Newly-registered VNs recognised at RCVS Admissions Ceremony

Eighty-three newly-qualified and registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) were joined by their families and friends at our offices in Belgravia House, London, yesterday for the Admissions Ceremony for Veterinary Nurses.

For the first time, we held three separate ceremonies throughout the course of the day due to the high number of veterinary nurses who achieved the College’s Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing this summer.

Addressing the assembly of newly-registered veterinary nurses, Kathy Kissick RVN, Chairman of the Veterinary Nurses Council,gave an overview of the history of the profession and reiterated the importance of the VN role, commenting:

“I hear a lot of people say ‘I am just a veterinary nurse’ but this is a profession to be proud of; a profession that plays an integral part in the veterinary team.

“You should hold your head up high and say ‘I am a veterinary nurse’. We are key members of the veterinary team and our skills are recognised and valued by fellow professionals. It should be a career for life.”

The RVNs recited the Veterinary Nurses’ Professional Declaration – a statement of the rights and responsibilities of the profession - and were awarded certificates and badges recognising their professional status by Dr Jerry Davies, Past-President of the RCVS.

Each RVN will now be added to the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses and is required to follow the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses and undertake continuing professional development.

Among those being honoured at the event was 26-year-old James Osborn from Kent (pictured right) who spent three years studying for his Level 3 Diploma at Canterbury College, while working at the Companion Care Veterinary Surgery in Broadstairs. He said:

“I am very happy and very relieved to have passed my exams and qualified as a veterinary nurse. I think the veterinary nurse profession is something that is developing and growing and I would eventually like to see it protected in law.”

Also announced on Thursday 17 October were the results for the September 2013 Level 3 Diploma examinations which demonstrated an improvement on last year’s figures.

Of the 219 students who sat the Level 3 Diploma last month three-quarters (75%) passed; this compares to 64% in September 2012. 

To find out more about becoming a veterinary nurse please visit our veterinary nurse career page.

More photos from the day are available on our Flickr photostream.