Mary Poppins would always announce that when the wind changed to the east it would indicate a change in events were about to occur. I'm not Mary Poppins but it does feel like the wind is changing.
The Welsh Government has just approved the use of Approved Tuberculin Testers (ATTs) in private practice in Wales starting this month (October 22), in the role of Tuberculosis testing in cattle. This move follows the decision to expand ATT capacity in England following a rigorous pilot by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Under the scheme, any lay TB tester authorised by APHA from 1 October will receive authorisation to work in both England and Wales. Existing testers in England will also be permitted to work in Wales subject to additional training.
This might seem a little irrelevant to veterinary nurses, but it has huge potential. This is an example of a role that previously only veterinary surgeons were permitted to undertake. The ATTs are now working with veterinary surgeons as part of the vet-led team. Sound familiar? The role of paraprofessionals in large animal medicine is expanding and changing — this will start filtering across to small animal practice. The British Veterinary Association's (BVA) vision for the vet-led team is a ‘hub and spoke’ model with the vet at the centre working with appropriately trained and regulated allied professionals to coordinate services for clients and patients. This includes registered veterinary nurses (RVN).
This has highlighted the importance of protecting the title of veterinary nurse before review of the Veterinary Surgeon's Act. The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BNVA) have highlighted this and have launched a campaign to ‘Protect the Title’. The BVA have also stated that the title ‘veterinary nurse’ should be protected in legislation and the role of RVNs should be expanded, adding that there should be further work to clarify the duties that can be delegated to RVNs within existing legislation.
The ever-evolving role of the veterinary nurse does have a worldwide effect; using examples from one country can help others to develop legislation in another. There are many interested parties looking to see what happens in the UK with changes to the Veterinary Surgeon's Act.
Protection of the title has been recommended to the government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(Defra)) by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council as part of wider legislative change to the 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act. This recommendation adds weight to the campaign and will give support to it actually occurring.
Change can be a time of uncertainty, but at present the industry can't continue on as it is. We are at breaking point. Resilience within the industry is vital, but there does come a point where rather than just being resilient to tough times we need to change the circumstances, change the situations.
The wind is changing, Mary Poppins is right, change is imminent in veterinary nursing. We just need to ensure it happens. We need to get behind the Protect the Title campaign. It is an exciting time for veterinary nurses and the industry as a whole.