VN Futures board appoints new chair

The VN Futures board, which oversees and sets priorities for the VN Futures initiative, met for the fourth time, in June, at the Kennel Club’s main offices in London to discuss the continuing delivery of the project. Discussions at the meeting on 19 June included a review of the first 12 months under the chair of BVNA president Wendy Nevins, and appointment of Racheal Marshall as the new board chair. The VN Futures project was launched by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) at the beginning of 2016 to identify and draw up solutions to some of the specific issues facing the veterinary nursing profession. In July 2016 it published the VN Futures Report and Action Plan which set out 31 actions under six broad strategic aims. In order to follow up these actions, six working groups were formed to look at the broad strategic areas and, in June 2018, it was decided to set up a VN Futures board to help coordinate and oversee the work of these groups. The board comprises the RCVS veterinary nurses council chair and vice chair, Racheal Marshall and Liz Cox, and the BVNA president and vice president, Wendy Nevins and Jo Hinde. Nevins said: “In its first 12 months, the VNF Board has really got to grips with the direction and legacy of the VN Futures initiative. The clarity and direction it has brought is reinvigorating the Working Groups. The next 12 months will see a real focus on delivery of the original findings of the VFN Futures initiative.” The VNF initiative is nearly three years into its original five-year life span and the board also agreed plans will be put in place to communicate the gains that have been delivered through the initiative. So far, these have included the development of two new Diplomas in Advanced Veterinary Nursing, more resources to help both VNs and vets navigate Schedule 3 and publication of career case studies to demonstrate the diverse roles available in the profession. Nevins added: “The VN Futures project has a fixed five-year horizon to make sure we keep focus on what the profession said it wanted – and needed – to be delivered. At the end it will be for the profession to decide how well this has been done – and what comes next.” The board also confirmed plans to attend the Royal Veterinary College’s Student Veterinary Nurse Fest this summer, as well as events at the BVNA Congress in October and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in April 2020. Marshall said: “The energy and life of the VN Futures initiative comes from veterinary nurses so we are excited to be taking this back out to meet nurses and ask them for their thoughts and comments on how these issues – like career progression, further qualifications, and emerging agendas like One Health – matter to them. We are really looking forward to a busy program of congress events in order to hear from people.”