Dear Reader

October has arrived and it brings with it BVNA congress. Each year the current president picks out a theme for the congress. It was obvious to me what the theme of this years BVNA congress should be and that is “RVNs driving the VN profession towards the future”. This was inspired after the VNFutures project that took place this year. This was a lot of work but very interesting which made it so enjoyable, I truly feel that BVNA and RCVS have put a real stamp on things and to publish the report was a good achievement.

The theme has two meanings for me, first to drive the profession forward. Veterinary Nursing has changed so much from my student days and this change is for the better. We are now registered professionals, accountable for our own actions. However, in some ways Veterinary Nursing has not changed, animal welfare is still a top priority and the ability to multitask, organise everyone and be a friend to all is still the basic foundations of our personalities. Like most people, we find change is a scary prospect, so let’s start thinking about change in terms of evolving, it would be dangerous for the profession not to grow and develop.

My second meaning is that it should be us, Registered Veterinary Nurses, members of this profession that are driving this change. If you want something you’ve never had YOU must be willing to do something you’ve never done (Thomas Jefferson). Our future is in our hands and both BVNA and RCVS need your help to drive this the way we and you want it to be.

The VNFutures roadshow was an excellent way to go around the UK to speak with other nurses. It was both inspiring and sad that we all face similar issues, but more importantly we do all have a very similar idea of where we would like the profession to head. The report was launched at the VetFutures summit which was a great day to bring the professions back together. Even though Veterinary Nurses are considered in the VetFutures project, it was identified that RVN’s needed to consider their own specific needs. Both the Veterinary Surgeons and the Veterinary Nurse professions need each other, and as such it is imperative a close integration is needed whilst maintaining each other’s own identity.

The report identified six themes to act as aims for the futures of the Veterinary Nurse profession but more importantly it is a report of action. BVNA and RCVS are going to continue to work together to develop these actions into reality and the report will serve a focus for both the representative and regulatory body along with the profession as a whole to work towards.

So if you have not already read a copy of the VNFutures report, download one today! In this ever-changing fast-paced world, we need to prepare for the future. We challenge the profession to step up and get involved.

www.vetfutures.org.uk/vnfutures

Author

Sam Morgan DipAVN (Med & Surg) RVN BVNA President

DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2016.1226015

VOL 31 • October 2016 • Veterinary Nursing Journal