Crowther, Chloe

Holt, Susan

English

Due to the increasing popularity of exotics (classified as lagomorph, rodent, reptile or avian species) as pets and the willingness of owners to seek veterinary advice, there is a much higher demand for veterinary nurses to develop their knowledge and clinical skills of these species. An exotic patient’s level of care is determined by the level of knowledge the professional holds, therefore to ensure successful treatment, all veterinary staff require an understanding of the basic biology, husbandry and medical parameters of each individual species. Previous research, within human nursing and sport studies, has demonstrated that increased confidence has a positive effect on an individuals’ performance

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An investigation into the confidence levels of veterinary nurses when caring for exotic species

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INTRODUCTIONDue to the increasing popularity of exotics (classified as lagomorph, rodent, reptile or avian species) as pets and the willingness of owners to seek veterinary advice, there is a much higher demand for veterinary nurses to develop their knowledge and clinical skills of these species. An exotic patient’s level of care is determined by the level of knowledge the professional holds, therefore to ensure successful treatment, all veterinary staff require an understanding of the basic biology, husbandry and medical parameters of each individual species. Previous research, within human nursing and sport studies, has demonstrated that increased confidence has a positive effect on an individuals’ performance. is deterVeterinary Nursing Research Group,Hartpury University Centre, Gloucester, UK, GL19 3BE.Contact author:  chloe.crowther@hartpury.ac.ukMETHODOLOGYA stratified sampling technique was used bydistributing an anonymous survey, with 15questions, via Survey Monkey® amongstRegistered Veterinary Nurses and StudentVeterinary Nurses within the UK using thesocial media website Facebook®. In additionfifty practices were randomly chosen byselecting every 3rd practice from an onlinedirectory.Data collected was both qualitative andquantitative with participants being asked torate their confidence levels, provide opinionsand answer closed ended questions.Results were analysed using SPSS, including aKolmogorov-Smirnov test and Friedman’s test.An investigation into the confidence levels of veterinary nurses when caring for exotic speciesChloe Crowther and Susan HoltRESULTSA total of 256 participants completed the survey(registered veterinary nurses: n=144; studentveterinary nurses: n=112).The results from the statistical testsdemonstrate a significant difference betweenconfidence levels in feline and canine nursingcompared to that in exotics species (P<0.001).(See Figures 1 and 2).94.1% (n=241) of veterinary nurses thoughtthere was inadequate training available onexotic species. (See Figure 3).94.1% (n=241) felt patient welfare could becompromised due to a lack of education onexotic species. (See Figure 4).CONCLUSIONSThe results from this study demonstrate a lack of confidence in Veterinary Nurses when dealing with exotic species. The results suggest that changes may be required to the syllabus to increase the levels of care that exotic species receive. Veterinary Nurses should also attend appropriate CPD events to ensure their skills and knowledge are relevant to the species they are caring for.Research objective: To explore if the veterinary nursing profession has an overall low confidence when dealing with exotic species.  Figure 4: Do you feel patient welfare could be compromised by a lack of education on exotic species?Figure 1: How would you rate your knowledge of basic medical care for each of the following species? (1 being least confident and 5 being most confident)Figure 2: How would you rate your knowledge of anaesthesia for each of the following species? (1 being least confident and 5 being most confident?)Figure 3: Do you think there is adequate training for student veterinary nurses on the care of exotic patients?

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An investigation into the confidence levels of veterinary nurses when caring for exotic species

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