PUBLICATIONS

17 May 2022 - In response to ongoing pressures on veterinary practices due to COVID 19, AVPRC has extended support for education providers applying for temporary alternatives to work based hours for students who haven't been able to attend work placement due to COVID 19. This letter supports clinical alternatives that were established in April 2020 and in consultation with education providers. It will assist providers applying to NZQA and their own academic boards for approval for temporary alternatives to workplace hours.

25 March 2022 - The AVPRC is responding to provider concerns about the lack of workplaces taking on students during red traffic light COVID alert level restrictions. Many workplaces have been putting student placements on hold while working under Covid-19 alert safety plans. This has impacted on the number of students able to complete their studies, and subsequently has affected the number of students able to be accepted into training programmes this year. With the veterinary sector facing a very real skills shortage, this reduction in qualified graduates could have lasting effects on the workforce for years to come. The AVPRC has produced a letter that can be sent to workplaces encouraging collaboration to mitigate challenges and overcome barriers to taking on students for placement.

7 October 2021 - The Educational Standards Committee met with AVP education providers who expressed concern that some veterinary nursing and animal healthcare students are not able to complete work placement as some veterinary practices are no longer taking students under COVID alert level restrictions. This has impacts on students being able to graduate on time, and potentially could exacerbate the current skills shortage. The AVPRC has written a letter to industry in support of veterinary practices considering how providers can work together with clinics to mitigate risks and help ensure work placement opportunities are available for students to be successful in achieving graduation requirements. The letter can be seen here.

20 September 2021 - The AVPRC has responded to an education provider query looking for support in their application to NZQA for temporary alternatives to enrolment eligibility. This query was related to some applicants being unable to complete three days of clinical workplace observation as a requirement to apply for study in veterinary nursing programmes. A letter of support has been provided to providers for temporary written alternatives. This process was agreed by education providers in 2020 and is being renewed for 2021 applications.

3 September 2021 - The AVPRC has put forward a letter of support in response to education providers applying for temporary alternatives to work based hours for students who haven't been able to attend work placement due to COVID 19 alert level increases. This letter supports the clinical alternatives that were in place in April 2020 and will assist providers applying to NZQA and their own academic boards for approval for temporary alternatives to workplace hours.

July 2021 - The AVPRC has developed a position statement to support NZVA’s work on enacting new regulation to allow qualified and registered veterinary nurses/technicians to undertake sub gingival scaling and periodontal probing as part of the comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment of companion animals.

July 2021 - The AVPRC has developed a position statement to support the NZVA in developing a position to ensure present and ongoing health and welfare standards are embedded in a new dog grooming qualification in development via Primary ITO. This is particularly relevant to the issue of dental scaling by groomers, without anaesthesia.

June 2021 - The AVPRC joined VCNZ and in a meeting with the Parliamentary Primary Production Committee 11am 24 June 2021 to present rebuttal evidence, clarifying inaccuracies in MPI’s response, and enforcing the reasons why regulation is needed and well supported by the veterinary industry. The AVPRC developed a position statement rebuttal to the Ministry of Primary Industry’s (MPI) response to Richard Jin’s Legislative Petition for Regulation of AVPs.

May 2020 - The AVPRC has developed a position statement in collaboration with NZVNA and education providers, outlining allowed skills in veterinary nursing programmes that may be replaced by non-clinical alternatives due to the lack of work experience from COVID 19 lockdown.