VN Council
A specialist governing body focused on veterinary nurse education, professional development and regulatory matters.
VN Council elections
RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council comprises 14 members: 6 elected veterinary nurses, 2 appointed veterinary nurse members, 2 appointed veterinary surgeon members and 4 appointed lay members.
In November 2017 VN Council agreed changes to its governance arrangements, reducing the number of elected members from 8 to 6 and introducing new appointed veterinary nurse, veterinary surgeon and lay members. Another key change was that the term of office for VN Council members was reduced from 4 to 3 years and the same 3-term limit also applies. These changes meant that no VN Council election was held in 2018.
The elections are held in March and April.
The election results are published in early May and the successful candidates begin their terms of office at the RCVS Annual General Meeting, held in July each year.
2027 candidate nominations
Nominations are now open for next year's Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council election. Veterinary nurses can put themselves forward to stand as one of our elected Council members, taking decisions on the education, training, registration and professional standards for the profession.
The deadline for nominations is Sunday 31 January 2027. This guide contains the full details about how to stand for election and what it means to be a member of VN Council.
For further information about VN Council and its elections, please email Annette Amato, Secretary to VN Council, on [email protected]
Related Content
VN Council meetings
Dates of upcoming and previous VN Council meetings, and links to meeting papers.
VN Council members
The VN Council comprises veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons and lay people. The veterinary surgeons are drawn both from RCVS Council and appointments made by the VN Council.