The project arose from a desire to explore the specific communication skills utlised by veterinary nurses (VNs) in their interactions with and in building relationships with clients, and to provide guidance that would be a useful tool both in practice and teaching. Our objectives were, in summary, to promote best practice in veterinary nurse-client communication by:
A group of panellists from varying backgrounds were sourced and a Delphi approach was used, involving a series of time-sensitive surveys being sent to panellists, facilitating anonymous responses. Responses were collated and fed-back to panellists along with distribution of the proceeding survey. A workshop held at the VetEd conference (July 2017) offered further input to the matrix. A discussion forum, provided via ONCORE's VLE, also provided opportunity for participants to discuss key elements. At the date of this abstract submission, a graphical representation of the matrix has been devised, and the components and skills required for the key elements of VN-client interaction have been agreed upon. The key findings demonstrate that shared decision-making, 'sharing information', motivational interviewing techniques and reflective practice skills are key components of VN communication with clients.
Macdonald, Jill* |