“I applied to be a council member because I could see that BVNA were involved in lots of areas of the Veterinary Nursing profession and I thought to myself; ‘if you want to see change, you need to take part in the process!’ I was nominated to run for council, and to my delight, I was voted in.”
We Vote on Important Matters
“So far on council, I have been part of both the Membership and the Learning & Development committees. These committees meet on the morning prior to the main council meeting and discuss and vote on any important matters that are relevant to them.”
“Topics that we discuss and vote on can range from BVNA Congress, Regional CPD, VNJ or learning pathways (Learning and Development Committee) or BMAS, Regional CPD, VNAM, or vet nursing awards (Membership Committee). The main council meeting is for all council members to attend, and we vote on important matters such as how we can best support our student members, BVNA bursaries and the forthcoming election processes, to name just a few!”
“The Officers also give their reports at main council, so that they are updated on their movements since the last meeting. Last October, I took on the role of Junior Vice President (JVP), which carries more responsibility and requires further commitment to the BVNA and its members. Early this year, I was asked to be part of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) working group looking at the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) LWP (legislation working party) recommendations for ‘embracing the vet-led team’. A key part of this group was looking at statutory protection of the VN title and separating employment from delegation. More details on this and other BVA working groups can be found at https://www.bva.co.uk/about-us/our-structure/working-groups/. It was important for the BVNA to have a representative at these meetings to ensure our voices were heard and our points were put across from the perspective of a veterinary nurse.
Personal Achievement
“I have already achieved part of what I wanted to as a BVNA Council Member. I was thrilled to have been given the opportunity to write a literature review about ‘The handling and restraint of cats in practice and its effect on patient welfare’, which was published in June 2020. This is a topic that I am very passionate about, and the idea to publish it as an educational piece came out of one of the council meetings.
This year, the BVNA will be looking at how we can offer support and guidance to nurses affected by chronic illness. The idea to create a task and finish group and start a campaign to support nurses with chronic illness was grown from a report I put forward Council in January 2021. The task and finish group is made up of several dedicated Council Members who want to ensure nurses who are affected by chronic illness get the right support in practice or at college to be understood by their peers or colleagues and to thrive.
We will start the information gathering process first, and then the campaign itself should run from June-September 2021. Having been affected by chronic illness myself, I can understand the frustrations and distress it causes, so I am really pleased we are starting this campaign!
I have learned so much…
“Everything I have already mentioned is just a small fraction of what myself and other council members are involved with at the BVNA. I can honestly say that I have learned so much since being on council, not just with regard to my knowledge of Veterinary Nursing matters, but also my own self development. I am fortunate enough to have been offered some one-on-one coaching sessions through the BVNA, which has helped my pause and reflect on what is going on in my life and look at ways of being the best version of me that I can be’.
“I think I am a better person, both professionally and personally as a result of being a BVNA Council Member.”
“There does need to be some level of commitment, but I highly recommend joining as a BVNA Council member because it gives you a much better understanding of what we do as an organisation.”
“We really are ‘standing taller’ at an exciting time to be a Veterinary Nurse.”
It’s Election Time Again……… Nominate Someone Today!
Council Nominations for 2021-2022
The British Veterinary Nursing Association is calling on all full (RVN) and student members to stand for election onto BVNA Council. We have 3 full council and 2 student places available.
Important attributes for candidates are a strong commitment to promoting the ideals of the BVNA as well as the veterinary nursing profession in general and a willingness to devote time and effort to representing their fellow members.
It is important to realise that Council members can come from all aspects of our profession, from clinical practice, industry, research, corporate, charity. The wider range of council members we have the wider range of our profession is represented.
All you need is passion and commitment. Why not join us in shaping the future of our profession?
Join BVNA today to nominate or be nominated! JOIN HERE.
BVNA members, please click here for more details and nomination forms.