Edward Jenner Leadership Course

The RCVS Edward Jenner Leadership programme for Veterinary Professionals enables participants to understand why they are already a leader and to further develop the skills that will enable them to be better equipped to care for colleagues, clients and patients.

It is an online learning course designed to be easily accessible with no fixed timetable for learning. New resources are made available each week, which participants can work through at their own pace.

The programme emphasises the art of good leadership through the use of everyday scenarios that will be familiar to anyone working in a clinical veterinary setting. The course encourages participants to reflect on their learning and use this to gain confidence and develop their leadership skills in practice.

The course is open to and would be of benefit to all members of the veterinary team, including veterinary and veterinary nursing students.

Read a firsthand account of taking the course by Claire Hobson RVN.

Key details about the course

• The first two courses comprising the programme are free to access.
• The course is worth up to 48 hours of continuing professional development.
• The full programme costs £77 and includes an assessment leading to an NHS Leadership Academy Award in Leadership Foundations.
• The first course, Your Leadership Self, explores the concept of leadership, why it matters, the types of issues faced by leaders, and why you are already a leader. The course is delivered over four weeks and requires around six hours’ study per week.
• The second course, Developing Leadership Foundations, seeks to develop the foundations of leadership practice through understanding more about yourself and the impact you have on others. This course is delivered over six weeks and requires around four hours of study per week.

Register here to join this programme on FutureLearn.

“This has been a great experience; I have looked forward to spending the time out to do it. It hasn’t felt like a course but an interactive learning exercise that has given me time to reflect on myself and how I can impact on others, it has also helped me accept who I am and how I am developing in my role.” – Sally Coles, RVN

“Thought provoking, great audios with relatable characters, I really enjoyed listening to them and felt a connection to Glenvern Veterinary Practice. The course would be beneficial to everyone and not just vets. I would recommend this course to colleagues.” – Helen Easty, Head RVN and Clinical coach

“This was a great course. The audio drama was very effective and more realistic than what I expected. They highlighted situations most of us would be able to recognise and allowed for good learning points.” – Kristian Legg, RVN

The programme was developed in conjunction with the NHS Leadership Academy and is hosted by the FutureLearn online learning platform.