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Vet Futures has published a guest blog by Laura Kidd MRCVS which asks how the profession can increase the number of veterinary nurses entering and staying within the profession?
In her blog, Laura, a VN lecturer and clinical skills tutor for veterinary students, argues that the year-on-year increases in the number of veterinary nurses seems to be insufficient to meet demand. Furthermore, there is a trend towards people leaving the profession relatively early, with the average age being just over 30.
She writes: “Identifying the reasons for VNs leaving the profession at a young age and addressing these, is one potential way of increasing VN numbers in the future.”
Laura argues that poor pay, stress, not feeling rewarded or valued and perceived lack of career progression all contribute to people leaving the profession, although she welcomes initiatives from the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), BVA, RCVS and others to increase the status of the profession, create more diverse career opportunities and improve the profession’s mental wellbeing.
However, she adds that: “perhaps we may, reluctantly, have to accept that, for the time-being, veterinary nursing is a young profession with a high turnover.”
With this in mind she suggests that training more veterinary nurses will be the key to increasing the number of qualified members of the profession in the immediate future. In order to do this she believes that more practices need to be supported to become RCVS-approved Training Practices offering clinical training and work experience for student veterinary nurses and that an alternative training pathway for veterinary nurses may need to be looked at.
She adds: “The entry requirements for the VN Diploma are relatively low, yet the qualification is academically demanding: the volume and depth of knowledge is considerable for the level and qualification and the requirement to demonstrate critical reflection through academic writing can be challenging.
“It is regrettable that some student veterinary nurses, who appear to have the qualities to be very good VNs, are lost to the profession, unable to pass awarding body exams. Should we be developing an additional VN training pathway which allows more students to demonstrate they have the required skills to provide high quality nursing to their patients?”
In response to her proposal, this month’s poll will ask visitors “Is there a need for another VN training option?” To read the blog, leave a comment and take part in the poll please visit www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss
Last month’s poll asked if vets always acted as animal welfare advocates. This was in response to an article by animal welfare expect Professor David Main in which he argues that the profession should do more to demonstrate its animal welfare credentials and introduce safeguards against excessive profit-seeking. Although just 22 people took part in the poll, around two-thirds (68%) of them said that vets do not always act as animal welfare advocates.
PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.
What I worry about if they change the path to qualification and reduce the academic side would this result in substandard nurses? In my experience there is a huge variation in the level of skills in newly qualified nurses dependent on where they did their training and when ultimately we are dealing with lives I think the training standards needs to be kept high.
Salary is clearly an issue and always has been resulting in so many of us leaving the profession to do much less stressful jobs often for better pay. The issue with increasing salaries of vns may encourage practices to employ more non-qualified staff which many already do and allow them to do duties that legally they aren't allowed to do.
I absolutely love being an RVN and pride myself that I continue to increase my knowledge and gain further qualifications regardless of the fact that I don't see an increase in my salary in accordance with this. I do the courses for me and not for the money. Before entering the profession I knew what the average salary was so I knew that I'd never be particularly well off but I can't imagine doing anything other than this job. Each monthly bills are paid and I have a roof over my head and my pets are fed so what else do I need - who needs flash cars and expensive holidays! As they say,once you're dead you can't take it with you!