VN Council candidate Tammy Ford would like to expand the role of the veterinary nurse.

VN council candidate emphasises the need for better training

With a background in both veterinary nursing and law, VN Council candidate Tammy Ford is hoping to bring about change.

In her manifesto, Tammy states she wants to "expand the tasks nurses are authorised to undertake as professionals".

She adds: "I will work to continue to raise the standard of training of veterinary nurse students to match the demands of their future careers and to instil the need for lifelong education."

Tammy began her career in a first opinion practice and went on to work in emergency and critical care.

She developed an interest in professional regulation and completed a law degree with a heavy emphasis in medical law. While working for a legal firm dealing with medical cases, she continued her employment as an RVN.

"My theory in the workplace is to take a problem and rather than moan about it, find a solution," said Tammy.

"Like many other nurses, I have many gripes regarding our profession, how the veterinary nurse is perceived, along with ideas for improvement and I thought it was about time I took my theory and applied it.

"If elected to VN Council, I can voice my opinion, that of many other nurses and assist with finding the solutions to many of the problems we all face within our profession."

Tammy has also trained student VNs and veterinary surgeons in a teaching hospital. She hopes to use her experience to help bring about the statutory regulation of veterinary nurses, and to promote standards in education.

"I would like to see statutory regulation of veterinary nurses which in turn will ensure all nurses formally agree to follow the code of conduct, complete their required number of CPD hours and abide by a disciplinary system," said Tammy. 

"All of  these will in turn help to protect the title of the veterinary nurse, raise our status within our working environment and build public confidence in veterinary nurses which will all have a positive effect on patient welfare.

"I would like to see different routes for nurses to follow post qualification ie to specialise in a certain disciplinary or formal managerial courses. 

"These should be encouraged by the profession and employer and need to be easily assessable to allow for study to be  undertaken around busy work and family commitments."

She hopes that the work taking place now, will mean that the college will develop a better relationship with VNs, with more nurses "taking an interest, sharing their views and becoming involved in decision making at the college".

But at the same time she says the college needs to "modernise" the way it communicates, using emails, social media, blogs and webinars to encourage more interaction.

"I believe that my nursing experience in first opinion, referral and teaching institutions allows me to understand the varied roles and pressures undertaken by a significant proportion of veterinary nurses," Tammy said. 

"With this understanding I can 'put myself in the shoes' of many nurses to confidently be their voice through the decision making progress at VN Council.

"My legal background in regulatory and medical law gives me a huge advantage in understanding the importance of statutory regulation, VN legislation, transparency in the investigative process of VNs and most importantly how to achieve these vital requirements."

The RCVS and VN council elections close on April 25.