References
International differences in the journey toward compulsory veterinary nurse registration
Abstract
This paper seeks to explore the veterinary nursing profession and its regulation using five countries as examples, namely the UK, New Zealand, Australia, the Republic of Ireland and the United States of America (USA). It also briefly examines the concept of working towards an internationally unified or standardised approach to the regulation of the veterinary nursing profession, which may be beneficial to the profession. Finally, it provides brief information for veterinary nurses who may wish to transfer their careers between the five example countries described. The focus of this paper is from a New Zealand perspective, but relates to veterinary nurses worldwide.
It is internationally accepted that the veterinary medical profession requires individual registration, a standard level of qualification and a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) to maintain professional competency and good standing. This premise is reflected in various national veterinary council guidelines around the world including the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council Inc (2014) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (2014a). In this regard veterinary medicine is similar to other health professions, including human medicine and nursing. Generally there is a legal requirement for all human health professionals that use a widely recognised title to be qualified. For example, in New Zealand, professionals working in an industry using titles such as doctor, nurse, dental technician and physiotherapist need to be qualified, adhere to guidelines set out by their governing organisation and follow agreed terms of membership (Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act 2003 (NZ)). Human health professionals administer medications and perform various procedures on individuals that if done incorrectly could negatively impact that individual's wellbeing. While veterinary nurses do not directly impact on human health, their actions can still have serious consequences for both animals and humans in the workplace, especially when considering they are regularly dealing with controlled and cytotoxic drugs, radiography equipment and hazardous chemicals. For example, the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses published by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) clearly states in section 6.1: ‘Veterinary nurses must seek to ensure the protection of public health and animal health and welfare, and must consider the impact of their actions on the environment’ (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 2014b).
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