The diversity of VNs who write for our journal never ceases to impress me. The clinical experience and unique case studies are, we hope, of use to you in your everyday working life. However, what struck me about this month’s articles was how many of them focus on communication. I tried looking up some quotations about communication, but none of them summarised what it was I was trying to say. Ironic, isn’t it? Call me biased, but I believe we have more communication challenges than most professions: we are a relatively new profession, still establishing ourselves and gaining confidence. We work in busy and emotionally charged environments. We must support clients (or strangers!) in upsetting or distressing moments. We must read the body language of not only our clients, but also their pets, in order to protect ourselves and carry out our clinical duties. Yet we must also work in a team and engage politely but effectively with our colleagues.
This month Shoned Hawskworth discusses the intersection of cultural differences, religion and language with respect to euthanasia in Hong Kong. This eye-opening discussion raises interesting ethical questions. Like any skill, communication can be improved with instruction and practice. I hope that this month’s articles on teaching methods, working in large companies, and the 7 C’s of communication give you a good starting point. We welcome your feedback so please let us know what articles you are enjoying and find useful, or any topics we should cover.