Helen is an RCVS Knowledge Champion for her role in the sustained training and use of a surgical safety checklist within the small animal theatre at the former Animal Health Trust.

In 2018, Helen began an MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh. The programme supports healthcare professionals in using evidence-based tools and techniques to improve the reliability and safety of healthcare systems. It includes how good teamwork influences patient outcomes, key concepts around learning from adverse events and teaching safety, understanding the speciality of clinical human factors, as well as the concept of implementing, observing and measuring change, monitoring for safety, and it focusses on quality improvement research and methodologies.   

Helen has been a Veterinary Nurse for 21 years, after qualifying in 2000 she went on to gain the Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (surgical) in 2005. Helen also holds a certificate in emergency and critical care and a certificate in small animal nutrition. Helen enjoys coaching, lecturing and mentoring and has published several articles. Helen also has extensive referral surgical nursing experience.

A recent poll conducted by VetLed found that 96% of veterinary professionals have been on the receiving end of incivility.  Sadly, almost all of us have heard, seen or been subjected to rude or uncivil behaviour within veterinary practice.  But perhaps we aren’t fully aware of the impact incivility can have on us as individuals and as part of a wider team.  In this session learn about the impact of incivility on our performance, how it affects job retention, and importantly discover established tools to both challenge and improve incivility in the workplace.