Veterinary Nurses and Becoming an AMTRA RAMA (SQP)

This summary for veterinary nurses complements the other material in this document “Becoming an AMTRA RAMA”, and should be read in conjunction with the full text.

AMTRA and Harper Adams University allow qualified VNs on the RCVS register to “add on” to their VN qualification and to become an AMTRA RAMA who can supply NFA-VPS medicines for companion animals. One or more of the other modules (equine, farm-animal and avian) may also be taken at the same time.

Practice staff such as non-qualified nurses and receptionists can also become AMTRA RAMAs but they will enrol as a new student by the standard route, and then study and be assessed on a base module and a companion animal module (or other relevant species choice), i.e. somewhat more study and assessment as they do not have a formal relevant qualification which can be taken into account.

Since qualified VNs already have been assessed on some of the relevant material in this qualification they can be given credit for this and just have to be assessed on the "new" material and the working understanding of their other knowledge checked.

A potential AMTRA RAMA must register with AMTRA as the body holding the professional register (just as the RCVS does for the VN qualification) but Harper Adams University will conduct the assessment and will award the necessary academic credits.

Enrolment

Veterinary Nurses enrolling with AMTRA will be provided with written course material.

The AMTRA enrolment fee includes the assessment fee (provided the assessment is sat within 24 months of enrolment), the AMTRA viva fee, the price of the training material, the Harper Adams assessment/credit rating/quality control fee, and a NOAH Compendium containing data sheets of those medicines which qualified RAMAs can prescribe, free inclusion on the AMTRA RAMA Register for the remainder of the calendar year of the qualification, access to AMTRA services and to Continuing Professional Development.

Prices for VN RAMA enrolment are the same as the prices for standard RAMA enrolments.

The full AMTRA Base and Companion Animal training manual modules are sent to VNs as a courtesy, but it is expected that for VNs the only really new material that these contain will be the legislation and regulatory elements. This is covered in the Base module Section 1, and in Sections 4 and 5 which are the Code of Practice and the VMD’s guidance for retail of veterinary medicines. It is also advisable to know Section 3, Causes of Disease. It is recommended, however, that you read through the whole of the training manual. You should also be familiar with use of the AMTRA RAMA version of the NOAH Compendium.

Assessment

Qualified VNs on the RCVS register take just a single two-hour AMTRA RAMA written assessment, plus the viva (oral exam).

In preparing for the written assessment you should be confident to deal with this type of scenario: Non client X comes into surgery with young dog Y just obtained from a rescue kennel. It has been vaccinated but the new owner has been told to get the dog wormed. Describe the procedure a RAMA vet nurse would go through, including questions asked, advice given, products sold and data recorded.

The assessment includes some short answer questions to cover knowledge of other areas of the medicines legislation relevant to RAMAs, e.g. legal aspects of medicine storage and relevant companion animal health areas.

If a qualified veterinary nurse chooses also to include one or more of the other species modules (farm, equine or avian), these will be assessed as standard RAMA modules.

In addition to the written assessment, you will be assessed for your professional competence as a RAMA by an AMTRA Assessor appointed for that purpose in a one-to-one 10-15 minute viva (oral exam).

Booking your assessment

Once enrolled with AMTRA and in receipt of the training manual, veterinary nurses may book their written assessment and viva with AMTRA.

See the AMTRA website for the full list of options.

Continuing Professional Development

All RAMAs are required to undertake continuing professional development. When the AMTRA Council set the rules it was agreed that in recognition of the special status of veterinary nurse RAMAs, that a slightly different approach was needed from that for all other RAMAs.

In general, AMTRA CPD points may only be claimed for content which has been accredited by AMTRA in advance, and where the organiser provides a certified list of attendees. We do not generally allow other evidence of attendance.

We know that veterinary nurses are already doing lots of CPD, but the problem for AMTRA was that not all VN CPD is relevant to the RAMA role, and where it is, we generally haven't had applications for AMTRA CPD accreditation.

In recognition of the special circumstances of vet nurse RAMAs, you may claim half of your AMTRA CPD points obligation from VN CPD provided it meets the following criteria:

• a copy of a certificate of attendance is provided, and
• you confirm that in your view the CPD was supportive of your RAMA role

If you've already undertaken CPD which meets these criteria and you'd like to claim AMTRA CPD points for it, please complete and return the Veterinary Nurse CPD claim form together with a copy of the certificate(s) of attendance.