BVNA hails ‘inspiring’ VetPartners VNAM roundtable

BVNA senior vice-president Lyndsay Hughes has hailed an “inspiring” nursing roundtable she attended at VetPartners.

Organised by the veterinary group as part of Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month (VNAM), the event saw Mrs Hughes meet with VetPartners bosses and VNs from across the group at its York headquarters.

The roundtable showcased the role VNs play within the group and the ways in which the group supports their professional growth and career development in practice and within its support teams.

Meanwhile, Mrs Hughes shared updates on the BVNA’s work on behalf of vet nurses in responding to the recent public consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, which closed last month.

In its response, the BVNA called for veterinary nursing to no longer be considered a “bolt on” but a profession deserving of Royal College membership status in its own right.

Title protection

The association is also pushing for protection of the VN title and an overhaul of the rules requiring RVNs to be directly delegated veterinary tasks by a vet surgeon.

VetPartners business support manager and BVNA past president Jo Oakden chaired the discussion, which was attended by chief executive Jo Malone, managing director Tim Shearman and eight small animal and equine nurses.

Mrs Oakden said: “We wanted to highlight the vital role our RVNs play in making VetPartners a great place to work, whether they’re in our practices or supporting teams behind the scenes. They are central to delivering an outstanding client experience and the highest standards of patient care.

“Our RVNs bring immense value to our practices, and it’s important we continue to understand how the role can evolve, so they can have an even greater influence in practice.”

‘Limited opportunities’

Mrs Hughes championed the importance of giving VNs a platform to be heard and collaborate with one another, and she said it was “particularly impressive” that senior leaders at VetPartners attended the discussion.

She continued: “Veterinary nurses can sometimes feel there are limited opportunities available to them, but it was inspiring to see VetPartners’ willingness to support nurses with drive and ambition to progress – whether that’s within practice or as part of the central team.

“Listening to such a passionate group of nurses, all eager to share ideas and champion the profession, makes me feel incredibly optimistic about the future of veterinary nursing.”