Veterinary Nurse Leadership Programme

'When I signed up for the course I did not anticipate the one to one, personalised support on the course. From the first email to meeting the course leaders at the workshop the communication and course format has been exceptional.'

VNLP Course delegate

• Are you struggling to balance your role responsibilities alongside leadership duties?
• Do you want to feel more in control and effective in how and where you spend your time?
• Would you like to gain or hone your skills to nurture and get the best out of your team?

Our sustained, transformative leadership programme with personalised coaching, support and guidance will help you to gain the confidence and skills you need to lead your team to success.

We've created the Veterinary Nurse Leadership Programme (VNLP) to help develop confident, dynamic and flexible nurse leaders who can motivate and drive their own careers, teams and practices to success.

With the right tools and guidance supported by extensive Masters and Doctoral research carried out by Carolyne Crowe and Dr Catherine Oxtoby, The VNLP will help you deal with the ongoing challenges and change you face every day as a leader in practice, so you can create a culture that strengthens and develops your veterinary team and enables everyone to fulfil their potential.

What to expect

Our VNLP includes regular, personalised support sessions to help guide you as a leader in practice:

• Eight 2-hour virtual workshops
• Group coaching and networking 
• DISC behavioural profile
• Online videos and reflective exercises accessed via an enhanced learning platform
• Mentoring for practice specific project work
• 45 CPD hours

Building on your heightened self-awareness and understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, you'll develop strategies for resilience, communicating with others, motivating your team and resolving conflict. You’ll explore a range of organisational leadership challenges including the selection and scoping of quality improvement projects, their management and sustainment and the development of a positive practice culture. 

As well as helping you to achieve your individual leadership goals, the VNLP is designed to benefit your team and your practice as a whole, giving you the confidence and skills to motivate and support the team around you, and create a culture that strengthens and develops your veterinary nurse team.

How long will it take?

In addition to eight 2-hour workshops help live online once a month, each module contains an element of pre-work or reflection to complete ahead of the session. Each will take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. There is also project work, such as the Practice Culture Survey, to complete with your team in your own time, with support from your coach and the VDS Training team where required.

You'll get access to the online platform two weeks before the first session and ongoing access for 12 months from your first sign in, to complete your project work and review the course material.

What you will learn

By the end of the programme, you’ll be able to:

• Confidently and successfully lead, manage and motivate your team in your own personal style
• Communicate more effectively and feel confident handling difficult and challenging situations
• Leverage your strengths and manage your weaknesses to consistently get the best out of yourself and others
• Choose, manage and sustain quality improvement projects in your practice.

Dates

Workshop 1 Wednesday 30th April 2025 - Self-Awareness

Workshop 2 Wednesday 21st May 2025 - You and how to thrive

Workshop 3 Wednesday 18th June 2025 - Motivating and Managing your Team

Workshop 4 Wednesday 16th July 2025 - Working with others

Workshop 5 Wednesday 3rd September 2025 - Managing Performance

Workshop 6 Wednesday 1st October 2025 - Culture and Quality Improvement 

Workshop 7 Wednesday 5th November 2025

Leading Change 

Workshop 8- 3rd December 2025 

Workshop 8 We 2025 - Looking ahead