Vet nurses invited to mental health research project
The project examines the mental health education of veterinary students.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is calling on practising veterinary nurses to contribute to a new research project.
The project aims to study how mental health education features in the training of student veterinary nurses.
The research is being led by Faye Didymus and Jackie Hargreaves, both of Leeds Beckett University. Using the data, Dr Didymus and Dr Hargreaves will develop evidence-based recommendations suggesting how the mental health education of veterinary students can be improved.
This project is the last to be funded through the RCVS Mind Matters Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant, received by the researchers in 2023. The grant, which has been awarded since 2019, funds research into the mental health and wellbeing of those in the veterinary profession.
So far, the project has involved the researchers examining the extent to which mental health content features within accredited veterinary nursing courses.
For the next stage of the project, they want to understand current veterinary nurses’ experiences of mental health in the workplace and how they feel it should be incorporated into the curriculum. They are currently recruiting for their project, and are seeking veterinary nurses working in practice to participate.
Applicants will be invited to an interview, approximately 60 minutes long, to discuss the topic. This will include questions about their confidence with practical skills, coping with work stress, and how to prepare students for a workplace.
The deadline for applications is Saturday, 7 September.
Dr Hargreaves said: “We are seeking VNs who are currently working in practice who have thoughts and ideas about how to further integrate mental health into the veterinary nursing curriculum. If you fit into this category, we would be very grateful if you could take the time to participate in our study.
“There is currently little research in this area, and we hope that the outcomes of our project will make a real tangible difference to the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary nurses both throughout their studies and in the long term when they enter the workforce.”
If you are interested in participating, and meet the criteria, email j.hargreaves@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or jennifer.rawson@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for more information.
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