Helplines and Support for Veterinary Nurses
The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) are committed to supporting and helping veterinary nurses.
Please find below three areas of support & advice available to you:
Daphne Shipman Benevolent Fund
The Daphne Shipman Benevolent Fund was set up in memory of Daphne Shipman. Daphne was the steward co-ordinator for the BVNA Congress for many years and was loved by all who knew her. Sadly she lost her fight against cancer in July 1999.
The fund has been made available to BVNA members with the objective of supporting members, their spouses, relations or dependants who are in need, hardship or distress.
Application forms are available by contacting the BVNA office or downloading it here. Every application is carefully considered by its trustees, Jean Turner, Ray Butcher, Jane More and Angela Mariconda. If you are or know of someone who may require this assistance, please contact the BVNA team on 01279 408644 or email bvna@bvna.co.uk
Vetlife
Vetlife is managed by the Vetlife Steering Committee with representatives from all the main veterinary organisations and was conceived after the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF) asked Dr Wendy Harrison to chair a working party, formed from representatives of all the main veterinary organisations and the Samaritans, to look at what could be done to improve support to the profession and help to reduce the high incidence of suicide and depression.
Vetlife is a website designed to provide information about the support available to veterinary surgeons, nurses and students on a wide range of issues from
- the established veterinary care organisations
- outside the profession
It is one of a series of branded initiatives recommended by the Veterinary Support Working Party - a group formed with representatives from all the main veterinary organisations, including the BVA, in response to concern over the high rate of suicide and depression within the profession.
The site is funded by the Veterinary Benevolent Fund (VBF)
BVNA Members Helpline & Support Services
As well as the Legal Help Line and Industrial Relations Service for BVNA members, the BVNA is also there to support in other ways.
The Members Helpline is a confidential service, no details will be divulged and no action will be taken unless you specifically request it.
You can telephone the Legal Help Line in relation to any legal matter, employment, matrimonial, financial, etc. If you would like the advice they provide to you confirmed in writing, please ask at the end of the telephone conversation and they can do this.
Or if you feel that you have undergone a specific veterinary nursing traumatic experience and you feel that you would like to talk about this with somebody, again you can contact the BVNA office and speak to someone in confidence, or, they can ask a fellow Veterinary Nurse to contact you to discuss this further. In our experiences, a traumatic experience such as a dog severely biting you, is hard to deal with and whilst relatives and close friends try to understand, another Veterinary Nurse could understand better because it may have happened to them or they will understand how the situation arose etc.
We can also provide you with some written information specifically provided as counselling suggestions on how to deal with traumatic experiences.
Please remember as a BVNA member you are not alone, we are always there to help you.