There are many exclusive member-only benefits when you join BVNA. Your membership includes free educational online events and discounted tickets for CPD, a support helpline and access to legal advice, and online access to the VNJ [and a printed version too].. but, did you know we have our own online community?

With thousands of members, it means there are always new people to meet online and share your passions with in our forums – you can discuss all things veterinary nursing and also find someone who shares similar interests and hobbies with you outside of work!

In this blog, we are looking at the many benefits of joining our community.

The BVNA Forums

There is something for everyone in the forums available through the BVNA membership portal. They include an In-Clinic forum, an Exotic forum, an Equine forum, an Out-of-Clinic #morethanavetnurse forum, and a general members forum that has threads like:

● Support for nurses in leadership and/or Head Nurse roles

● Support in your career and its progression

● Where to find different types of CPD

● Financial funding and bursary support

● Volunteer opportunities

● Health, fitness and well-being advice

● General chit chat

● An area for students

● Info and updates on Covid-19

Share your veterinary nursing passion

You can find or start a thread in a topic you are passionate about. This benefits both you and someone else who may need help in this particular area of veterinary nursing.

If you have found your niche within veterinary nursing, you can support your peers by answering any questions they may have about it. An online forum is an easy way to share information, real world tips and tricks, discuss and exchange ideas, encourage productivity by working towards a common goal in the industry, and you may even learn a new thing or two!

Being surrounded by like-minded people or by people who are interested in knowing more about something you are passionate about can increase your career satisfaction. It may be in the form of becoming a trusted peer or mentor, it may make you feel appreciated because you have helped someone else and it can also give you a feeling of accomplishment – all of these things improve mental wellbeing!

BVNA forums connect you to a larger network of people that can provide fresh ideas and insights into things you want to know, or want to implement in your practice. For example; there are more people and opportunities to brainstorm ideas for dental and weight loss clinics (sharing what worked and what didn’t work), or you can even get support in things like anaesthesia monitoring or calculating nutritional requirements (especially if no one in your current practice is familiar with it either). The benefit is that there will always be someone who can answer and support you no matter what you’re after!

Making new friends

We spend a lot of time at work with the same people every-day and it isn’t uncommon to become very good friends with our colleagues in addition to our friends outside of veterinary nursing. Even so, they may not share the same interests or views as you about a lot of things. By engaging with our community, you can open your friendship circle to find like-minded people to discuss your likes and dislikes with and also share things about your hobbies.

If you feel that you have not bonded or “clicked” with anyone in your workplace or where you study, then there will always be someone in the same boat as you that you can talk to – even if they are at the other end of the country! On the other side of the computer screen are real people where real friendships can flourish.

Online – anywhere, anytime!

One of the best things about interacting in our community is that you can fit it into your busy lifestyle whenever you have the time. When using our forums, you can log on anywhere at any-time to post or reply to different threads or conversations. It means it won’t interrupt things like dinner plans with friends, take time away from your study schedule, sleeping in on the weekend or allow you to continue to run a busy household.

With all of the benefits of a BVNA membership and a supportive online community at your fingertips – what are you waiting for? It is only £4.66 a month to join! Check out our membership here and start posting in the forums!