25 Jun 2020
VN Times columnist and leading exotics veterinary nurse has been voted in as chairman of RCVS VN council.
James Westgate
Job Title
Matthew Rendle, who chairs VN council and also sits as a member of RCVS council.
Matt Rendle has become the first man to become chairman of RCVS VN council.
Mr Rendle (pictured above) has been an elected member of VN council since 2016 and was chosen to be chairman by his peers at a meeting of VN council on 17 June.
The role will see Mr Rendle head up the council, as well as perform certain ceremonial duties such as welcoming new VNs to the register and taking them through their professional oaths.
He will also be expected to represent the RCVS and the veterinary nursing profession at various events, and act as an ambassador and spokesman for the profession.
Mr Rendle said: “I am very proud to be the first male veterinary nurse to hold the position of chairman of RCVS VN council. In this position I will continue to work hard to support and progress the profession of the veterinary nurse.
“It is fundamental we give the public, as well as our fellow veterinary professionals, a greater understanding of the excellent work we do. We have a positive impact on animal health and welfare, whatever the clinical environment or species.
“The lack of understanding of what veterinary nurses do is often cited as a chronic issue within my profession and it is something I plan to prioritise during my tenure as chairman of VN council.”
RVN Belinda Andrews-Jones was elected vice-chairman.
Mrs Andrews-Jones (pictured right) has worked in veterinary nursing for almost 30 years with a focus on emergency and critical care, and is director for nursing at CVS, where she leads the more than 2,000 nurses in the group. She has been an appointed member of VN council since 2018.
Both will take up their appointments as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, at this year’s RCVS annual meeting, which takes place on Friday 10 July.
It will be the first RCVS annual meeting to be held online, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and Government guidance on social distancing.
Matt Rendle – who writes a quarterly “Matt’s Masterclass” column for VN Times – was the guest for the first episode of the VN Times Podcast, in September last year. In it, he described how he forged a career as an RVN, worked in one of the UK’s most iconic zoos, developed an interest in wildlife and exotics, and went on to care for everything from ants to elephants…
