24 Aug 2026
Work now being conducted to develop possible models for a VN prescriber role, which would require additional qualifications and training, after panels agreed on VNs’ ability to recognise and refer conditions.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Image: RCVS
New research from the RCVS has opened the possibility of a future veterinary nurse prescriber role.
The college’s research team found consensus among panel members that VNs would be able to recognise and correctly refer most issues that could be presented as part of small animal vaccine consultation.
The findings will be fed back to RCVS’ standards committee and VN council with work being done to develop possible models for a VN prescriber role, which would require additional qualifications and training.
Between December 2025 and April 2026, RCVS’ research team conducted a study with two randomly assembled panels of vets and VNs qualified between 10 and 20 years.
The two panels agreed a VN with at least five years’ clinical practice experience would be able to identify 34 conditions that could be picked up as part of a vaccine consultation, selected as an example of an occasion on which a health check might be provided by a VN prescriber.
Of the eight conditions on which they did not reach the threshold for consensus, panel members most commonly responded that a nurse would correctly refer this to a vet.
RCVS VN director Julie Dugmore said: “This research is a key part of establishing the feasibility of a veterinary nurse prescriber role, as one part of their clinical responsibilities could be carrying out vaccination consultations and prescribing the vaccination.
“We are glad there was consensus that veterinary nurses could identify the majority of issues though there were a few conditions, particularly those that might occur in older animals or in rabbits, where the panels suggested additional experience or training.
“This was seen as particularly important for conditions that the vet nurse might hear or feel – such as abnormal lung or intestinal sounds and enlarged thyroid or lymph nodes.”
She added: “Though it might be early days, this research is a small step towards developing qualifications which could eventually give vet nurses greater clinical autonomy, make full use of their skills and experience, and free up veterinary surgeon time.”