15 Aug 2025
Officials say they are keen to hear broader perspectives on nurses’ role within practice.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
RCVS president Tim Parkin
The college is hosting four upcoming events in August and September, but officials say while VN participation in its previous two sessions has been positive, they are hoping to see a wider uptake from other veterinary professionals.
VN Vision was launched last year as part of the now-retired VN Futures project umbrella, a joint initiative between the college and the BVNA.
In June, the RCVS published its findings from the project’s first phase, which sought to ascertain what vet nurses wanted the future of veterinary care to look like and the role they would play in shaping that future.
It found that many VNs felt their skills are underutilised by the current legal framework in terms of the tasks they can perform.
The second phase of the VN Vision project is a series of workshops focused on inspiring a cultural shift in how to more effectively integrate nurses within multidisciplinary vet teams and the importance of doing so.
Following events in South Wales and Northern Ireland, there are four more still to come:
The RCVS is hoping vets and other practice team members will participate in the collaborative sessions and offer a range of perspectives on ways to empower nurses within the profession.
College director of veterinary nursing, Julie Dugmore, said: “Our latest VN Vision events will play a key role in helping us to define long-term goals, identify the practical steps needed to achieve them, and determine how success will be measured and shared with the wider public.
“To make it happen, we need voices from vets, practice managers, support staff, and VNs alike.”
RCVS president Tim Parkin added: “By supporting the empowerment of veterinary nurses, we can efficiently build more cohesive, effective teams that are essential to upholding animal health and welfare.
“As fellow veterinary professionals working towards a collective goal, taking a collaborative approach to multifactorial issues is key.”
Attendees can sign up for the free events, which all include lunch or supper, at a dedicated VN Vision page on Eventbrite.
