Somerset RVN Using Free CPD Session To Deliver Vital Mental Health Message For VN Awareness Month
3 years ago 
689 views
A Somerset animal hospital’s head nurse is taking the vital mental health awareness message to a virtual audience when she hosts a free CPD session on the importance of wellbeing.
Helen Bye, from Cave Veterinary Specialists, in West Buckland, will be drawing on her own experiences of mental and physical health issues and looking at how people respond differently to each.
The webinar takes place on Thursday, May 27 at 8pm via Microsoft Teams and is being held as part of Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month.
Helen will be using the session to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing; what makes it good and what makes it poor, and the symptoms of poor mental health.
She said she hoped delivering a session as a line manager would cause a ripple effect, enabling people at all levels of a practice to feel comfortable talking about mental health if senior managers are leading the discussion.
Helen said: “In both my personal life and work life I have found myself providing support to individuals who are suffering with poor mental health.'
“I'm very aware it can affect people who you would least expect it to affect – and it can be hidden. In many cases individuals are still high functioning, and to the outside eye you would never know they were struggling.
“As a line manager, it is really important to be available to discuss mental health openly and not be behind closed doors. If people feel able to talk about mental health, it might give them the confidence to come forward.”
Helen has taken part in the mental health first aid course provided by Cave’s parent company Linnaeus and said she uses the learnings from it every day in practice.
“As individuals in the veterinary profession, we are quite emotive people and take on a lot of responsibility for our patients. But we are humans, not robots, and it can be a big fall if things go wrong,” she added.
“The consequences for the patient and the client can be huge and you carry that on your shoulders – it’s a position not everyone will be able to appreciate.
“For me, it is about removing the stigma and creating the pathways for people to get help.”
You can register for a link to Helen’s webinar by emailing [email protected].
For more information on Cave Veterinary Specialists, visit https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk or search for Cave Veterinary Specialists on social media.
More from Linnaeus Group
- West Midlands communication agency celebrates national award for veterinary marketing campaign
- Senior receptionist celebrates 10 years at Ashby vet practice
- Best 'paws' forward for worthy cat cause
- Dog cheats death thanks to surgery skills of Cheshire vets
- Elderly dog given new lease of life following complex spinal surgery
1 day ago