When I was first studying to become qualified, I found myself in a leadership role within my student branch of our national representative organisation. Some of the issues that we discussed then are still relevant today such as protection of title, professional standards, and regulation.
Now, many years later and living in a different country, I find myself in a similar leadership role, and interestingly I see that the struggles we are going through are much the same as they used to be. However, now we are lifted by our international colleagues in a very unique way. With digital communication, our global profession seems to be growing closer, with more unity and consistency in our standards and conduct. We are all pushing toward increased professionalism, full regulation, and protection of title. Our diverse countries are no longer in isolation, but instead we are learning and growing with each other, sharing skills as we work abroad, encouraging development as we strive for specialities, and pursuing continuing education in our own countries, and abroad. We are growing together, showing what's possible in our profession, and following the similar footsteps of our human nursing counterparts in terms of developing our own profession.
Here in New Zealand, I find myself in awe at history unfolding before my eyes. In this past year, I have had the privilege of being at the forefront of change regarding the journey toward VN regulation in New Zealand. People before me had tried to push for regulation, and not been successful but now guided by the journey of our North American and UK colleagues, we have been lucky enough to learn from key players who have walked the path before us. We have heard the struggles of change, and listened to a wealth of advice. We have taken note of what has worked and what hasn't worked. Now, after trying again this last year, we have just implemented a voluntary register which has been overwhelmingly well received and we have the full support of our national veterinary regulatory and representative organisations. I will be the first VN in history ever to be invited to sit on the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and by all accounts, a change in the law is very likely in the next few years.
Much of the reason for this full support by our larger community is because of the news coming from abroad. Veterinary nurses want, and deserve full regulation — around the globe. We hold distinct skills unique to our profession and we want to use them fully, with support, and accountability. We are becoming specialists and are spending a great deal of time keeping current and developing our skills through continuing education. We are professionals in our own right and the message is getting out.
This message now unifies our global profession and if there's one thing I've learned from my years in leadership it's that change begins with awareness. We are now more aware than ever of why it's important to uphold our professionalism. We are aware of the public health risk of unqualified and unregulated staff. We are aware of the need for an international standard of education and we are aware of the unique and essential skills that we bring to the veterinary care team. Together we are driving change around the world.
It's clear to me that our global veterinary community has broadened and now we have an opportunity for collaboration. What might the future hold for our profession? Perhaps a unified title? Consistent educational standards? Or, maybe reciprocal agreements between registration bodies? It's all there, just around the corner and change is at hand. We hope you enjoy this issue.