Referral nurse awarded prestigious VTS Certificate in Neurology

CVS Referrals is proud to announce that Natalie Roper BSc RVN, referral nurse at Highcroft Veterinary Referrals in Bristol, has been awarded the VTS (Veterinary Technician Speciality) Certificate Neurology by the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians in America.

Natalie is only the third RVN in the country to have achieved the VTS Certificate Neurology, which, as she explains, was no mean feat.

“I had to demonstrate mastery of 36 advanced skills in neurology and be signed off by European Specialists in Neurology and Anaesthesia. I had to write 75 case log entries demonstrating these advanced skills. I had to write 4 in-depth case reports of minimum 5 pages discussing the case in detail. I had to submit 3 examples of exam questions demonstrating understanding of the subject area and how the questions test an applicant’s knowledge. Finally, in June 2021, I sat a 4 hour examination covering all areas of veterinary neurology.

What’s more I did all this whilst working full time and I was also pregnant during the application process and on maternity leave during the revision period!”

CVS Referrals and Highcroft Veterinary Referrals fully supported Natalie on attaining this prestigious qualification, which demonstrates her advanced skills and knowledge of neurological disease, and her thorough understanding of neurological anatomy, pathology and pathophysiology. This qualification enables Natalie to give invaluable assistance to Highcroft’s referral clinicians with the most complicated of cases and those needing more tailored/specialist nursing care.

CVS Group’s Chief Nursing Officer, Lucy Turner, further explains:

“With less than a handful of UK RVN’s holding this specialist qualification, we (CVS) are immensely proud of Natalie’s achievements. Natalie has dedicated many hours to neurology CPD courses to achieve the course entry requirements. To then go on to successfully gain this qualification shows her dedication to development and giving the very best patient care. Many congratulations Natalie, I know that you will continue to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to both your patients and the rest of the team at Highcroft.”

Highcroft Veterinary Referrals is dedicated to providing the highest standards of veterinary care for pets and actively encourages team members to continue their education to degree and post-graduate level. They have two more nurses aiming to sit the VTS programme next year.

Highcroft offers Specialist services in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.

To find out more information about Highcroft Veterinary Referrals, visit highcroftvetreferrals.co.uk or search for ‘Highcroft Veterinary Referrals’ on social media.