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.
Bullying and stress
If you are worried about being a target for bullies or that you may be suffering from work-related stress and before taking any appropriate action, would like someone to contact so that you can discuss your fears, concerns and experiences, the BVNA can offer support, just telephone or e-mail the office.
This is a confidential service, no details will be divulged and no action will be taken unless you specifically request it. Sometimes the best way to face up to problems is to write them down and that is exactly what this email is designed to do.
The response will hopefully confirm that someone is listening to you, are there for you, and provide you with some suggestions on what you can do if you want, or details of where to turn for further advice. However the service is there to support our members and provide them with somewhere to turn initially.
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.
Industrial Relations Service
If the enquiry is in relation to any aspect of employment and the Legal Help Line advises you to follow a course of action, ie., put details in writing to your employer, request explanation etc or if you unclear and not further advice in relation to an employment issue, the Legal Help Line should provide you with details of the Industrial Relation Service (IRS).
Veterinary Nurses Traumatic Experiences
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 counseling suggestions on how to deal with traumatic experiences.
Please remember as a BVNA member you are not alone, if BVNA do not have a service available that you feel will currently assist you with any support you may require, please inform them so that they can look at ways to implement any future developments that may address these issues.
If you experience any problems or have any concerns over any of the membership support services provided, please do not hesitate to contact either the BVNA office or a BVNA council member.
