Areas of ‘deep concern’ for BVNA as Protect the Title survey results revealed

Nearly three-quarters of professionals believe legal protection of the veterinary nurse title could help to keep staff in the profession, newly published BVNA analysis suggests.

Senior figures in the sector have welcomed the initial findings of the survey, which showed overwhelming support for legislative reform.

But the organisation has also admitted “deep concern” after nearly half of professional respondents said they knew people working as a VN without being RCVS-registered.

Preliminary findings

The BVNA has released preliminary findings from surveys conducted in support of its “Protect the Title” campaign, which attracted responses from more than 8,000 professionals and nearly 4,000 members of the public.

Among professionals, 95% of respondents strongly agreed that the VN title should be legally protected, with 75% saying it would make a significant difference to the profession.

A similar proportion – 74.8% – also either agreed or strongly agreed that formal protection would impact on staff retention.

Feeling valued

BVNA officials believe statutory protection of the title would help VNs to feel more valued and respected in their jobs, contributing towards retention and the results indicate a broader relationship between the two.

Its president, Charlotte Pace, described the response to the campaign and survey as “fantastic”.

She said: “This shows that there is a lot of interest and support for legislative change from both the veterinary profession and the public.

“We will continue to push for the highest quality nursing, with full accountability.”

Responses

Most (71.4%) of the professional responses were from people who are either registered or student VNs, with 14.2% being submitted by vets, and the remainder split between receptionists, practice managers, care assistants and others.

The BVNA now plans to submit further analysis of the survey’s findings to Defra in the coming months, with the full results being made available at its annual congress in Telford in October.

However, it has also admitted it was surprised that 48% of professionals said they knew someone working in practice who was described by either themselves or others as a VN without them being registered with the RCVS.

The group described it as “an area of deep concern”, further highlighted by 92% of public respondents stating it was very important their pet was looked after by an RVN, and 91% saying they assumed the title meant the person using it was fully qualified and regulated by a professional body.

More than three-quarters – 76% – also didn’t know the VN title is not protected legally.

Work with

The BVNA said it wants to work with other bodies, such as the BVA and the RCVS, on further research, as well as holding talks with the college on how concerns about lay people using the VN title might be addressed.

It also plans to issue updated guidance on creating a “constructive dialogue” around the subject.

Senior vice-president Alex Taylor added: “The response and results of this survey just highlight how important protection of the title ‘veterinary nurse’ is – not just to the veterinary nursing profession, but to other veterinary professionals and the public, who would assume that someone who calls themselves a veterinary nurse is fully trained and properly regulated.

“The BVNA would like to thank every single person who filled in this survey; you really have made a difference.”

Keep backing

BVA president Malcolm Morley said his organisation would keep up its backing of the Protect the Title campaign following the survey.

He said: “Highly skilled veterinary nurses are invaluable members of ‘team vet’. Therefore, it’s crucial that the title of veterinary nurse, only achieved following years of dedicated learning and development, is given the hard-earned respect it deserves through protection.

“The strong response to the BVNA’s survey on the issue shows the value the profession and the public place on high quality nursing by qualified and regulated professionals.”

Endorsed

The RCVS also endorsed the findings, which comes eight years after it led a petition signed by more than 36,000 people calling for protection of the VN title.

A spokesperson said: “Gaining statutory protection for the veterinary nurse title is one of the crucial recommendations we have made for any future piece of primary veterinary legislation, and we believe that this change, combined with other recommendations, will help enhance the role of veterinary nurses going forward.

“We thank the BVNA for launching this survey, and for getting such a large number of members of the professions and the public to respond.”

• For more in-depth insights on this subject, keep your eyes peeled for our Happy Hour 15: Protect the Title podcast with BVNA president Charlotte Pace, Linnaeus chief nursing officer Andrea Jeffery and RCVS VN council chairperson Matt Rendle.