Practical Tips for Better Pain Management

Host Arlene Connor interviews Carrie Sidden, head nurse at Rowe Vets, on pain management for veterinary patients. Carrie explains the importance of multimodal analgesia and the important role of vet nurses in pain assessment and treatment. She shares practical techniques for pain management, including local anaesthesia. Carrie also discusses integrating new pain protocols through auditing and clinical governance, emphasising the nurses' pivotal role in enhancing pain control.

Carrie Sidden

Carrie is currently Head Nurse at Rowe Vets, a busy first-opinion, IVC Evidensia practice in Bristol. She holds a Graduate Diploma in clinical and professional nursing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pain management. She is currently embarking on the final year of her Master's in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia at Edinburgh University. Carrie enjoys all aspects of Nursing but has a particular interest in anaesthesia and acute and chronic pain management of our patients.

Arlene Connor

Arlene qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2003 and subsequently worked in a small animal practice in central Scotland. She joined Vets Now 24/7 Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Glasgow in 2013 as a surgery nurse, before becoming Clinical Nursing Manager in 2014. In 2017, Arlene took on the role of Head of Clinical Operations for Vets Now’s Referral Hospital sites across the UK, which saw her represent Referrals within VetsNow as a member of the Veterinary and Nursing Standards group and at the company’s Clinical Strategy Board. In 2021 Arlene moved over to IVC Evidensia as the National Lead of Referral Nursing, within the newly created Referral Division, taking the lead on the UK’s Referral Nurse Strategy. In addition, with the rest of the National Clinical Lead team, Arlene is responsible for the clinical and professional standards within the hospital and is part of the team responsible for opening new IVC Evidensia Referral Hospitals in the UK.

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Please note that the views expressed by hosts and guests in this podcast Clinic do not necessarily reflect those of IVC Evidensia.

Links:

Zero Pain Philosophy website: https://www.zeropainphilosophy.com/vet-professionals

American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) latest pain management guidelines: https://www.aaha.org/resources/2022-aaha-pain-management-guidelines-for-dogs-and-cats/

RCVS Knowledge: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/