VN Futures ends after nine years of initiative
“The project may be coming to an end, but the legacy of all we have achieved will continue to live on" - Belinda Andrews-Jones
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) have announced the retirement of their VN Futures initiative.
The project, first launched in 2016, has seen the two organisations work to ensure that the veterinary nursing profession remains rewarding and sustainable.
As a result of the project, the RCVS and BVNA noted a need for more effective utilisation of veterinary nurses in the team. They suggest this will promote job satisfaction, progression opportunities and deliver high standards of patient care.
The organisations now say that, after nine years, the initiative has reached its natural conclusion.
The RCVS and BVNA say that the promotion of the veterinary nursing profession remains a joint goal. However, with their different roles as regulator and representative body, the organisations suggest they would benefit from working more independently.
The RCVS recently announced the second phase of the VN Vision initiative, launched under the VN Futures project umbrella. It will build upon work carried out in 2024, as it seeks to more effectively integrate veterinary nurses into multidisciplinary teams.
A series of workshops will be held across the UK for the whole team this year, with an additional session held at BVNA Congress.
Meanwhile the BVNA has released a set of resources on how practices can maximise the RVN role. It will launch its ‘RVN utilisation champions’ campaign later this year, which will be accompanied by associated streams at BVNA Congress.
It is also compiling a ‘Nurse Utilisation Toolkit’ for its members, which will launch in late 2025/early 2026.
Belinda Andrews-Jones, RCVS’ veterinary nurses’ council chair, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the collaborative VN Futures project, and I am so proud of all we have achieved together.
“We have undertaken numerous important projects including the launch of the VN School Ambassadors Scheme, wellbeing projects in collaboration with the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative, the provision and creation of veterinary nurse-specific resources in areas such as leadership, and the inception of our Diversity, Inclusion and Widening Participation Group.
“The project may be coming to an end, but the legacy of all we have achieved will continue to live on and fuel further invaluable projects within the veterinary nursing profession for many years to come.”
Lyndsay Hughes, BVNA president, added: “The joint decision to end the project marks an end of an era, but also the beginning of an exciting new chapter. We will continue to work with each other on activities and projects that support the veterinary nursing profession on an ongoing basis.”
Image © RCVS
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
