Outline of New Arrangements for Veterinary Nurses

As a result of the perceived demand AMTRA and Harper Adams University College have developed a plan to allow qualified VNs to "add on" to their VN qualification and to become an AMTRA SQP who can prescribe VPS medicines for companion animals - termed a C-SQP.

Since qualified VNs already have been assessed on some of the relevant material in this qualification they can be given credit for this and just have to be assessed on the “new” material and the working understanding of their other knowledge checked.

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A potential SQP must register with AMTRA as the body holding the professional register (just as the RCVS does for the VN qualification) but Harper Adams will conduct the assessment and will award the necessary academic credits, whether the assessment is at Harper Adams or at another centre.

The assessment will be in an exam format and will contain a case study with a description of a scenario. An example might be: Non client X comes into surgery with young dog Y just obtained from a rescue kennel. It has been vaccinated but the new owner has been told to get the dog wormed. Describe the procedure an SQP vet nurse would go through, including questions asked, advice given, products sold and data recorded. There would also be some short answer questions to cover knowledge of other areas of the medicines legislation relevant to SQPs. e.g. legal aspects of medicine storage. A VN will be required to bring their original VN certificate and a photocopy of it with them as proof of achievement in the areas for which they have already been given credit.

Enrolment and Assessment

Veterinary Nurses enrolling with AMTRA will be provided with written course material. Revision courses are offered by some examination centres. Check the AMTRA website (www.amtra.org.uk) for full details. It is likely that revision courses will be offered the day before the assessment if there is any demand for them.

The AMTRA enrolment fee includes the examination fee, the AMTRA assessment fee, the price of the training material, the Harper Adams assessment/credit rating/quality control fee, and for successful candidates, a free NOAH Compendium containing data sheets of those medicines which qualified SQPs can prescribe, free inclusion on the AMTRA VN SQP Register for the remainder of the calendar year of the examination, access to AMTRA services and to Continuing Professional Development

Non-qualified nurses and receptionists can also become SQP’s but they will have to enrol as a new student, and then study a base module and a companion animal module and be assessed upon, i.e. more study and assessment as they do not have a formal relevant qualification which can be accredited.

If the right to dispense medicines to horses and/or farm animals is wanted or needed by a practice then the appropriate modules can be assessed and added on to the C-SQP qualification.

AMTRA Veterinary Nurse Enrolment fee: £185 (including the examination fee and a full copy of the syllabus manual)

What the examination looks like

The VN Top Up module examination is made up of two sections: the first is an essay question - a client and companion animal parasite scenario. The potential SQP is expected to ask the potential client the relevant questions, give advice and supply appropriate medication within the scope of their intended SQP qualification if required.

Multiple choice and short answer questions form the second half of the paper, covering current legislation and relevant companion animal health areas.

Examination Centres and Taught Courses

Current AMTRA Examination centres also offering training courses are listed below, with the timetable of courses and examinations currently on offer. Further examination centres and courses will be added to this list as they become available. Check the AMTRA website (www.amtra.org.uk) for the most up to date information.

VNs should enrol with AMTRA, but book any training/revision directly with the college concerned.

ASKHAM BRYAN COLLEGE, YORK

Veterinary Nurse Conversion examination dates:

24 September 2008

Askham Bryan College, Askham Bryan, York YO23 3FR

Contact: Sarah Wickham
Email: shortcourses@askham-bryan.ac.uk
Telephone: 01904 772200

BICTON COLLEGE, DEVON

VN Conversion Examination: 5 September 2008

Bicton College, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 7BY
Contact: Janet Litten
Email: jmlitten@bicton.ac.uk
Telephone: 01395 562300
Fax: 01395 567502

BRIDGWATER COLLEGE, SOMERSET

VN Conversion Examination: none at present

Bridgwater College, Cannington, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 2LS
Contact: Gemma Dix
Email: dixg@bridgwater.ac.uk
Tel: 01278 655255

ROSEWARNE DUCHY COLLEGE, CORNWALL

Veterinary Nurse Conversion examination dates:

TBC

Rosewarne Duchy College, Vet Nursing Dept, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 0AB
Contact: Helen Dingle
Tel: 01209 722124
Email: helen.dingle@duchy.ac.uk

GREENMOUNT CAMPUS, ANTRIM

VN Conversion Examination: 20 October 2008

Contact: Louise Millsopp
Tel: 028 9442 6634
Fax: 028 9442 6901
Email: louise.millsopp@dardni.gov.uk

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, SHROPSHIRE

VN Conversion Examinations:
11 July 2008

Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB
Contact: Lisa Chapman, Short Course Administrator
Email: lchapman@harper-adams.ac.uk
Telephone 01952 815300

MOULTON COLLEGE, NORTHAMPTON

VN Conversion Revision Course: 17 July 2008 (9-5pm)
VN Conversion Examination: 21 July 2008

Holcot Centre
Moulton College
Moulton
Northants
NN3 7RR

Contact: Claire Whitworth or Holcot Reception
Email: whitworth@moulton.ac.uk
Tel: 01604 491131

MYF TRAINING, HAMPSHIRE

Veterinary Nurse Conversion Examination dates:

VN Conversion Revision Course 9 October 2008 10.30am-5.30pm
VN Conversion Examination 10 October 2008 10.30am-12.30pm

VN Conversion Revision Course 19 February 2009 10.30am-5.30pm
VN Examination 20 February 2009 10.30am-12.30pm

VN Conversion Revision Course 27 May 2009 10.30am-5.30pm
VN Examination 28 May 2009 10.30am-12.30pm

Examinations will also be held on the Equine and Farm animal modules from 1.30-3.30pm on the above examination dates for those nurses who wish to up-grade from C-SQP to one of the other SQP categories.

For details of training courses please contact the college direct.

MYF Training, Hippodrome House, Station Road, Aldershot, Hants, GU11 1LZ
Contact: Julie Ouston
Email: myf.training@virgin.net
Telephone: 01252 319636

PLUMPTON COLLEGE, EAST SUSSEX

VN Conversion examination 23 September 2008

Plumpton College, Ditchling Road, Plumpton, Nr Lewes, East Sussex BN7 3AE
Contact: Michelle Ward
Email: michelle.ward@plumpton.ac.uk
Tel: 01273 892055
Fax: 01273 890071

SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)

VN Conversion examinations will be held at:

SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr 31 July 2008

SPARSHOLT COLLEGE, HAMPSHIRE

VN Conversion review sessions:
Saturday 25 October 2008
Saturday 31 January 2009

VN Conversion Examinations Exam dates:

28 October 2008
17 February 2009

Sparsholt College
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 2NF

Contact: Amanda Miller
Email:amanda.miller@sparsholt.ac.uk
Tel: 01962 797388

WRITTLE COLLEGE, CHELMSFORD

VN Conversion Examinations:

29 July 2008
2 September 2008

Contact: Michelle Williams
Writtle College, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3RR
michelle.williams@writtle.ac.uk
Tel: 01245 424200 extn 25697
Fax: 01245 420456

VNs should enrol with AMTRA, but book any training/revision directly with the college concerned.

This page last updated 08/07/2008