Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information
for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Professional Studies 5 |
| Unit code |
VETS36001 |
| Credit points |
0 |
| Level of study |
H/6
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Blaxter |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
s None |
| Co-requisites |
s All other Units in BVSc 5: Clinical rotations in Farm Animal Science and Companion Animal Science ; Elective study.
|
| School/department |
Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Health Sciences |
Description including Unit Aims
This Unit is vertically integrated with Professional Studies Units in previous years and results in an understanding of the complex issues and responsibilities associated with being a veterinary professional.
Communication skills - Teaching on clinical rotations allows coaching of effective verbal and written communication skills with clients and colleagues.
Professional conduct, ethics and law - Work in practices and hospitals on clinical rotations, and in group seminars, allows students to consider professional conduct and apply jurisprudence and ethics.
Business management - Clinical rotations are based in commercial businesses allowing students to witness practical application of business principles, complemented by work on a specific problem solving task.
Health and safety - The health and safety guidelines of each rotation allows students to apply knowledge gained previously, complemented by work on a specific problem solving task.
Study learning and investigation - The issues of life-long learning and the RCVS requirements for this and PDPs post-graduation are discussed.
Aims:
- To develop effective and compassionate skills of verbal communication with colleagues, support and junior staff, supervisors and clients through repeated rehearsal and reflection with clinicians and trained facilitators.
- To develop written communication skills to produce accurate and well presented clinical records and reports.
- To develop knowledge and understanding of the application of the law and the guidelines of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to veterinary work.
- To develop knowledge and understanding of common veterinary business practice management.
- To understand and comply with health and safety legislation and guidelines in clinical settings and make appropriate decisions when confronted with common issues.
- To understand the principles of evidence based medicine and how to perform clinical trials.
- To understand the needs and requirements for life long learning and the Professional Development Phase of the RCVS.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Communication skills:
Students should be able to:
- Communicate effectively with colleagues, support staff and clients verbally and write detailed letters and reports.
- Write accurate, well organised and appropriate clinical notes and detailed reports associated with cases.
- Work effectively within a team to share information and make decisions.
- Demonstrate a good understanding of the skills required to communicate well in a range of more challenging clinical situations.
Professional conduct, ethics and law: Students should be able to:
- Identify the skills they need to manage the transition to practice and employment effectively.
- Apply the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct to a range of challenging situations in practice.
Business management:
Students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a good basic knowledge of business management issues and the complexities of managing veterinary practices.
Health and safety:
Students should be able to:
- State the relevance of health and safety to clinical situations.
- Work effectively within a team to carry out investigations, share information and make decisions about health and safety.
- Apply knowledge of health and safety to specific clinical situations, including to all members of the veterinary team.
- Perform risk assessments and COSHH evaluations in practice.
Study learning and investigation:
Students should be able to:
- Describe the requirements of the veterinary profession for life-long learning.
- Describe how the RCVS PDP operates and the learning/continuing-education opportunities outside university.
- Identify how to collect clinical data and perform clinical research in practice
- Identify how they can apply evidence based medicine to clinical work in practice .
- Reflect on their personal study skills and relate these to the context of the PDP and the RCVS requirements for continuing professional development beyond graduation with tutors
Teaching Information
Lectures, seminars, debate, practicals, computer-assisted-learning, reflective journal
Assessment Information
As befits the assessment of clinical competence, the assessments in this Unit are all bimodal pass-fail. Before being entered into the final BVSc examination students must have:
- Submitted satisfactory Health and Safety risk assessments associated with all their clinical EMS placements – these should be placed in the individual student’s Professional Studies portfolio as well as being submitted to the EMS office.
- Achieved a pass overall in the cumulative total of their communication skills scores/grades throughout all relevant clinical rotations.
- Completed satisfactorily the Business Management clinical rotation task (the mark assigned for this contributes to the FOSAP clinical rotation).
- Completed satisfactorily the Health and Safety clinical rotation task (the mark assigned for this contributes to the FOSAP clinical rotation).
- Submitted a satisfactory reflective journal entry on life long learning in their Professional Studies portfolio and discussed this with their personal tutors.
PROGRESSION INTO FINAL BVSc EXAMINATION
Review opportunities with the Unit Director and/por personal tutor will be given throughout the second and third term.
In the event of unsatisfactory reflective journal entries, multiple opportunities will be given to resubmit improved entries.
The Unit Director, EMS Coordinator and Clinical Rotational Organiser will meet termly to assess students’ progress on clinical rotations. In relation to this Unit, the specific tasks in communication skills and on the FOSAP clinical rotation will be reviewed. Individual students will be given opportunities to redo/resubmit the specific tasks. Guidance will be offered after each rotation on how to improve communication skills in sequential placements.
Failure to complete the tasks to a satisfactory standard will result in failure to progress to entry to the final exams.
Reading and References
- Gray and Moffett (2010) ‘Handbook of Veterinary Communication Skills’, Wiley-Blackwell
- Moreau and Nap (2010), Essentials of Veterinary Practice: An Introduction to the Science of Practice Management, Henston
- Shilcock and Stutchfield (2008) Veterinary Practice Management: A Practical Guide 2nd Ed
- Silverman, Kurtz and Draper (2005) ‘Skills for communicating with patients’, Radcliffe Medical Press
