The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) has today released a free Mental Health Toolkit, with the aim of providing veterinary nurses with accessible materials to promote mental wellbeing. This resource comprises webinars, personal stories of lived experience of mental health, and signposting towards sources of help and support.

The Mental Health Toolkit is available to access here.

BVNA Council currently maintain an ongoing Mental Health and Wellbeing working group, which has spearheaded this toolkit’s development. Additional resources will continue to be added over time, with content welcomed from veterinary nurses, employers and groups who may wish to share their stories, case studies, or mental health and wellbeing policies.

Rebecca Winter, BVNA Council Member and Mental Health and Wellbeing Team Co-Ordinator, said: “I am delighted that BVNA has led the development of this toolkit, as an easy-to-access resource available to the entire veterinary nursing profession. Whilst we know that a career as a veterinary nurse is incredibly rewarding, we also know that the veterinary workplace can be demanding and can result in challenges to our mental health. Not only will the resources presented in this toolkit be of benefit to individuals, it will also provide guidance to employers and colleagues of those affected by their mental health. We hope that this toolkit will help those individuals to feel as though they are not alone, and to feel confident to ask for any support they may need to help them to thrive in our profession.”

BVNA President Lyndsay Hughes added: “I am proud that the BVNA Council team have led this project for the benefit of the veterinary nursing community. We would like to thank the veterinary nurses who have kindly shared their own lived experiences and stories with us. We hope that projects such as this help to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, and start conversations amongst friends, colleagues and teams.”