As I write this, VNAM has just finished, and I can't help but think this idea has truly come into its own. Everyone involved in leading and implementing the campaign this year should be commended on such a successful, and widely acclaimed initiative that is contributing to a vibrant community. I can remember a time many years ago when VNAM didn't exist. We didn't have visible role models outside of our practices and classrooms and while our representative organisations were working hard, messages were not instant and widespread as they are today with social media. Still, our young profession carved out a niche for ourselves and set the foundation for what the profession has become.
My identity back then was shaped by the fact that we had to be resourceful. Aside from a few journals and textbooks, we had little else to inform us when a challenging case came in. It was exciting, but also, isolating. Now, amazing cases and tips are posted online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Continuing education is affordable, accessible, and plentiful. With so many messages coming from far and wide, our identity has changed, it is multifaceted, with higher expectations, and diverse job roles. Our knowledge and community are growing fast but are we at risk of having a crisis of dissatisfaction as we compare ourselves to others?
With this creeping sense of comparison shrouding our profession, I couldn't help but notice the sense of community that evolved from VNAM this year. Instead of seeing how green the grass is at other practices, better benefits, better pay, better facilities, and better working conditions, we saw people. Real people. We saw everyday people who decided to make a career out of veterinary nursing. We saw people who were proud of their profession. We saw humility. Diversity. Identity. Social media posts, and videos exclaiming who we are, the faces of so many people courageous, proud, and dedicated professionals. The statement ‘I am a veterinary nurse’ ringing from the faces of so many has been a powerful and profound statement for our individual and shared professional identity.
Our professional identity is in its early stages in terms of our professional evolution, but it has evolved by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years. We are writing the history book, and the rulebook, for our profession. We are creating a new awareness, sharing our learnings as we go. For this awareness, we can thank the work of small groups of dedicated people who began carving out a space for us to celebrate who we are and raise awareness of our important role in the veterinary sector.
From celebrating veterinary nurses for a day, and then over a week, and now a month-long initiative, we are realising the complex and diverse people and roles that our profession holds. We are leading our profession and now more than ever we need to celebrate our capacity to lead ourselves. Being a volunteer is hard. Leading volunteers is hard. Innovating in such trying times is hard. This is not easy work, but still there are dedicated people among us from all walks of life who are showing up, day in and day out, to make this profession better.
Here's to the change makers, the innovators, the volunteers, and the educators. Your work, your research, your growth mindset, and your curiosity are creating our profession and we are noticing. Thank you all to everyone working so hard for our profession. We hope you enjoy this issue.