VetSkill releases nine new OSCE tasks, with the inclusion of a wellbeing focused task
VetSkill recently released nine new evidence-based Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) tasks, which encompass contemporary and holistic veterinary nursing.
Set to start being assessed in April 2025, the new OSCE tasks encompass areas within the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Day One Skills for Veterinary Nurses that were not previously being assessed via an OSCE.
With this, VetSkill is proud to become the first awarding organisation to develop an OSCE with a wellbeing focus, aligning with the new RCVS Day One Skill 2.11 (Demonstrate compliance with practice protocols in regard to health and wellbeing of personnel). The new bank of wellbeing OSCEs touches on topics such as mental health, client and patient welfare, colleague support, and bereavement, and highlights the communication and signposting processes that should take place within these contexts.
The new Supporting a colleague’s wellbeing task highlights the importance of emotional support between colleagues and has been designed to help equip learners with the skills needed to initiate open and supportive conversations around mental health. Signposting plays a central role in the suitable completion of this task.
The task Supporting a bereaved client focuses on the need to express empathy and sympathy, preparing learners to navigate difficult conversations with clients around the time of euthanasia.
Continuing with the theme of communication, VetSkill has also released a Post-operative check task, which will enable learners to demonstrate skills necessary for nursing consultations, with an emphasis on effective communication. Additionally, this task will enable learners to physically examine a surgical site and take appropriate actions based on their findings.
VetSkill has included tasks across several other themes, including Theatre Practice, with the addition of the new Instrument cleaning task, Dispensing and SQP, with the inclusion of the new additional Dispensing medication task, and Laboratory Diagnostics, with the Urine sediment analysis task. Furthermore, an Ear bandage task has also been introduced within the theme of Nursing Care and Infection Control, along with a new Fluid therapy task, which includes the use of an infusion pump, and an Indirect blood pressure monitoring task.
Emma Du Beke, Practical Examinations Lead at VetSkill, comments:
“VetSkill, and the Practical Examinations Team in particular, is excited to introduce the new OSCE tasks, which will enhance our current bank of OSCEs while allowing us to assess the Day One Skills more broadly across the DOS sections.
We are extremely proud to be the first awarding organisation to develop a wellbeing centred task and hope this will work as a stepping stone to highlight and promote the importance of protecting mental health and positive wellbeing within the profession. This is an opportunity for the next generation of veterinary nurses to develop the skills required to talk openly about wellbeing while learning how to initiate conversations, actively listen and signpost affectively.”
VetSkill’s new OSCE tasks were made available to centres in October 2024 and will start being assessed in April 2025.
Learn more about VetSkill’s qualifications here. For further information on becoming an approved VetSkill centre, please visit: Become a Centre — VetSkill. A dedicated member of the VetSkill Quality Assurance Team will be in contact to arrange an initial meeting to discuss the process and provide support and guidance throughout.