As we welcome in the new year, it is a natural time to reflect on what we have achieved in the past, and to contemplate the year ahead. The Veterinary Nurse is now in its tenth volume — quite incredible as it seems like only yesterday that we launched!
It's exciting to see how much has changed since our first issue. Technology has helped the veterinary nursing community share challenges and resources internationally, and has served to support our movements to enhance professionalism as a global community. Many countries are moving forward with steps toward full regulation and protection of title. This coming April, Australia will implement voluntary registration for veterinary nurses and technicians; in 2015, New Zealand implemented voluntary registration and now has nearly 700 people on the register. The USA is pushing the Veterinary Nurse Initiative which aims to establish a national title change to ‘registered veterinary nurse’ and is striving to provide a standardised nationwide credential and scope of practice. The RCVS is still pushing for protection of title and has opened a pathway to regulation of animal healthcare related paraprofessionals.
Protection of title is still one of the biggest concerns we face. Governments are reluctant to criminalise the misuse of veterinary nurse titles. Human healthcare is understandably tightly regulated, yet the economic value of animals is monetising veterinary care, and subsequently restricting the availability of quality healthcare to animals of lower economic value — even if they have a high social value.
Focusing on the human–animal bond, and the importance of animal companions in human society, will be critical to pushing the message but more important still is highlighting the fact that animals are truly deserving of quality healthcare. As David Attenborough says: ‘…we need to take a step back and just remember we have no greater right to be here than any other animal.’ Healthcare for animals should be held to higher standards, as human healthcare is.
Adequate mental health support, sufficient staffing, and promoting optimal work-life balance have all been challenges in the last 20 years for veterinary professionals worldwide, and they continue to be issues today. Promoting mid-level professionals such as veterinary nurse practitioners (VNP) is a natural next step to assist with shortages, staffing, and burnout. While we now have an array of well-respected VN specialities, we still haven't established solid job prospects for VNPs in general practice. There is so much room for us to develop in this area. There is clearly a need for advanced practitioners, other than specialists, to maintain quality care for our patients while also providing career progression and job satisfaction for veterinary nurses.
Looking forward we are poised for significant advancement in the next 5–10 years. One of us will achieve protection of title and other countries will rapidly follow suit — it's just a matter of time. Change is on the horizon and international collaboration can only be beneficial to all involved.
Perhaps by the time we reach the 20th volume of The Veterinary Nurse we will be celebrating an abundance of new successes brought on by our drive and determination to be regulated professionals in our own right, providing animals with the best possible care, and supporting people who advocate for our animal companions, and our environment. We hope you enjoy this issue!