"We are a profession to be proud of"
"We need to empower people so they can feel better utilised and that they are better valued."
BVNA Congress 2016 has got off to a flying start with a discussion on the future of the veterinary profession.
Launching the congress’s VN Futures themed stream of talks and workshops, speakers Liz Cox, chair of the RCVS VN Council, and Julie Dugmore, director of veterinary nursing at the RCVS, held a talk entitled ‘VN futures - where is the profession headed?’
The talk outlined the six main ambitions of the VN Futures Report and detailed the project’s latest developments.
"One of the things we are not so good at is blowing our own trumpet," expressed Ms Dugmore. "We don't tell people who we are or what we do. We will sometimes say we are just a veterinary nurse. Well we are not just an anything, we are a profession to be proud of and we should be out there and we should be singing our praises and telling people who we are and what we do."
Following a series of focus groups with veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and human nurses, the BVNA Vet Futures workshops found there is a great desire, enthusiasm and willingness for change and progression within the profession.
One of the ambitions raised was to maximise VN potential in practice. Julie Dugmore explained that to do this, nurses need to feel empowered and that this must come 'from the shop floor'.
"We need to think about how we can overcome the apathy, and we need to promote the role more to the public," said Julie. "We need to empower people so they can feel better utilised and that they are better valued. We need to think about how we can do that not only within the profession, but also to the public."
Liz Cox added that practices need to use their nurses in a better way that adds value - this means not only financially, but making nurses feel valued in their job. Improving client understanding of the types of tasks RVNs can undertake, and encouraging nursing care to be invoiced are just two ways this can be achieved.
Another ambition raised in the report - and one of the strongest messages to come through - was the development of rewarding career paths.
Outlining the actions for this ambition, Ms Dugmore spoke about working to develop career structure and provide a better opportunity for VNs to diversify their careers. For example, careers in research, academia, business, management, practice and ownership.
Liz Cox and Julie Dugmore also discussed the possibility of ending the role of the head nurse. Many veterinary nurses enter the role with little or no training - and many are given the role soon after they qualify leading to stress and frustration. They suggested devolving the role, so perhaps it could involve the whole team.
Held at the Telford International Centre, BVNA Congress is the largest sole veterinary nursing event in Europe. This year's theme is ‘RVNs driving the VN profession into the future.’
Over the next three days, veterinary nurses can look forward to a varied programme of lectures and workshops on topics ranging from nutrition, anaesthesia and surgery, to behaviour, diagnostic and infection control.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
