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- Should the kennel cough vaccine be given during COVID-19?
- Can cats transfer COVID-19 to other animals, and is there a risk of zoonosis
- What's the difference between FCoV and COVID-19?
- What can we clean a patient with, and will this kill COVID-19?
- Does ultraviolet light actually kill COVID-19?
- Will good weather affect infection rates of COVID-19?
- When should we test an animal for COVID-19?
- How do Face Coverings work?
- What evidence supports use of face coverings?
- How and when to wear a face covering
- Do ferrets and other mustelids pose a zoonotic risk for COVID-19?
- Mink and COVID-19: The Denmark mutation
- What advice should we give owners of ferrets during COVID-19?
- How can we offer a cat friendly environment during COVID-19?
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QI CPD
Our free CPD resources are created with input from our Quality Improvement Advisory Board and working parties. We offer two types of CPD:
- Our resources will introduce you to different QI techniques, and help you understand the processes you can put in place to help improve outcomes.
- Our webinars can provide guidance for interventions to support your quality improvement techniques.
QI techniques
Current Resources
Interventions to support your outcomes
Anaesthesia and Surgery
How to become a quality improvement ambassador to improve clinical standards in your practice (CPD: 45 minutes)
Getting started with quality improvement in practice can be daunting if you don't know where to start, and continuous quality improvement can often seem overwhelming. In this webinar produced for BSAVA 2020, Louise Northway, RVN, discusses why quality improvement is a staple in practice, how to get started with clinical audit and what your results might indicate for patient care.
Based on practical examples, including Lou's award-winning small animal neutering audit, find out how to use evidence to improve standards of care, and how QI can help promote a just culture.
Featuring:
Louise Northway VNCertECC NCert(Anaesth) RVN
- Listen to the podcast recording
- Download the transcript and presentation
- View our resources on Clinical Audit
- Read the small animal neutering audit (CPD: 20 minutes)
- View our resources on Significant Event Audit
- Check out our journal Veterinary Evidence
Inpatient care
Management of Feline Chronic Kidney Disease webinar (CPD: 90 minutes)
CKD is a common diagnosis, especially in elderly cats, and results in shortened lifespan and reduced quality of life due to weight loss, variable/poor appetite, vomiting, polyuria and polydipsia. A successful outcome depends on an individualized approach, which is developed with the involvement of the cat’s owner. Monitoring visits are very important to ensure that owners are supported and that clinical problems are identified and treated promptly.
Introducing new concepts and best practice into a busy clinic can be challenging. This webinar discusses the best available treatment for CKD and how getting the team involved in the development of practice specific clinical guidelines can drive the standard of medicine at which we practice.
Featuring: -
Paul Pollard MVB Cert AVP(VC) Pg Dip Vet Ed FHEA MRCVS: RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisor.
Dr Sarah Caney BVSc PhD DSAM(Feline) MRCVS: CEO of Vet Professionals.
- Listen to the podcast recording
Feline Chronic Kidney Disease further reading
- International Renal Interest Society (IRIS): Guidelines on the staging of CKD (CPD: 10 minutes) [PDF 593KB] (Updated 2019). This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
- IRIS treatment recommendations (CPD: 30 minutes) [PDF 926KB] (Updated 2019).This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
- IRIS grading of AKI (updated 2016). This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
- Chronic Kidney Disease information by International Cat Care (updated August 2018).This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
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CatCareforLife- a collaboration between the International Society of Feline Medicine and International Cat Care to encourage both owners and vets to work together proactively to manage the health of felines. This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
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IDEXX SDMA Resource Centre. This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
Infection control and biosecurity
Part 1: Infection control and biosecurity during COVID- 19 (CPD: 60 minutes)
RCVS Knowledge webinar providing an introduction to the evidence base on COVID-19 and the patient/client journey within veterinary practice.
Featuring:-
- Pam Mosedale (webinar chair): Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board, Lead Practice Standards Scheme Assessor (RCVS) and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Alan Radford: Professor in Veterinary Health Informatics at the University of Liverpool and RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisor.
- Dr Tim Nuttall: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh; RCVS Knowledge Infection Control Advisor and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Listen to the podcast recording of this webinar
- Access our COVID-19 resources here
- Download the presentation and the transcript.
Part 2: Organisms of concern and modes of transport (CPD: 60 minutes)
A webinar introducing organisms that can be found in practice, how they can be transported to patients, and potential fomites risks. Including emerging infectious and antimicrobial-resistant agents in veterinary practice, sources of infection and routes of transmission.
Featuring:-
- Pam Mosedale (webinar chair): Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board, Lead Practice Standards Scheme Assessor (RCVS) and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Dr Tim Nuttall: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh; RCVS Knowledge Infection Control Advisor and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Listen to the podcast recording of this webinar
- Download the accompanying presentation and transcript.
Part 3: Policies and procedures in routine practice (CPD: 70 minutes)
Introducing how to implement routine infection control policies and procedures in practice. Covering the creation of an infection control group, developing a biosecurity policy, the role of the infection prevention and control nurse and considerations for infection control in practice.
Featuring:-
- Pam Mosedale (webinar chair): Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board, Lead Practice Standards Scheme Assessor (RCVS) and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Liz Branscombe DipAVN(Surgical) RVN: Training Manager Davies Veterinary Specialists and RCVS Knowledge Trustee.
- Listen to the podcast recording of this webinar
- Download the accompanying presentation and transcript.
Part 4: Disinfectant types (CPD: 30 minutes)
This webinar will help you understand differing disinfectant types, how they work, and what pathogens they should be used on. Including disinfection terminology, action of disinfectants, active ingredients and how to select the appropriate disinfectant.
Featuring:-
- Pam Mosedale (webinar chair): Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board, Lead Practice Standards Scheme Assessor (RCVS) and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Sairéad Wild PgDip BSc (Hons), RVN: Course Director for the University Centre West Anglia's Access to Veterinary Science.
- Listen to the podcast recording of this webinar
- Download the accompanying presentation and transcript.
Part 5: Auditing infection control (CPD: 60 minutes)
Once you have your infection control guidelines in place, how do you know if they are helping to improve patient outcomes? The final part in our webinar series will help you understand how audit can be useful in infection control, how to audit your cleaning protocols, hand hygiene and post-operative complications.
Featuring:-
- Dr Tim Nuttall: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh; RCVS Knowledge Infection Control Advisor and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Pam Mosedale: Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board, Lead Practice Standards Scheme Assessor (RCVS) and Bella Moss Clinical Advisor.
- Listen to the podcast recording of this webinar
- Download the accompanying presentation and transcript.
Infection control supporting resources
These resources have kindly been shared as examples of how other practices and organisations are applying infection control in their workplace. Our recommendation is for practice teams to work together to create evidence-based guidelines that are applicable to their circumstances and to apply them by also taking into consideration clinical expertise and judgement along with patient’s circumstances and owners’ values. You can find out more with our dedicated CPD courses.
Please email ebvm@rcvsknowledge.org to suggest materials for inclusion.
- View our dedicated page on COVID-19 to access resources and the latest evidence.
- CVS Infection control, barrier nursing and case isolation (CPD: 20 minutes) [1519 KB] (updated March 2020).
- Davies Veterinary Specialists biosecurity, hand hygiene, isolation protocol and categorising and managing patients (CPD: 20 minutes) [2121 KB] (updated March 2020).
- Visit The Bella Moss Foundation, a charity which promotes prudent antimicrobial use and hygiene in human and veterinary medicine. This link will take you to a new page and open in a new window.
Infection control case examples
The following case examples have been provided by practices and describe how they have implemented quality improvement initiatives within their teams. If you would like to submit a case example of your own, please email us.
- Vale Vets hygiene audit (CPD: 15 minutes) [1134 KB PDF] (updated 17th April 2020).
- Vets Now Referrals Glasgow hand hygiene audit (CPD: 20 minutes) [922 KB PDF] (updated 2019).
Infection control further reading
- Guelph Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses: Ontario Animal Health Network - Infection Prevention and Control Best Practices for Small Animal Veterinary Clinics (CPD: 4 hours) [9140 KB PDF] (updated January 2020).
- AAHA Infection Control, Prevention, and Biosecurity Guidelines (CPD: 75 minutes) [2700 KB PDF] (updated November/December 2018).
- Redshaw, J. 2018. Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilisation Policy. NHS Northern Care Alliance. V2.5. (CPD: 30 minutes)
- Wild, S. 2017. Infection control for practice standards. Veterinary Nursing Journal. 21:10 (308-312). (subscription required) (CPD: 20 minutes)
- Wild, S. 2017. A quick guide to disinfectants. Veterinary Nursing Journal. 32:12 (375-378). (subscription required) (CPD: 20 minutes)
- VMD Responsible Antibiotic use under the Cascade (CPD: 15 minutes) [87 KB PDF] (last updated August 2014).
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: Antimicrobial Resistance. Information and advice for healthcare providers and veterinarians on antibiotic resistance.
Leadership and teamwork
Leading positive change in practice (CPD: 30 minutes)
Getting the whole team on board is often harder than it seems. In this webinar recorded as part of BVNA's This is Us online event, we discuss how to introduce new concepts and changes to your team in a way that will encourage uptake, and what to do if others in your team don’t share the same passion for change.
Featuring:
Amelia Poole DipAVN Cert VNECC, Cert(ISFM)FN, RVN
Kelly Tillett BSc (Hons) REVN RVN
Heen Silver-MacMahon PGDip PSCHF, Cert VNECC, DipAVN (Surg), Cert SAN, RVN
- Listen to the podcast recording
The power of a growth mindset: why certain habits of mind matter in clinical improvement (CPD: 35 minutes)
How importance are superpowers within our clinical settings?
These superpowers are also described as a growth mindset, and Professor of Learning, Bill Lucas discusses some key steps to help develop this mindset into an everyday habit, giving you and your team the skills and capabilities to start making improvements that will really make a difference. This webinar 'The power of a growth mindset: why certain habits of mind matter in clinical improvement’ was an RCVS Knowledge sponsored session at the SPVS-VMG Focus on Leadership and Management Virtual Summit held on 1st December 2020.
Disclaimer
The information provided is for educational purposes and does not override the responsibility of the practitioner. Informed decisions should be made by considering such factors as the current evidence base, individual clinical expertise and judgement along with patient’s circumstances and owners’ values. While RCVS Knowledge believes that all content herein is in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication, they accept no legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, and make no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained within.
Updated: 06/01/2021