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Veterinary Nurses Day

VN Day image
About the event

Veterinary Nurses Day is a celebratory event for veterinary nurses who have either recently achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Vet Nursing, completed an advanced qualification in veterinary nursing, completed a VN qualification overseas and have now joined the UK register, and nurses who have completed a Period of Supervised Practice and have returned to the Register.  

Veterinary Nurses Day is held twice a year in two different locations in the UK. The next two events will be held in the following locations: 

  • London, December 2025
  • Edinburgh, May 2026 

Please see the FAQs below for further details. 

Please note, all eligible vet nurses will be sent an invitation by email and will be asked to register their attendance via Eventbrite. 

If you have received an invitation to the next event but you are unable to attend and would like to attend Veterinary Nurses Day in the future, please get in touch with the events team at [email protected].   

VN Day programme 

Each ceremony provides a very enjoyable and interesting programme, as follows:

  • Refreshments on arrival
  • Welcome and introduction
  • VN professional declaration
  • Presentation of scroll and official photograph
  • Short address from both RCVS President and Chair of VN Council
  • Guest Speaker
  • Refreshments and close

Speaker 

Image of Joy Howell The speaker for the December 2025 event will be Joy Howell RVN Dip AVN (surgical), with her talk titled 'Forty Fabulous Years'. 


Joy qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 1985 from the Royal Veterinary College, London and earned the Diploma in Advanced Surgical Nursing in 1992. She is a honorary member of the British Veterinary Nursing Association.

For the initial seventeen years of her career, Joy was employed in small animal practice, worked with the PDSA, and served as a self-employed locum nurse and lecturer in Veterinary Nursing.

Joy has a keen interest in the "One Health" concept, which prompted me to join Bayer Animal Health in 2002 as a Senior Practice Support Advisor. In this role, she provided training to veterinarians, nurses, and receptionists on promoting owner compliance with preventative veterinary healthcare measures.

Joy joined Ashfield Healthcare in 2019 and was contracted to Boehringer-Ingelheim in a similar role and then made her final career move and started at UK Pets as Animal Medicine Advisor and Veterinary Nurse on December 1, 2020.

Joy has also volunteered with Worldwide Veterinary Services, Mission Rabies, Daktari, Conservation through Public Health and The Rotary Club of Uganda.

Joy retired last year to focus on volunteer work and recently trained as a registered volunteer with Shropshire Supports Refugees, applying client care skills from her veterinary career.

The May 2026 speaker is to be confirmed - more information coming soon. 

Please check the FAQs below for the answers to any queries.

If you need any further information, please contact the RCVS Events Team at [email protected].  

Do you know about RCVS Knowledge’s free resources?

RCVS Knowledge is the charity partner of the RCVS. They provide free tools, resources and education to support veterinary professionals to deliver high-quality evidence-based care.

Find out more about all the free resources available to you and their support for evidence-based veterinary nursing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Filter FAQs

Find out about Veterinary Nurses Day

  • When is Veterinary Nurses Day held?

    Veterinary Nurses Day is held twice a year in different locations, with either one or two ceremonies held throughout the day.

    The next two events have been confirmed and will be held on the following dates:

    • Wednesday, 3 December 2025 - London (afternoon ceremony only) 
    • Wednesday, 6 May 2026 - Edinburgh (morning and afternoon ceremony to choose from) 

    If you have been invited to attend Vet Nurses Day but are unable to attend and would like to defer your attendance, you may do so once. Please get in touch with the events team at [email protected].   

     

  • Where is the event held?

    To make the event more accessible, we will be holding Veterinary Nurses Day in different parts of the country. The next two events are confirmed as: 

    In both locations, the venues are conveniently located in the city centers, close to various public transport links. We encourage you to use public transport to travel to the event where possible.

    For directions, please see each of the the venue's websites. 

  • Who is invited?

    Those eligible to attend and celebrate their achievements include:

    • Newly-registered VNs who have completed the Level 3 Diploma
    • VNs who have completed an advanced qualification in veterinary nursing
    • Those who have completed an overseas qualification and have now registered as a veterinary nurse in the UK
    • Nurses who have completed a PSP and have recently returned to the Register 

    All eligible vet nurses will be sent an invitation to register by email. If you have not received an invitation but think you should have, firstly please check your junk folder, and then get in touch with the RCVS Events Team at: [email protected]. 

  • How many guests can I bring?

    Guest tickets are strictly limited to two guests per RVN, this is owing to space limitations and high demand for places. To allow as many nurses as possible the chance to attend, only two guest tickets may be purchased with each veterinary nurse ticket.

    Please only register your attendance for your preferred ceremony, we regret that registrations for more than one ceremony and any more than two guest registrations per nurse will be removed.

    Please note that places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and that you and your guests’ attendance is not confirmed until you have registered on Eventbrite.

    If plenty of places are still available in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, we will open up booking for third guest tickets, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

    Please do not contact the RCVS to request extra tickets until 4 weeks before the event.

     

  • How much do tickets cost?

    VN Day is free for veterinary nurses to attend, and guest tickets are available at £15 each.

    Ticket costs include: 

    • Refreshments and nibbles before and after the ceremony.
    • A professional photographer will be taking photos throughout the day. You will be able to download your photos for free from the RCVS Flickr site a few weeks after the ceremony.
    • VNs will also receive their professional declaration in a scroll tube.
  • What is the dress code?

    We ask that you and your guests attend the ceremony dressed as you feel most comfortable.

    As a guide, we recommend smart-casual. Alternatively, newly-registered VNs may wish to dress in their VN uniforms for the ceremony, however, please note that there will not be changing facilities at the venues. 

  • When will I get confirmation of places and details about the day?

    You will receive an email confirmation via Eventbrite when you have booked your ticket(s).

    You will receive a further confirmation email with the final details ahead of the event. This email will contain a link to open important guidance notes about the day, please ensure you read this information before attending. 

    Please do check your junk email folder and email us at [email protected] if you haven't received this.

  • Who do I contact if I am no longer able to attend and can I get a refund for my guest tickets?

    If you or your guests are no longer able to attend, please email let us know by emailing [email protected].

    As per the refund policy, we will be able to refund 50% of the ticket cost if the refund is requested 17 days before the event.

     

  • Who do I contact if I have a query?

    For queries relating to the registration process, please contact [email protected] / 0207 202 0707.

    For queries relating to Veterinary Nurses Day, please contact [email protected] / 0207 202 0738.

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