Companion May 2012 - BSAVA

ance,
Nurse’, after passing a suitable examination and being
granted a certificate of efficiency.
He recorded, “the Council would not entertain the
idea”, adding “of course the Council will come round to
my views, probably sooner than later; and the
profession of canine nursing will then have not only a
properly disciplined training but that recognition which
it deserves and which is a necessary safeguard for the
public”. Little did he realise that it would be nearly
30 years before his dream would come true.
Suggestion of regulation
Progress was slow and hindered by the 1939–45 war,
but in 1947 a new edition of Hobday’s Surgical
Diseases of the Dog and Cat included a chapter on
veterinary nursing written by Phyllis Peake, who
(probably uniquely) was qualified both SRN and
MRCVS. She discussed her subject competently,
adding that, to be a good animal nurse needed “a
strong vocational call… for self-sacrifice, tenderness
and the ability to consider the patient as an
individual… a good nurse ‘has a way with dogs and
cats’ there seems to be a bond of sympathy and
trust between them…kind words and an occasional
caress are of more value than medicine”. At last –
cats get a mention!
Presciently, Peak also wrote, “There is scope for a
registration system whereby the veterinary surgeon
can regulate these activities, and the certificate of
registration could be a sign of competence which
would be of great value to the prospective employer”.
Hamilton Kirk, a leading small animal veterinarian
wrote in 1948 that nursing is an important part of the
successful treatment of pets. He noted that for all
treatment, “the first consideration is the provision of a
capable and conscientious nurse…”; she “should have
limitless patience… exercise gentleness and
forbearance and possess the ability to observe”.
At last – recognition
Finally, in 1961, the RANA scheme was approved and
veterinary (animal) nursing became an officially
recognised professional qualification, and the rest, as
they say, is history.
Today vet nurses are an integral part of the
practice team and their contribution increasingly
recognised. As BSAVA President Andrew Ash reports,
“Veterinary nurses are key opinion leaders in my own
veterinary practice. I know that after every BSAVA
Congress I am going to have them beating my door
down about the new equipment that they have seen
and is suddenly absolutely essential. Nine times out of
ten, if my nurses have been convinced that we need
something then it will be adopted by the practice. This
isn’t just my experience, I know it is echoed around the
country, which is why BSAVA considers VNs a priority
when putting together the Congress programme,
creating relevant manuals and producing practical
CPD, and now offers a membership option too. Nurses
aren’t just influential in the practice – they are vital to
the future of the profession.” ■
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