Dear Reader

As I write this editorial in September, having packed my six year old son off to year 2 of school for the day after a summer holiday which seems to have lasted for a good few months, I am reminded that many students are about to start the new VN Diploma award and it would seem pertinent that there is an article in this edition of the VNJ in which Melanie Watts and Megan Bestbier look back over the last 20 years in practice. It is reassuring to see that much progress has been made during this time and whilst reading this article will involve a trip down memory lane for some readers, it will illustrate to many of the new diploma students, some of whom will not have been born 20 years ago, how things have changed.

As we continue to celebrate 25 years of the VNJ, the journal continues to progress and I am pleased to be able to include the following announcement from Martin Tilly, of the journal’s publisher, in this editorial: In a significant move for VNJ, from January 2011 articles from the journal will be published online as well as in print on Wiley-Blackwell’s new online journal platform, Wiley Online Library. This will include a full PDF of the entire issue but, more importantly, the individual features and clinical articles will be published in full text html, with reference linking, supplementary information, high- resolution figures and all the other features than one expects from an online academic journal. This will also open the door for further CPD activities, with further news on that to follow. BVNA members will be able to access the online journal (and archived issues back to 2008) as part of their BVNA membership and personal and institutional subscriptions to the journal will have an online option as well as print. The publishers and the BVNA are very excited about this development and we look forward to your feedback in 2011 once you have the opportunity to start using the website. Watch this space!

Elsewhere in the VNJ Claire Defries has written an informative article on the laparoscopic approach to ovariectomy and ovario-hysterectomy – a new approach to the traditional surgical technique and Joanna Hedley presents the second part of her article on anaesthesia in exotics. Paula Homes gives advice on how to nurse a patient who is suffering from tetanus and Christine Jamieson guides us on how to recognise lipomas from fine-needle aspirates.

I am very much looking forward to the 2010 BVNA congress at the Kettering Conference Centre on the 8th -10th October, where there will be a jam packed programme of CPD and a packed commercial exhibition for delegates in addition to the ever popular social events. Congress also marks the change in the BVNA president each year and will see Donna Lewis take over the Senior Vice President role after a successful presidency. Regular readers will know that Sue Badger has handed the Executive Editor role over to me, but she will not be taking a well-earned rest. Sue will take over as President of the BVNA at congress. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for the many interesting and amusing editorials which she has written during the past years; for all her hard work in developing the VNJ – and wish her every success in her presidential year.

Author

Helen Field Cert Ed RVN MBVNA Executive Editor

• VOL 25 • No10 • October 2010 • Veterinary Nursing Journal