Building Confidence in the Consulting Room

In this episode, veterinary nurse Nicola Lakeman, Nutrition Manager for IVC Evidensia, shares tips for building confidence in the consulting room. She emphasises the importance of solid knowledge, continuous practice, observing others, and using clinical guidelines. She advises honesty with clients when feeling unsure and highlights the value of support from colleagues and the wider veterinary community.

Nicola also discusses overcoming confidence knocks, drawing on her own experience with a complaint. The episode concludes by addressing confidence challenges that can come from life events like parental leave, long-term illness, or menopause.

Nicola Lakeman:

Nicola works as the Nutrition Manager for IVC Evidensia. Nicola graduated from Hartpury College with an honours degree in Equine Science, and subsequently qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002. Nicola has written for many veterinary publications and textbooks and is the editor of Aspinall’s Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing. Nicola is one of the Consultant Editors for The Veterinary Nurse. Nicola has previously won the BVNA / Blue Cross Veterinary Nurse of the Year and was this year awarded the BSAVA Outstanding Contribution to Veterinary Nursing Award. Nicola has gained her master’s degree in advanced veterinary nursing from Glasgow University; and is a board-certified Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in nutrition status.

Arlene Connor:

Arlene qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2003 and subsequently worked in a small animal practice in central Scotland. She joined Vets Now 24/7 Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Glasgow in 2013 as a surgery nurse, before becoming Clinical Nursing Manager in 2014. In 2017, Arlene took on the role of Head of Clinical Operations for Vets Now’s Referral Hospital sites across the UK, which saw her represent Referrals within VetsNow as a member of the Veterinary and Nursing Standards group and at the company’s Clinical Strategy Board. In 2021 Arlene moved over to IVC Evidensia as National Lead of Referral Nursing, within the newly created Referral Division, taking the lead on the UK’s Referral Nurse Strategy. In addition, with the rest of the National Clinical Lead team, Arlene is responsible for the clinical and professional standards within the hospital and is part of the team responsible for opening new IVC Evidensia Referral Hospitals in the U.K.

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Please note that the views expressed by hosts and guests in this podcast Clinic do not necessarily reflect those of IVC Evidensia.

Links:

IVC Evidensia Referrals https://www.ivcevidensiareferrals.com/

RCVS Guidelines: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/tools-and-resources/guidelines/

RCVS Checklists: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/tools-and-resources/checklists/

Vetlife: https://www.vetlife.org.uk/