Dear Reader

I start this month’s editorial with some sad news and a tribute. It was with great sadness that the BVNA learned of the recent death of Tracy Mayne.

Tracy qualified as a veterinary nurse from Bicton College in 1994 and moved from her home in Cornwall to London where she honed her management skills and obtained the Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management before taking up a partnership in the Redditch branch of Vets4Pets in 2007.

I first met Tracy in her guise of trustee of the RCVS Clinical Trust and was immediately drawn to her sense of fun and her passion for everything in life, not least veterinary nursing.

She was a staunch supporter of BVNA and was a frequent speaker at Congress – I remember chatting to her at last year’s Congress and she was as invigorating as ever, overflowing with ideas and enthusiasm and keen to do all that she could to promote the role of the veterinary nurse. She brought this commitment to her role as veterinary nurse trustee of the RCVS Charitable Trust, a position that she held for seven years before stepping down earlier this year.

Tracy was a sterling example of the new breed of veterinary nurse who knew that the world was full of possibilities and she was determined to make the most of what it had to offer, which makes her loss at such an early age all the more shocking. Our sympathy and best wishes go to her family and friends and, of course, to her colleagues in Redditch.

This month’s VNJ focuses on skin conditions, in guinea pigs, thanks to Virginia Richardson; and dogs and cats, thanks to David Scarff. David’s article includes an image of what appears to be one of the sorest ears 1 have ever seen! Linda Capewell completes her excellent series on surgical instruments and Ray Girotti asks some searching and potentially controversial questions of veterinary nurses in his article on financial responsibility in veterinary practice. We also have the first in a series of features on veterinary nursing in other parts of the world with a profile from Marie Hennessy on her life in New Zealand.

We have one of our occasional Points of View series in which Hilary Orpet, VN Council member and Chair of the VN Council Legislation Working Group, responds to a recent editorial with an overview of the function of the group and the progress that has been made towards statutory regulation so far.

BVNA president, Claire Fraser, presents a slightly different perspective in response but the message is ostensibly the same in that regulation for veterinary nurses will become reality in time and its focus must be the protection of animal welfare.

Finally, as we reach the middle of the year and celebrate the longest day, the advent of summer and the long-awaited Olympics, here’s hoping that the weather will finally play ball and it turns into a golden month for Team GB – not that 1 am partisan you understand!

Author

Sue Badger MEd CertEd VN Executive Editor

To cite this editorial use either

DOI: 10.1111/j.2045-0648.2012.00187.x or Veterinary Nursing Journal Vol 27 pp 242

• VOL 27 • July 2012 • Veterinary Nursing Journal