Veterinary Surgeon and Veterinary Nursing lecturer, Laura Kidd has written a blog for the joint Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) Vet Futures project, addressing how we can increase the number of veterinary nurses entering and staying within the profession.
In the blog, Laura argues that, despite year-on-year increases in the number of veterinary demand and that, furthermore, there is a trend towards people leaving the profession relatively early, with the average age being just over 30. Poor pay, stress, not feeling rewarded or valued and perceived lack of career progression all contribute to people leaving the professions, although she welcomed initiatives from the BVNA, BVA, RCVS and others to increase the status of the profession, create more diverse career opportunities and improve the profession’s mental well-being.
Laura 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 requirements to demonstrate critical reflection through academic writing can be challenging.’
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, visit www.vetfutures.org.uk/discuss