David Babington > page 8

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CPD: delivering lifelong learning in the here and now

n With the profession changing at such a rapid pace, it has never been more important to ensure your clinical staff get the CPD they need to stay up to date. Improve International’s David Babington looks at the mix of options open to practices ...

n DAVID BABINGTON qualified from the RVC in 1986 and built a career in practice that culminated with running three small animal clinics in Swindon. In 1998 he helped establish Improve International, which provides CPD to veterinary professionals, working in partnership with the European School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies and Harper Adams University. Following the acquisition of Improve International in 2015 by Benchmark Holdings, David remained as business development director

C PD IS A mandatory RCVS requirement for both vets and VNs, and

with medical knowledge expanding so rapidly, most veterinary professionals we work with are enthusiastic about further study.

This has been helped by the transformation in the delivery of CPD in the past few years and by a growth in the variety of training on offer. The opportunity is stronger than ever for veterinary professionals willing to embrace the principle of lifelong learning to view CPD as part of a long-term plan to carve out a career path that is satisfying and rewarding.

But what factors should you be thinking about when you consider your training plans for 2018 and beyond, and what factors should practice owners take into account when thinking about the training needs of their team?

Choosing a method that worksThe difficulty of spending time away from practice is, of course, a familiar obstacle to CPD – especially among sole practitioners. They might manage the odd face-to-face session, if it’s local, or watch a few webinars. The notion of signing up for a more significant CPD programme, however – such as a

postgraduate certificate that is more demanding both in terms of time spent attending sessions and in private study – can be daunting.

Increasingly, though, practical solutions to this problem are being developed – although I should say no CPD programme worth its salt is undemanding in terms of time or stretching your knowledge and skills.

Technology is the key contributor to this increased flexibility. The rise in “blended learning” – which includes face-to-face and online elements – offers veterinary professionals in even the most remote locations the opportunity to undertake CPD that is more substantive and career advancing.

Improve International’s certificate and diploma programmes are already blended, giving delegates the opportunity to undertake part of their study online and at a time convenient to them.

Meanwhile, we’re already making some exciting developments in this area, and with the emerging use of both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Both systems are similar in the goal of immersing the user, though do this in different ways.

With VR, the user is isolated from the real world, while immersed in a world that is completely fabricated. With AR, users continue to be in

touch with the real world, while interacting with virtual objects around them.

Expect more developments in this area in the coming 18 months.

Online learning still has its limits, however, and the importance of practical teaching is obvious in many disciplines. Feedback has suggested delegates really appreciate hands-on training in small groups with direct tutor support. Access to a wet lab has been a real issue for many of those wanting to undertake practical training, but the number of these facilities is now increasing. We recently opened a state-of-the-art practical training centre in Sheffield to meet growing demand.

Don’t just focus on clinical“Corporatisation” is affecting every aspect of the veterinary profession, and CPD is no exception. We’re already

The rise in ‘blended learning’ offers veterinary professionals in even the most remote locations the opportunity to undertake CPD that is more substantive and career advancing

BUSINESS PLANNING

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working with corporate practices to provide their clinical training needs, but these fast-growing companies also need to equip the current and future leaders of their business with the leadership and management skills they need to lead successful teams, often across a large number of individual practices. As a result, the market is seeing increasing demand for non-clinical training on topics such as leadership, management and communications.

With mental health such an issue in the profession, training individual veterinary professionals and practice teams in techniques to reduce stress and burnout, and to spot danger signs early, is also

on the rise. Considering the needs of “the whole vet” – not just the new clinical skills he or she needs to learn – is a priority going forward and our partner, the European School of Postgraduate Veterinary Studies, has added two support sites to its website to help vets manage their own mental health and that of others.

We expect the variety of training on offer in non-clinical areas to grow rapidly in the next year, offering additional opportunities to vets and nurses who see their long-term career developing outside the consulting room.

BrexitIt’s impossible to write any article on future trends without

mentioning the B word, and there’s no doubt the likely shortage of veterinarians post-Brexit is another factor

shaping the CPD sector.We have already seen a

reduction in the number of overseas vets applying

The notion of signing up for a more significant CPD programme – such as a postgraduate certificate that is more demanding both in terms of time spent attending sessions and in private study – can be daunting. Increasingly, though,practical solutions to this problem are being developed

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To register or for more information contact the RVC CPD Unit: Email: cpd@rvc.ac.uk Tel: +44(0) 1707 666865 Fax: +44(0) 1707 666877

For further details about all our coursesvisit: www.rvc.ac.uk/cpd

NEW online CPD at the RVCOur online courses are a fantastic way to participate in interactive and in-depth learning and earn great value CPD from the comfort of your own computer!

For 2018 our new courses include: • Webinar Plus: ECC - the next step • Webinar Plus: Thoracic and abdominal radiology • Webinar Plus: Management of the small animal trauma

patient • Webinar: How to approach animal health issues on

organic farms • Webinar: Smallholder pigs for vets in practice • Webinar: Common diseases in alpacas • Webinar: Small ruminants for vets in practice • Equine computed tomography online

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CPD: DELIVERING LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE HERE AND NOW ...

Vets and nurses

� Don’t just opt for CPD that is local, cheap or free. Take a strategic approach – consider the bigger picture and come up with a plan that aligns clearly with your interests and ambitions.

� Track your progress and set realistic milestones for the attainment of additional qualifi cations.

� When selecting the course or mode of training that will work best for you, talk to your colleagues and peers for insights based on their experience of CPD. Quiz the CPD providers themselves on every aspect of the programme.

� Don’t try to do it all alone. Ask a colleague in your practice to be your mentor – someone you can turn to for advice or support if you are struggling with the programme.

� Ensure your CPD provider will give the backup and extra advice you need to give you the confi dence to put your learning into practice once the training has fi nished.

� Befriend your course mates – they will probably be having the same thoughts and experiences as you.

Practice owners

� Think about the needs of your practice as a whole. Identify any key “practice builder” skills you lack and review the profi tability benefi ts you could achieve if you invested in them. The CPD may well end up paying for itself and help sta� retention, reducing expense recruitment costs.

� Identify several key CPD providers, which can support you in identifying your training needs across the board. Ask for details about the training, facilities and support they o� er.

� Make a discussion about CPD part of your performance review/appraisal discussions and consider both the needs of the practice and the “whole” needs of your members of sta� . This has never been more important.

Top tips for

getting more from your learning

No CPD programme worth its salt is undemanding in terms of time or stretching your knowledge and skills

to work in the UK and uncertainty among those already here. The recent announcement by Harper Adams and Keele Universities that they will be collaborating in the opening of a veterinary school in 2019 further demonstrates the likelihood of an increased demand for vets in the UK.

For individual vets and nurses, an upside exists. They will be in high demand and, therefore, able to be

selective in the roles they choose. They may also be

in a better position to ask for the type of CPD they want, rather than what the practice would like them to do.

A steady growth has occurred in “practice builder” programmes – surgery is a good example, but courses on imaging, diagnostics, ultrasound and endoscopy are other examples of courses that are popular because they can be applied and deliver results

immediately in practice.We are also likely to see

many more vets and nurses working on a locum basis. These vets will be able to a� ord the CPD that interests them, but will be even more focused on ensuring their hard-earned cash delivers the outcome they want.

Even on a higher locum rate of pay, however, we suspect nurses will find it more di� icult to pay for their own CPD, so may lean towards free CPD provided by the pharmaceutical companies and corporates.

From a practice perspective, whether independent or corporate, the challenge of sta� retention in a competitive market will become even more acute post-Brexit, putting more pressure on practices to ensure they are working at optimal profitability – that is, providing the highest standard of clinical care and, ideally, undertaking cases in-house that would previously

have had to be referred.However, they will also

need to invest in their sta� , motivate them and take good care of them. As a result, we believe CPD – both clinical and non-clinical – is set to become an even more important element of their o� er.

Spin-o� benefitIncidentally, a shortage of vets could yield spin-o� benefits for veterinary nurses or technicians. We’re already seeing moves to introduce additional training in niche areas that could enable them to take on some procedures carried out by vets – subject to legislative changes, of course.

We are also likely to need to significantly increase our resources for O� icial Veterinarian export certification, so this is another area where we may start to see the involvement of trained “paraprofessionals” going forward.

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