RCVS shares findings from first stage of VN Vision project

This week we published our ‘VN Vision: the future of team-based veterinary healthcare’ snapshot report, providing an insight into the work of the VN Futures-sponsored project so far and the next steps it is looking to take.

The VN Vision project was launched last year under the VN Futures project umbrella – a joint initiative between the RCVS and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) founded in 2016. Since the launch of VN Futures, the veterinary landscape has changed significantly and the VN Vision project was set up to allow an in-depth exploration of what veterinary nurses truly envision for the future of their role, eight years later.

The first stage of VN Vision consisted of 14 different events, both in-person and online, and brought together veterinary nurses and student veterinary nurses from all walks of life to participate in discussions about their visions for the future of the veterinary profession. The sessions aimed to gain a broad range of perspectives and to encourage open-minded and unrestricted thinking, and sought to gather views on two main questions:

• What does the veterinary nursing profession want the future of veterinary healthcare to look like?
• What role will veterinary nurses play in shaping this future?

The snapshot report (pictured) showcases data gathered from the events – all of which was collected on an anonymous basis.

The key themes that came out of the discussions, which are illustrated and analysed in the report, were:

• Culture - the importance of maintaining a positive practice culture.
• Accessibility to veterinary care – how access to patient care for animal owners could be improved by increasing responsibility and autonomy for veterinary nurses.
• Responsibility, autonomy, and accountability – the desire for more responsibility and autonomy in the delivery of team based veterinary care.
• Building foundations and effective utilisation of team members – addressing the role of patient care assistants as a foundational element of the veterinary team.
• Advanced veterinary nursing - the potential development of an advanced practitioner in veterinary nursing role and a nurse prescriber role.
• Recognition - the importance of recognition from veterinary surgeons and the general public and for veterinary nursing to be understood and valued.
• Progression – the need for improved career progression and discussions around further qualifications for veterinary nurses.

VN Futures Project Lead, Jill Macdonald RVN (pictured), said: “The fundamental goal of these initial sessions was to explore how team-based veterinary healthcare could be delivered in the future to maximise efficiency, enhance role satisfaction among team members, and improve accessibility of veterinary care for animal owners.

“It was a real privilege to be able to hear from so many enthusiastic, forward-thinking RVNs and the level of engagement throughout the sessions was truly inspiring. We’re looking forward to launching the next phase of the project - a derivative project informed by the data gathered from the VN Vision events - focussing on the effective utilisation of nurses in practice.”

Our Director of Veterinary Nursing, Julie Dugmore RVN (pictured), added: “Jill and I are both proud RVNs and it was fantastic to be able to connect directly with colleagues from across the professions, listen to thoughts and ideas from all corners of veterinary nursing, and build relationships that have reignited our passion to serve and support a profession we care so deeply about.

“I would like to thank everyone who has taken valuable time out of their busy schedules to input into this vital project. Your involvement has made a real difference and we look forward to engaging with many more veterinary professionals as we continue working together bring our shared vision for a thriving future to life.”

The first derivative project from the VN Vision work, led by the RCVS, ‘A vision or a necessity – strengthening the role of veterinary nurses in team-based veterinary healthcare’ will begin over the coming weeks and months.

This will include a series of events taking place throughout 2025, exploring how veterinary nurses can be more effectively integrated within multidisciplinary teams, and why doing so is essential for the future of veterinary healthcare.

Sessions will be open to all members of the veterinary team with dates being released in due course.

To access the full ‘VN Vision: the future of team based veterinary healthcare’ snapshot report please visit our Publications page.