National Veterinary Nurse Register

This section contains information about the non-statutory Register for Veterinary Nurses, due to open on 1 September 2007.

The new Register is an exciting development for veterinary nursing and marks the biggest change to the regulation of VNs for some time. It is the first step towards statutory regulation for veterinary nurses, which would only be possible under a new Veterinary Surgeons Act.The Register will enable nurses to demonstrate that they are prepared to adhere to guidance on their professional conduct and are committed to maintaining their professional skills through continuing professional development (CPD).

What is a non-statutory Register?

The new Register wiII be known as a non¬statutory Register because there is no current requirement for it in legislation as there is for other professionals, such as veterinary surgeons, doctors and human nurses. Veterinary nurses themselves, by signing up to the new Register, will give the RCVS authority to regulate their professional work in accordance with the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses. I n other words, there will be a contract between the RCVS, to maintain the Register, and nurses, to adhere to their Guide to Professional Conduct.

What will the new Register look like?

The RCVS will continue to maintain a List of veterinary nurses. However, from 2007 the List will be divided into two sections. These will be the new non-statutory Register and the current (unregulated) List. Each part (Register and unregulated List) will be further subdivided into two sections; one for small animal VNs and one for equine VNs. We wiII distinguish each part of the published List so that it will be very clear to employers and the public that Registered VNs are subject to professional regulation and those electing to remain on the unregulated List are not. We will also distinguish between Registered VNs and those remaining on the unregulated List by providing distinctive annual registration cards

Who will join the new Register?

All VNs who qualified on, or after, 1 January 2003, will automatically transfer to the new Register and the old RCVS List of Veterinary Nurses will close to new entrants. If you first listed as a veterinary nurse before 1 January 2003, you wiII be able to transfer voluntarily to the new Register or you may elect to stay on the unregulated List. The annual retention fee will remain the same for both the new Register and the List.

Which VNs should be registered?

Being registered is a kind of quality assurance" Kite Mark" for professionals. Registration is therefore important for anyone who is working by virtue of their VN qualification. In being registered, you will be bound by standards of professional conduct (set out in the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses) no matter what kind of work you are undertaking. This means that the employers of Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs), and members of the animal-owning public, can have confidence in you because you will be personally accountable (to your profession, via the RCVS) for maintaining these standards. So, whether you work in general clinical practice, the pharmaceutical or pet food industries or are running your own pet-care business, if you are doing this by virtue ofyour veterinary nursing knowledge and skills you should be registered. You must be a Registered Veterinary Nurse or alternatively (if you qualified before 2003) remain on the VN List if you intend to undertake any clinical work that comes under the remit of Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. You should also be registered if you work as an NVQ assessor or internal verifier, or you teach on a veterinary nursing VRQ or degree course.

Will VNs who do not register be able to practise?

Yes, veterinary nurses who elect to stay on the unregulated VN List will still be entitled to practise and undertake Schedule 3 delegated procedures. However, this does not give members of the public or employers any assurance of their professional conduct or maintenance of CPO.

Will the VN List eventually disappear?

The unregulated VN List has to be maintained for nurses who first listed before January 2003 and who do not wish to be regulated. However, it will shrink over time as VNs on this part of the RCVS List either retire or elect to be regulated. Although, from September 2007, no new VNs may join the unregulated List, it will not be closed unless new veterinary legislation makes regu lation (registration) a statutory requirement for all veterinary nurses.

What does non-statutory regulation mean?

For veterinary nurses subject to non-statutory regulation the current List will become a Register. Nurses on the Register will be entitled to be called Registered Veterinary Nurses and put the letters RVN after their names.

In order to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse a potential RVN must have the same qualifications as are required for admission to the unregulated List. In being registered, you will be agreeing to adhere to published standards of professional conduct that are set out in the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses. The Guide requires RVNs to maintain their professional development and competence to practise. The Veterinary Nurses Council has agreed the minimum requirements for undertaking and recording CPD and will review this periodically.

What is the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses?

One of the characteristics of a profession is that its members agree to be bound by publicised standards of professional conduct and to be held accountable when they fail to do so. The Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses (the Guide) sets out the professional behaviour expected of a veterinary nurse. The Guide provides similar guidance to that provided for veterinary surgeons, which has been developed and tested over a number of years. The synergy between the veterinary and VN guides to professional conduct means that all qualified members of the veterinary team will be familiar with their respective responsibilities and can help each other to meet them.

Some of the guidance appears to relate to vets more than nurses ... ?

It would be impossible to write different documents for all the various roles in which RVNs (or vets) might be engaged. The Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses shouId therefore be applied in the context of the work you undertake. This will differ depending upon whether you own your own business or are an employee, or whether you work in clinical practice or a non-clinical field such as education. Some elements of the Guide will be more, or less, relevant depending on how and where you work.

Interpreting the Guide; some examples ...

A good example of being able to interpret the Guide in context is the paragraph in Section C (Your responsibilities to your patients) which requires that you "must not cause any animal to suffer by ... failing to assist with the maintenance of adequate pain control and relief of suffering". Some nurses might regard providing pain relief as the responsibility of a veterinary surgeon. However, whilst the prescription of analgesic medication is a veterinary responsibility, it is the role of a nurse to administer this as directed, monitor its effect, report apparently inadequate analgesia to the vet and employ nursing skills to make an animal as comfortable as possible. If, for example, you slept through a night duty without checking on patients and left them without adequate pain relief, you would not be complying with several elements of Section C 1 of the Guide. This section could also apply to a veterinary nurse running a part-time pet-sitting business. If an owner entrusts an animal to you that becomes sick (or injured) whilst in your care, the Guide would expect you to seek suitable veterinary treatment, and/or advise the owner, depending on the situation.

What happens if a complaint is made about me?

Once regulation becomes fully operational in 2010 any complaint about your conduct in relation to veterinary nursing work will be investigated by the RCVS Preliminary Investigation Committee and, where necessary, disciplinary proceedings will be brought. Hearings for alleged professional misconduct will be conducted by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee (DC). Both the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees will include nurse members when they are dealing with complaints about RVNs. The RCVS already has very well-established mechanisms for the handling and investigation of complaints, at present used in relation to complaints against veterinary surgeons. These tried and tested procedures will, from 2010, be adopted whenever a complaint against a veterinary nurse is received by the RCVS. You should be assured that, if you are unlucky enough to have a complaint made against you, the matter will be dealt with sensitively, impartially and fairly by very experienced, and professionally qualified, personnel. If you would like to learn more about how the RCVS deals with all aspect of complaints (currently in relation only to vets), visit RCVS online www.rcvs.org.uk and look under the veterinary surgeons section for 'complaints', The complaints procedure, along with the work of the Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees, are set out in detail.

What sort of thing might get me 'struck off' the Register?

Registered Veterinary Nurses may be suspended or removed ("struck off") from the Register if they have been found guilty by the DC of serious professional misconduct or if they have a criminal conviction which renders them unfit to practise, such as theft or a drug-related offence, It is difficult to give examples of behaviour which might lead to suspension or removal from the Register because each case is different, even though the 'offence' might appear similar. The DC will accordingly take all relevant factors into consideration before ordering a suspension or removal. However, the abuse of animals or clients or undertaking work that is not legally within the remit of a Registered (or Listed) Veterinary Nurse are examples of matters that would be considered serious misconduct. A Registered Veterinary Nurse will also be removed if his or her name has been fraudulently entered in the Register, and for non-payment of fees. A nurse whose name is suspended or removed from the Register will not be legally entitled to give medical treatment or carry out minor surgery in accordance with Schedule 3 to the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

Will these measures be effective straight away?

No, not immediately. The Register will be set up from 1 September 2007, but will exist in "shadow" form until 2010. This means that all the new regulatory requirements wi II be in place but most wi II be advisory to begin with, In other words, nurses will be expected to adhere to the CPD requirements and the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses but will not be subject to investigation or disciplinary action if they transgress in the early days of the new Register, This approach is designed to allow time for education and familiarisation with the new arrangements without fear of punitive action if nurses misunderstand or make mistakes, The RCVS wiII concentrate on education during this period, working with the BVNA and other professional associations, training VNACs and colleges to ensure that everyone is prepared for the Register to become fully operational in 2010.

What will happen during the 'shadow' phase of regulation?

During the 'shadow' period, the RCVS wi II monitor several aspects of the new scheme. Most importantly, we shall monitor the uptake of the CPD requirements and the number and nature of any complaints made to the RCVS about veterinary nurses. This will help us to adapt the CPD guidance if necessary and to determine the volume and likely cost of future disciplinary processes,

What will the CPO requirements be?

As an RVN, you will be required by the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses to "continue your professional development by keeping up-to-date, .. and must maintain a record of continuing professional development (GPO) as evidence of so doing." (Section D.4.) In order to fulfil this obligation, you must undertake a minimum of fifteen hours of CPD activity annually, or forty-five hours spread over a period of three years. Flexibility has been built into the requirement so that RVNs will not be disadvantaged if family, or other, commitments make it difficult to fulfil fifteen hours in a particular year. All RVNs will be provided with a CPD Record Card by the RCVS when they initially join the Register and annually thereafter. The Record Card contains comprehensive guidance on how to plan, undertake and record effective and relevant CPO. However, there are some key facts about VN CPO that are worth noting here: CPD need not be expensive or involve time away from practice. Whilst it can include courses or study days, it could equally well include a development activity set up between a group of colleagues, or web-¬based learning. Up to five hours of CPD each year may be "undocumented" activity, such as keeping up-to-date with professional reading relevant to your work. You will need to keep a file of evidence to support your CPD Record Card. This should include items such as your annual CPD plan, course attendance certificates etc. The Record Card gives more guidance on this. Veterinary nurses use their VN qualification in many ways. Your CPD must support your work and your qualification. So if, for example, you work in VN education you will need to keep both your teaching and relevant veterinary nursing skills up-to-date. It is up to you to decide how much development you need to do in order to keep up-to-date and maintain your professional competence. Remember that fifteen hours is the minimum requirement. If you have a complex role, or have just taken on a new area of work, you may need to do more. Whilst vets and veterinary nurses who are employers have a professional duty to support CPD, in the end it is your own responsibility to ensure that you keep the knowledge and skills you are using in order to work under your veterinary nursing qualification up-to-date. While two days a year may not sound much, the RCVS has set this level because it believes it to be achievable by every veterinary nurse, whether junior or experienced, full- or part-time. We recognise that many VNs already undertake a much greater amount of CPD.

Returning to work after a break

From September 2007, veterinary nurses returning to practice after a break of five years or more will have a choice. They may either return to the unregulated List (if they initially qualified before 2003) or join the new Register. Nurses who elect to join the new Register will be required to demonstrate a period of at least four months (17 weeks) of supervised practice in an approved veterinary nurse training practice (TP) or a Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) accredited practice at Tier 2 or 3. They wiII need to provide the RCVS with a reference and accompanying evidence of their programme of updating before they can be registered. Similar mechanisms are already in place for student veterinary nurses returning to training after a break of five years or more.

Will I be able to undertake 'Schedule 3' work whilst I am updating after a break?

Yes, nurses returning to work will either re¬enter the unregulated List (if they initially qualified before 2003) or will be registered as 'returning nurses' (under regulations similar to those now in place for student VNs) in order to undertake their period of supervised practice. This means that they will be able to undertake a full range of veterinary nursing work under supervision, including Schedule 3 procedures.

The RCVS will be working with colleges on the development of supporting return-to-¬practice courses for future introduction .

Will RVNs need insurance to practise?

Yes, you will need to be insured. However, the cover you need will depend upon the work you do. As a veterinary nurse working as an employee or locum in a practice you should already be covered by your employer's third-party insurance. This will cover injury to an animal or client caused by anything you do in the course of your work. However, as an RVN you will need some additional insurance cover against the cost of defending a complaint made about your professional conduct. I n the case of vets this cover is mainly provided by the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS). The VDS is currently in discussion with the BVNA as to how such cover may be extended, at minimal additional cost, to veterinary nurses. If you run your own business, such as pet-sitting or behaviour work, you should already have your own third¬party insurance cover, even if you only do this in your spare time alongside your usual job.

Will the retention fee be higher for RVNs?

The RCVS has undertaken to keep the annual retention fee for VNs and RVNs the same until at least 2010, when the full regulatory framework goes "live". The retention fee generally increases in line with inflation and so it is very unlikely that the fee will rise much in the next three years. During this time the RCVS will deal with any complaints that arise against RVNs through the issue of professional advice and guidance rather than via disciplinary investigation. We will also monitor the level of such complaints so we can gain an indication of the likely cost of veterinary nursing disciplinary work in the future.

However, on current and past experience, the number of complaints against practices that involve veterinary nurses, and other potential VN professional conduct issues that are sometimes brought to our attention, are relatively few. Many of the complaints against veterinary surgeons arise because they are practice owners or partners and although some VNs are in this position it is rare. So, whilst we cannot guarantee that the retention fee will remain at current levels, veterinary nurses appear to present a low professional conduct risk in comparison to vets and their future retention fee will reflect this

Who will pay for registration, insurance and CPD?

It will be a veterinary nurse's personal responsibility to ensure that his/her registration and annual retention fees are paid and that s/he has appropriate insurance cover. There will be a similar personal responsibility to ensure that the requirements for continuing professional development are addressed. All veterinary practices must carry third-party insurance and this already provides cover for veterinary nurses working as employees or providing locum cover. Whilst it will be the responsibility of RVNs to ensure that they are fully covered for all aspects of their practice (see Will RVNs need insurance to practise) many employers are likely to fund this, as they do for veterinary surgeon employees. The majority of employers currently fund (either fully or in part) the registration and retention fees for their practice staff and also invest in their CPD. The requirements of the new regulations will not significantly add to these existing costs. Will the RCVS still issue badges and certificates? Yes, we will continue to issue certificates and badges at the point of qualification and first registration. We will also continue to issue annual registration cards.

If you need clarification or guidance on any issue that arises in relation to your registration or CPD, contact us on 0800 977 4302, or the RCVS

At Gardner Llewelyn we are committed to assisting you wherever we can and have a section specifically designed to assist you with understanding the CPD requirements of VNs and have an agreement with RVC- Royal Veterinary College to provide CPD at a discounted rate.