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<>Success for the GPC Teach the Teacher Program
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The GPC’s ‘Teach the Teacher’ Scholarship enables the Committee to build global expertise in pain management by offering the opportunity for a veterinarian and a veterinary nurse/technician to learn from a member of the Global Pain Council. On their return home, they commit to share their knowledge and new skills with their colleagues.
Portuguese veterinary nurse Sandra Félix, who works in referral practice in Germany, received the first Scholarship for a veterinary nurse/technician to study under former GPC Chair Dr Duncan Lascelles. From September-November2022, she spent time with him at North Carolina State University and Comparative Pain Research and Education Centre and Integrated Pain Management Service (TRiP), USA.
Since she returned to Germany, she has been teaching her colleagues and has also prepared a WSAVA webinar series for veterinary nurses/technicians.
What did you enjoy most about your time learning with Dr Lascelles?
I enjoyed learning about chronic musculoskeletal pain and about the important role veterinary nurses and technicians can play in veterinary pain research. It was also great to learn more about how we can improve the quality of life of our patients by involving the whole team and the caregiver in pain management. This was ‘uncharted territory’ as I work in a veterinary referral hospital, usually in a critical care setting, so am usually focused on acute pain management.
What were the key learnings you came back with?
That the keys to successful pain management are education and training; that we need to keep ourselves up to date and that we must raise awareness of the importance of pain management among our colleagues and care givers in order to improve the quality of life of our patients. Pain management is a team effort and we should all be involved, with each of us knowing what our roles and responsibilities are in order to provide the highest standard of care.
How have you been putting your new knowledge into practice since you returned?
I have created a free WSAVA webinar series on pain management for Portuguese-speaking veterinary nurses/technicians. I have also presented to the veterinary nurses/technicians in my hospital about the use of pain scales in assessing hospitalized patients. I have also continued to run the pain management interest group I created and, recently, I have been invited to talk on pain management at congresses, conferences and other CE events for veterinary nurses/technicians.
I would like to thank Dr Lascelles for being the great mentor/tutor he is and the whole team at the TRiP Lab for this amazing opportunity. I felt like a member of the team from day one and could always count on help and support from everyone in the team.
Stay tuned for an interview with Dr Nathan Lutevele from Tanzania, recipient of the first GPC Teach the Teacher Scholarship for veterinarians.
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