Veterinary Surgeon Responsibilities (RCVS) PDF

VMS1002 PROFESSIONALISM FLIPPED LEARNING PA R T 2 : THE SIX RESPONSIBILITIES OF A VETERINARY SURGEON RETHA QUEENAN LEARNING OBJECTIVES Name the five principles of practice, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and provide examples of their application in...

VMS1002 PROFESSIONALISM FLIPPED LEARNING PA R T 2 : THE SIX RESPONSIBILITIES OF A VETERINARY SURGEON RETHA QUEENAN LEARNING OBJECTIVES Name the five principles of practice, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and provide examples of their application in practice List the 6 professional responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and discuss what they mean 2 P R E S E N TAT I O N R O A D M A P Explore the 6 Responsibilities of a veterinarian Pause to consider a case study Conclude 3 D1 COMPETENCIES Personal Leadership – Professionalism #1 - Act professionally, as informed by the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. #2 – Act in a way that shows understanding of ethical and legal responsibilities, appropriately balancing competing interests. (Personal Leadership - Self-awareness & Self-Reflection #10. Demonstrate self-awareness of personal and professional limits, and know when to seek professional advice, assistance and support. #11. Demonstrate a commitment to learning and professional development, including recording and reflecting on professional experience and other learning aimed at improving performance and competence) 4 PROFESSIONALISM, ETHICS AND THE LAW Professionalism Ethics The Law Behaviour Provides guidance to A set of rules and Governed by the help us understand regulations intended RCVS Code of what we should do to help govern Conduct Principles, beliefs and society ‘Professional ethics’ rules helping us In the UK, laws are Not always legally determine what is passed by Acts of binding, but right or wrong Parliament; ideally establishes duties Looks for better or agreed by majority. and obligations to worse answers and ‘Consensual ethics’ animals, to ourselves, helps people decide E.g. in the context of our clients, our how to behave in a our profession: The profession and particular situation Veterinary Surgeons’ society via a Not always clear-cut Act, 1966, The Professional Code of as people have Animal Welfare Act, Conduct. different views 2006 5 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Name the five principles of practice, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and provide examples of their application in practice List the 6 professional responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and discuss what they mean 6 THE 6 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF A VETERINARY SURGEON (IN RCVS CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT) 1. Veterinary surgeons and animals 2. Veterinary surgeons and clients 3. Veterinary surgeons and the profession 4. Veterinary surgeons and the veterinary team 5. Veterinary surgeons and the RCVS 6. Veterinary surgeons and the public 7 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND ANIMALS 1. Animal health and welfare must be first consideration when attending to animals. 2. Keep within their own area of competence and refer cases responsibly. 3. Provide veterinary care that is appropriate and adequate. 4. Vets in practice must take steps to provide 24-hour emergency first aid and pain relief to animals according to their skills and the specific situation. 5. Vets who prescribe, supply and administer medicines must do so responsibly. 6. Veterinary surgeons must communicate with each other to ensure the health and welfare of the animal or group of animals. 7. Veterinary surgeons must ensure that clinical governance forms part of their professional activities. 8 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND ANIMALS 1. Animal health and 2. Keep within their 3. Provide veterinary welfare must be first own area of care that is consideration when competence and refer appropriate and attending to animals. cases responsibly. adequate. 9 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND ANIMALS 4. Vets in practice must take 5. Vets who prescribe, steps to provide 24-hour supply and administer emergency first aid and pain medicines must do so relief to animals according to responsibly. their skills and the specific situation. 10 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND ANIMALS What is Clinical Governance? 6. Veterinary surgeons 7. Veterinary surgeons must communicate with must ensure that clinical each other to ensure the governance forms part of health and welfare of their professional activities. the animal or group of animals. 11 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND CLIENTS 1. Vets must be open and honest with clients and respect their needs and requirements. 2. Veterinarians must provide independent and impartial advice and inform a client of any conflict of interest. 3. Veterinary surgeons must provide appropriate information to clients about the practice, including the costs of services and medicines. 4. Vets must communicate effectively with clients, including in written and spoken English, and ensure informed consent is obtained before treatments or procedures are carried out. 5. Veterinarians must keep clear, accurate and detailed clinical and client records. 6. Vets must not disclose information about a client or the client’s animals to a third party, unless the client gives permission or animal welfare or the public interest may be compromised. 7. Veterinary surgeons must respond promptly, fully and courteously to clients’ complaints and criticism. 12 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND CLIENTS 1. Vets must be open 2. Veterinarians must 3. Veterinary surgeons must and honest with clients provide independent provide appropriate and respect their needs and impartial advice information to clients about and requirements. and inform a client of the practice, including the any conflict of interest. costs of services and medicines. 13 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND CLIENTS 4. Vets must communicate 5. Veterinarians must keep effectively with clients, including in clear, accurate and detailed written and spoken English, and clinical and client records. ensure informed consent is obtained before treatments or procedures are carried out. 14 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND CLIENTS 6. Vets must not disclose 7. Veterinary surgeons must information about a client or the respond promptly, fully and client’s animals to a third party, courteously to clients’ unless the client gives permission complaints and criticism. or animal welfare or the public interest may be compromised. 15  VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PROFESSION Vets must take reasonable steps to address adverse physical or mental health or performance that could impair fitness to practise; or, that results in harm, or a risk of harm, to animal health or welfare, public health or the public interest. Veterinarians who are concerned about a professional colleague’s fitness to practise must take steps to ensure that animals are not put at risk and that the interests of the public are protected. Vets must maintain and develop the knowledge and skills relevant to their professional practice and competence, and comply with RCVS requirements on the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP) / Professional Development Phase (PDP) and continuing professional development (CPD). Veterinary surgeons must ensure that all their professional activities are covered by professional indemnity insurance or equivalent arrangements. Veterinary surgeons must not hold out themselves or others as specialists or advanced practitioners unless appropriately listed with the RCVS, or as veterinary nurses unless appropriately registered with the RCVS. 16  VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PROFESSION 1. Vets must take reasonable steps to 2. Veterinarians who are concerned address adverse physical or mental health about a professional colleague’s or performance that could impair fitness to fitness to practise must take steps to practise; or, that results in harm, or a risk of ensure that animals are not put at harm, to animal health or welfare, public risk and that the interests of the health or the public interest. public are protected. 17  VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PROFESSION 3. Vets must maintain and develop 4. Veterinary surgeons 5. Veterinary surgeons must the knowledge and skills relevant to must ensure that all their not hold out themselves or their professional practice and professional activities are others as specialists or competence, and comply with RCVS covered by professional advanced practitioners unless requirements on the Veterinary indemnity insurance or Graduate Development Programme appropriately listed with the equivalent arrangements. RCVS, or as veterinary nurses (VetGDP) / Professional Development Phase (PDP) and unless appropriately registered continuing professional with the RCVS. development (CPD). 18  VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE VETERINARY TEAM Vets must work together and with others in the veterinary team and business, to co-ordinate the care of animals and the delivery of services. Veterinary surgeons must ensure that tasks are delegated only to those who have the appropriate competence and registration. Veterinary surgeons must maintain minimum practice standards equivalent to the Core Standards of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme. Veterinary surgeons must not impede professional colleagues seeking to comply with legislation and the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. Veterinary surgeons must communicate effectively, including in written and spoken English, with the veterinary team and other veterinary professionals in the UK. The appointed senior veterinary surgeon must ensure that the training provided to graduates meets the requirements of the VetGDP. 19 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE VETERINARY TEAM 1. Vets must work together 2. Veterinary surgeons must 3. Veterinary surgeons must and with others in the ensure that tasks are maintain minimum practice veterinary team and delegated only to those who standards equivalent to the business, to co-ordinate the have the appropriate Core Standards of the RCVS care of animals and the competence and delivery of services. registration. Practice Standards Scheme. 20 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE VETERINARY TEAM 4. Veterinary surgeons must 5. Veterinary surgeons must 6. The appointed senior not impede professional communicate effectively, veterinary surgeon must colleagues seeking to comply including in written and spoken ensure that the training with legislation and the RCVS English, with the veterinary provided to graduates meets Code of Professional Conduct. team and other veterinary professionals in the UK. the requirements of the VetGDP. 21 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE RCVS Veterinary surgeons must be appropriately registered with the RCVS. Veterinary surgeons must provide the RCVS with their VetGDP/PDP and CPD records when requested to do so. Veterinary surgeons, and those applying to be registered as veterinary surgeons, must disclose to the RCVS any caution or conviction, including absolute and conditional discharges and spent convictions, or adverse finding which may affect registration, whether in the UK or overseas (except for minor offences excluded from disclosure by the RCVS). Veterinary surgeons, and those applying to be registered as veterinary surgeons, must comply with reasonable requests from the RCVS as part of the regulation of the profession, and comply with any undertakings they give to the RCVS. 22 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE RCVS 1. Veterinary surgeons must 2. Veterinary surgeons must be appropriately registered provide the RCVS with their with the RCVS. VetGDP/PDP and CPD records when requested to do so. 23 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE RCVS 3. Veterinary surgeons, and those applying to 4. Veterinary surgeons, and those be registered as veterinary surgeons, must applying to be registered as disclose to the RCVS any caution or conviction, veterinary surgeons, must comply including absolute and conditional discharges with reasonable requests from the and spent convictions, or adverse finding which RCVS as part of the regulation of the may affect registration, whether in the UK or profession, and comply with any overseas (except for minor offences excluded undertakings they give to the RCVS. from disclosure by the RCVS). 24 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PUBLIC Veterinarians must seek to ensure the protection of public health and animal health and welfare, and consider the impact of their actions on the environment. Veterinary surgeons must certify facts and opinions honestly and with due care, taking into account the 10 Principles of Certification. Veterinary surgeons promoting and advertising veterinary products and services must do so in a professional manner. Veterinary surgeons must comply with legislation relevant to the provision of veterinary services. Veterinary surgeons must not engage in any activity or behaviour that would be likely to bring the profession into disrepute or undermine public confidence in the profession. 25 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PUBLIC 1. Veterinarians must seek to 2. Veterinary surgeons must 3. Veterinary surgeons ensure the protection of certify facts and opinions promoting and advertising public health and animal honestly and with due care, veterinary products and health and welfare, and taking into account the 10 services must do so in a consider the impact of their Principles of Certification. actions on the environment. professional manner. 26 VETERINARY SURGEONS AND THE PUBLIC 4.Veterinary surgeons must 5. Veterinary surgeons must not comply with legislation engage in any activity or relevant to the provision of behaviour that would be likely to veterinary services. bring the profession into disrepute or undermine public confidence in the profession. 27 CASE STUDIES 28 CONSIDER THIS CASE Vet: Henry Dog: ‘Tipsy’ - 5-year-old Cocker Spaniel with chronic otitis externa CPD, surgery, outcomes Image credit: Lateral wall resection 02: resect skin in Dogs (Canis) | Vetlexicon 29 LEARNING OBJECTIVES Name the five principles of practice, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and provide examples of their application in practice List the 6 professional responsibilities of a veterinary surgeon, as listed in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct and discuss what they mean 30 31 REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL READING RCVS, 2022. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. RCVS. Advice and Guidance, Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, Supporting Guidance. https://www.rcvs.org.uk/ (Accessed 6th November 2022) Armitage-Chan, E. et al. (2016) What is the veterinary professional identity? Preliminary findings from web-based continuing professional development in veterinary professionalism. Veterinary Record. [Online] 178 (13), 318–318. Gordon, S.; Parkinson, T.; Byers, S.; Nigito, K.; Rodriguez, A.; Werners- Butler, C.; Haynes, J.; Guttin, T. The Changing Face of Veterinary Professionalism—Implications for Veterinary Education. Educ. Sci. 2023, 13, 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ educsci13020182 32