On 11-12 May 2019 The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) held their annual Head Nurse Congress event. Sponsored by Veterinary Management Group, the event saw 100 current and aspiring head nurses come together to share ideas with like-minded individuals and listen to lectures from a variety of industry speakers.
The event was deemed a success with attendees, who left feedback saying they “Would recommend [the congress] to anyone aspiring to be a head nurse”. Others commented: “Very informative! [I’ve] learnt so much that I can take back to practice and implement straight away.”, “The speakers were incredibly inspiring” and “The lectures were beneficial and [I] will be able to use knowledge [I’ve] learnt on an everyday basis”.
Relocated to the East of England Arena and Events Centre in Peterborough, this year’s congress saw lectures on a variety of topics impacting the veterinary industry today. Some of these included effective management, the millennial generation, recruitment challenges and communication. Throughout the two-day event delegates also had the opportunity to speak to over 20 exhibitors who attended from across the veterinary industry, specialising in areas from surgical supplies and veterinary products, to recruitment and customer care training. Awarding Organisation VetSkill closed day one of the congress with a presentation addressing their vision for advanced veterinary nurse training, followed by CAW’s Summer BBQ, which gave delegates the opportunity to get to know one another in a more social setting over a glass of prosecco.
Event organiser, Tracey Croucher, said: “It was amazing to once again see so many current and aspiring head nurses who are so passionate about the industry come together under one roof and look at all the challenges they face within their roles today.” She added: “We would like to thank our event sponsor, Veterinary Management Group (VMG), as well as the amazing speakers, exhibitors and delegates for making the congress a huge success!”
VMG President Gillian Page added: “The range of topics under discussion and the quality of the speakers made this a fabulous congress. It was great to see so many head nurses sharing experiences with colleagues, honing their skills and making new contacts. As the educational and representative body for all veterinary professionals in a leadership role, we were delighted to support it.”
A date for Head Nurse Congress 2020 will be announced in due course and those interested in hearing about next year’s event can register their details at www.caw.ac.uk/hnc.