Don't worry if you haven't registered there's still time!

Click here for more information and to download a registration form

The prize draw will take place during the Annual General Meeting which will be held on Sunday 10th October and the winner will receive an electronic notebook, registration to attend the 2011 BVNA Congress and one year's free membership to the BVNA.

This is in response to the petition that requests parliamentary review of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, to include registration and statutory regulation for veterinary nurses and to protect the title 'Veterinary Nurse'.

Please click here to read the full statement

Our review of the VSA has been underway for some years and seeks:

There have been no decisions to change any of these objectives and we remain fully committed to achieving them. However, most of them, including the statutory regulatory framework for VNs, would require Defra to introduce substantially new legislation - something they stated (in 2007) that they had no resources to do.

In the meantime, therefore, we are having to prioritise our ‘wish-list' and make alternative arrangements under our existing powers. The main reform we are currently pushing for is to make the membership of the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees independent of Council. This might be achievable via a less complicated form of legislation called a Legislative Reform Order (LRO) and we hope to discuss this further with Defra soon.

Although statutory VN regulation could not be achieved in the same way, we are instead using our Charter powers to put in place a regulatory framework for veterinary nurses. This began in 2007 with the introduction of the Register of Veterinary Nurses and the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses and will be completed by the introduction of disciplinary procedures, hopefully in 2011.

A statutory framework for regulating VNs would be the best solution in the long term, and would hopefully also serve to protect the title of ‘veterinary nurse'. That remains our objective, which we will continue to work hard to achieve.

To read more on the VSA Review please click here

The role of a veterinary nurse is to provide skilled supportive care for sick animals. It takes two years to train to become a qualified veterinary nurse (VN/RVN) and once qualified, a nurse can perform certain procedures, such as medical treatment or minor surgery (not involving entry into a body cavity) as described in the Veterinary Surgeon's Act 1966 (Schedule 3). Veterinary Nurse’s are highly committed professionals and must pay an annual fee to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to ensure they are registered on the RCVS list or register of Veterinary Nurses.

A student nurse has to be enrolled with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and working towards qualification. Student nurses can perform certain tasks described in the Veterinary Surgeon's Act 1966 (Schedule 3), under veterinary supervision.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association advocates that all veterinary nurses working in practice should be qualified veterinary nurses or student nurses working towards qualification.

In the past individuals have been employed by veterinary practices without the academic qualifications that are required to enroll on the veterinary nursing course. Historically those individuals learned ‘on the job’ and many became very competent. However, the tasks they could legally perform were always very limited. In the eyes of the law, those individuals can not perform medical or surgical veterinary treatments until they gain the academic qualifications they need and enter upon a period of training as a veterinary nurse.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association is fully committed to ensuring that its qualified members deliver the best nursing care possible to their patients. It supports the RCVS proposal to introduce statutory regulation for those individuals who have this responsibility in veterinary practice but is aware that there is little likelihood that this will become a reality for some time due to the lack of opportunity for the introduction of a new Veterinary Surgeon’s Act.

The non-statutory register is to be applauded as an interim stage however it cannot facilitate full protection of veterinary patients due to the present lack of regulation of those non-qualified individuals who are employed to fulfill the nursing role in some veterinary practices. There is no doubt that some of these individuals have gained considerable experience in providing nursing care and this experience should not be discounted however it is only with a statutory register that full accountability can be facilitated and this must be the goal to ensure that clients and their pets receive the support and care that they expect.

To see other reactions from other veterinary organisations please visit the following links

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons British Small Animal Veterinary Association British Veterinary Association

You can also see the Medivet response.

The BVNA will be providing a response to the programme after it has aired and we will be updating our members with further information.

Vet Helpline would like to improve their support to nurses by adding two nurses to their team of volunteer “Helpers”.

If you are:

Please contact the Chairman, Rosie Allister, at info@vetlife.org.uk for more information.

Speakers: Stephen Clarke BVMS DipECVS DSAS (ortho), Wendy Barnett DipAVN(Surgical) VN, Samantha Lindley BVSc and Kathleen Tennant BVetMed DipRCPath CertSAM CertVC

Time: 9.30am - 5.30pm

Venue: Harper Adams University College, Edgmond, Shropshire TF10 8NB

Cost: £100 BVNA Members £130 Non-members includes lunch, course notes and CPD Certificate

Please click here to download a booking form or for more information please contact:

Lisa Brett, Education Manager

Tel: 01279 408644 E-mail: lisa@bvna.co.uk

The BVNA awards, which are supported by Hill's, are now in their third year and designed to celebrate the very special efforts made by veterinary nurses (VNs) and animal nursing assistants (ANAs) working in veterinary practices, both in terms of the role they carry out at work and the effort they put into looking after pets and pet owners in their local communities.

There are three awards: NI Student Vet Nurse of the Year, NI Animal Nursing Assistant of the Year and NI Vet Nurse of the Year and they are judged based on nominations by members of the public and colleagues who believe the nominees achievements should be recognised.

Photograph: Left to right - Tina Mackey, Jenny Beggs, Donna Lewis, Susie Turner, Bridget Davidson

National Veterinary Nursing Week has grown considerably since its launch back in 2005 and the message is still going strong! National VN Week is about promoting the importance of your profession and its effect on the improvement of animal welfare through excellent nursing care.

There are a number of events running up & down the country, please visit the VN Week blog to find out more http://vnweek.wordpress.com/

BVNA would love to see more veterinary nurses getting involved and promoting their profession. There many different ways in which you can do this, so please visit the VN Week blog to see what's going on near you.

If you want to get involved you still have time, registration packs are available by registering online via the BVNA website www.bvna.org.uk or by contacting the BVNA office on 01279 408644. There are some fantastic prizes available so don't miss out, register today and do your bit to promote a great profession!

The results will be available in the autumn.

BVNA is pleased to announce that all members can now benefit from discounted medical insurance through Bupa.

With over 3 million people in the UK trusting their health to Bupa, access to a clean private hospital room, a choice of 35,000 Bupa-recognised consultants, the most comprehensive cancer care available and prompt access to the latest drugs and treatment.

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Please contact Ian Reader

on 01732 585400 quoting BVNA

or

e-mail readeri@bupa.com

"There is a requirement that Registered Veterinary Nurses must ensure that all their professional activities are covered by professional indemnity insurance or equivalent arrangements. Such cover may be held individually or through an employer.

The VDS can confirm that their Professional Indemnity (PI) policy, held by the veterinary surgeons in a practice, extends to indemnify the practice for the negligent acts of any veterinary nurse working directly under the supervision or control of those insured veterinary surgeons.

Registered Veterinary Nurses working in ‘non-VDS' practices should check their PI position with their employers.

In relation to the stated intention of RCVS that from late 2010 onwards RVNs could face Disciplinary Committee investigations, VDS can confirm that it is progressing well with its efforts to provide an appropriate policy. Provided the terms of the proposed policy are met, this will provide RVNs with representation, support and legal costs at Criminal and/or Disciplinary Hearings.

Discussions have been underway for some time between VDS, its lawyers and the RCVS, with the intention that cover will be in place for the beginning of 2011."

Donna Lewis BVNA President commented "The BVNA fully supports the efforts of the VDS in working towards providing this vital service for the RVN and welcomes its introduction at the beginning of next year."

As part of their ongoing commitment to feline welfare, CEVA Animal Health has organised a series of on-line webinars to be given.

For more information please call 01494 781510 or e-mail lucy.brett@ceva.com

The revised IIP award was introduced to promote and recognise a higher level of achievement than the original scheme. In order to qualify for the new accreditation, companies must undergo re-assessment of their existing IIP standard against a range of additional criteria.

Angela Mariconda, BVNA Association Manager commented, "This was our first attempt at accreditation under the more stringent IIP certification and I'm delighted that we passed with flying colours. This is a real testament to our people and to the processes that we have in place to ensure that BVNA continues working together on their pledge of representing the veterinary nursing profession."

Vice President Sue Badger supported this and added that the solid foundations on which the BVNA is based are largely due to the continued hard work of the staff who are always prepared to ‘go the extra mile' to ensure that the organisation runs smoothly.

There are bursaries for VN course fees, Degree courses, companion animal behaviour and general CPD courses.

Click here to see all the available bursaries for 2010

The Animals Asia Foundation is devoted to the needs of wild, domesticated and endangered species throughout the Asian continent.

Donna Lewis, BVNA President, said 'BVNA are delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile charity. The Animals Asia Foundation work extremely hard to increase awareness of the plight of these animals and the cruelty to which they are exposed'.

BVNA will be fundraising during National Veterinary Nursing Week (18-24 July) and the 2010 BVNA Annual Congress (8-10 October) to help raise money to assist The Animals Asia Foundation in their fight against animal cruelty.

Please visit www.animalsasia.org to read about their work and find out more or visit their website to give a donation https://www.animalsasia.org/donate/index.php?n&lg=en

President, Donna Lewis, said "BVNA is committed to supporting its members through the current economic downturn and so have decided to freeze membership fees for 2010. In doing so we hope this will help our members to continue benefiting from the services on offer without any extra cost to them".

For further information on membership fees and benefits please visit the membership section of the website