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Posted: 14th October 2024

BVNA shares initial findings of VN Profession survey
The survey results will advise BVNA's future work, and inform key stakeholders' decisions.
Over half of respondents knew a ‘vet nurse’ who wasn’t qualified or regulated.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) has released the initial findings of its inaugural VN Profession survey.

Its initial results were shared to coincide with the opening of BVNA Congress 2024, with the full report due to be published at the end of the year.

The survey was launched to help BVNA to develop a better understanding of what current veterinary nurses think of the profession. This includes their perspectives of current issues and trends, as well as how they think the profession could change in the future.

Findings will inform key stakeholders and policymakers, such as the UK government and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, as they make important decisions relating to the VN profession.

They will also advise BVNA’s future activities, guiding it as it produces resources for members and takes on campaigns.

So far, BVNA’s analysis of results has uncovered significant issues with the inappropriate use of the title ‘veterinary nurse’. Survey responses revealed that 52 per cent of respondents knew someone who used the title ‘veterinary nurse’ despite not being fully qualified or regulated.

This is an issue closely monitored by the association, which has been lobbying for legislative change to protect the title.

More than a third of registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) felt that their salary did not reflect the extent of their responsibilities in practice.

However, findings have suggested that veterinary nurses are not being fully utilised in practice. Over a quarter of respondents felt that they were not using all of the practical skills that they were trained to carry out.

BVNA says that the survey has also highlighted a need for RVNs to receive additional training for completing Schedule 3 tasks.

Forty-seven of respondents said their confidence in their abilities ‘depends on the task’. Since Schedule 3 tasks require RVNs to be competent, confident and experienced, BVNA believes that more training is needed so RVNs can accept these responsibilities.

Lyndsay Hughes, BVNA president, said: “I am delighted that BVNA has undertaken this work to understand more about the veterinary nursing profession, and gain further insight into issues that are currently affecting our members alongside the wider profession.

“As BVNA continues to work with policymakers in the pursuit of positive change, we rely on the input from individual registered and student veterinary nurses in order to influence this progress. Your voice really does matter.”

The preliminary findings can be found here. BVNA’s full report will be released at the end of 2024.

Image © Shutterstock 



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