Eve Loftus, Student Nurse Manager, CVS Nurse Veterinary Training Colleges (CVTC)  

Becoming a Clinical Supervisor in the workplace is an excellent opportunity to support a student veterinary nurse. It allows you to help develop the future of the profession by offering the right guidance and support, and by giving instruction to help them develop the necessary clinical skills and knowledge they need to succeed. 

So how best can you support a student in practice? 

Starting off 

Once you have been allocated your student, you will need to make plans on how best to support them in the workplace. Find out how they work best and set SMART targets to get the most from your students. Think about what skills have already got and whether you can continue to develop these. You will be provided with training and deadlines for progression from your student’s college to help you with this. You should also be provided with your student’s ePortfolio. At this stage, also start to think about weaving in specific areas of interest and topics into their training.

Involve the team 

Training a student should be a whole practice approach.  Consider sharing the area that the student is working on in their ePortfolio with the team so everyone can see what needs to be completed and starts to take ownership with the student. The studenst should be working in all areas of the practice to gain their RCVS day one skills and it is not down to only one person to train the student; the whole team needs to be involved. In addition, it may also be an idea to put post it notes on equipment and drugs that students need to familiarise themselves with, to encourage colleagues to explain them whilst using them. Consider creating a dedicated area where students can write down cases they are waiting to see, so the team knows to include them when the case presents itsself. 

Create the right environment 

It’s important to make students feel welcome and supported. Entering a practice for the first time can be daunting. Though part of your role as Clinical Supervisor  is to support them in developing their clinical and practical skills, another part is to provide a safe space and to support their wellbeing whilst they navigate the challenges of their training and develop their professional identity.

Allocate time

Set aside time in your diary, so that you can provide practical guidance, support, and mentorship to students in the clinical setting whilst on the job. It’s also an idea to set aside time to meet with your student weekly, so that you can provide constructive feedback and identify areas of focus for the next time period. In this weekly, ask how they are and how they’re feeling about progress, so that they can let you know if they have any concerns and can ask questions. Record these meeting to help you monitor progression and if the students is achieving their SMART targets set. The practice should be providing you with time off rota to provide this support. 

Create helpful resources

Think about creating your own resources, revision tasks or tests to help students learn and retain information. This could include; practical exercises - like supervised procedures followed by discussion and reflection; mini quizzes - to focus on specific areas of study; Post Its on drugs and equipment to give key information; flashcards featuring images and acronyms to enliven revision; video or audio recordings - where you talk through a procedure or practice, evaluate your performance to identify areas for improvement; case studies of life real scenarios - so students can use their problem solving skills; and guides and checklists - to give a clear understanding of the steps involved and the necessary equipment. There are many helpful resources on VetNurse.co.uk and the British Veterinary Nursing Association. You can also encourage students to keep their own learning logs to track progress and identify areas for development. 

Seek assistance 

If you feel that your student needs support in a particular area, but you are unsure of how best to support them, seek the advice of another coach. Groups like CVS also have access to nurse training teams who will be able to counsel you on the best routes to take. 

You will also be provided with support from your student’s college, including a point of contact and having regular meetings with them. 

The RCVS Academy has created 6.5hrs of free CPD for Clinical Supervisor and it is encouraged to complete the course for its vital information - see here.

By supporting your students in this way, RVNs can play a crucial role in their training and development to ensure they are well-prepared to meet the demands of the profession. 

Remember, you were a student once!