The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) has announced the initial results of an on-line BVNA awareness and opinion survey of the members of this website, conducted in February this year.

The survey attracted nearly 1000 responses, mainly from VNs working in small animal practices, 49% of whom were already BVNA members.

Results from the survey included:

  • 'Which of the following events have you attended in the last five years?' There were almost equal percentages to the top three answers of 'BVNA Congress', 'BSAVA Congress' and 'none' with attendance at 'regional events' a close fourth.
  • Of the 49% of total respondents who are already BVNA members, 69% are either 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their BVNA membership and less than 3.5% said they are 'dissatisfied'.
  • When asked the main reasons for joining the BVNA, 68% said they want to be part of the largest national VN representative body, 32% cited the CPD courses, 22% employment advice, and 20% the discount on the cost of attending the BVNA congress.
  • To the question: 'Do you think that BVNA membership offers value for money', 71% of the total number of respondents said 'yes', and the list of benefits included employment advice, CPD courses, discount on attending BVNA congress, book discounts, bursaries, and free subscription to the BVNA official journal 'VNJ'.

BVNA President, Clare Fraser, said: 'It's easy for us who are actively involved in the BVNA to know about the benefits of membership, but we felt we needed to canvas the views of VNs in the UK and overseas to gain a broader picture on the perception of our organisation.'

'For example, although annual, quarterly or monthly direct debit payments for annual membership fees have been available for the past eleven years, 30 per cent were not aware of this. The monthly direct debit cost for a full member is only £3.91', explained Claire.

'Nearly a third of respondents mentioned CPD has a benefit of BVNA membership, and we expect this number to increase, as voluntary regulation now requires every registered VN to undertake a minimum of 45 hours of CPD over a three-year period.

'Interestingly, 20 per cent of respondents thought they are not eligible to join the BVNA, for reasons such as they currently reside outside the UK, or they are not registered VNs. In fact, membership is open to anyone in the UK or overseas, and there are different levels of membership, including British trained VNs, VN students, and associate members who work in jobs allied to the veterinary profession but are not actually VNs.

'We greatly value the feedback from members and non-members alike, and thank everyone who has taken part', added Claire, 'but we still welcome more views and suggestions to ensure that we continue to accurately represent VNs in the future'.

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.