26 Jul 2023
Officials hope findings will help them develop new support materials for both staff and employers alike.
Lacey Pitcher
Job Title
A series of specialism-specific surveys will be conducted, where participants can suggest clinical topics where they may have knowledge gaps.
The VN Futures Project’s Diversity, Inclusion and Widening Participation (DIWP) Working Group has launched a new survey of the profession’s attitudes to flexible working, as part of a wider campaign on the issue.
Founded in 2021, the DIWP aims to actively address diversity and inclusivity in the profession, and consider the support needed by those from diverse backgrounds who are already working in it.
The flexible working campaign aims to create an awareness about the benefits of flexible working and how teams and individuals can use flexible working to support well-being and, in turn, potentially aid retention.
VN Futures is inviting veterinary nurses from across the sector to complete a questionnaire to gain a more accurate picture as to how many nurses can currently undertake flexible working arrangements and views on the issue as a whole.
The insights gained will then be used to develop tools and resources for employers and employees alike, to help both parties understand the benefits of flexible working and how this can be negotiated on both sides.
Charlotte Pace, BVNA president and DIWP Working Group member, said: “Flexible working has massively grown in popularity over the past few years, with many workers now favouring employment that can fit around their personal lives and responsibilities.
“However, in the veterinary nursing profession, due to the nature of shift-based work, implementing flexible working can be challenging and people may have concerns about asking for more flexible working arrangements.
“Our flexible working campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of flexible working, both for the good of each individual person’s needs, and for the good of the sector as a whole.”
The group says the survey is anonymous and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Some responses may be shared during the DIWP campaign in August.
Anybody wishing to take part can do so online. All responses must be submitted by 11 August.
