This article is sponsored content brought to you by Royal Canin.
Addressing a viable and sustainable career path for Vet Nurses and Technologists is critical for the Veterinary industry and the wellbeing of pets. Results from last year’s Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA) Members Survey showed a 6% decrease in qualified/experienced nurses in practice and a 2% decline in nurses working in clinical practice as compared to their 2021 survey. The most recent Vet Nurse survey conducted by ROYAL CANIN in partnership with the VNCA and NZVNA surveyed over 500 Vet Nurses and Technologists across ANZ. The results showed an impressive 93% of respondents have advanced qualifications, compared to 86% in 2023.
“We have a lot of qualified nurses, but retaining them long term can be a challenge,” says Jessica Joosse, Nutritional Advisor at Royal Canin Australia and New Zealand. “After they obtain their qualification, there’s really a limited pathway for further training and advancement. There are some smaller certifications that they might want to do, but that is quite costly. What they want to do is to go into their areas of interest.”
Jessica is almost a case study of what is possible with the right support. She completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2018, became an AVNAT Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2019 and then obtained AVA Accreditation in 2020. She has worked in the veterinary industry since 2010 in every role from Animal Attendant to Practice Manager. In 2023, she obtained Veterinary Technician Specialist status in Nutrition.
There is often not a clear path in clinical practice and nurses wanting to expand on their knowledge can find themselves with limited options.
Results in the recent ROYAL CANIN Vet Nurse survey showed that nurses and technologists are actively seeking greater recognition in their profession and 78% believe that mandatory registration would help to improve job retention.
This survey also highlighted they are hungry to learn new skills and bring these back to their clinics and pet owners.
“We’ve also found that nurses really do want that recognition for the experience that they have,” Jessica says. “And I think there’s not a lot of awareness of what vet nurses do and what value they bring.”
A love for nutrition
The VNCA 2023 survey showed a 5% increase in nurses developing nutritional plans and 15% increase in nurses providing nutritional advice. Nutrition can play a key role in supporting the diagnosis and treatment of pets, however, despite the importance of good nutrition to the general health and wellbeing of pets there is limited training for vet nurses after completing their Cert IV.
“So, we know that the demand is there, that nurses want this education because they’re performing these skills more and more,” Jessica adds. “We are getting those nurses that are really confident to provide this advice, but they may not have the core educational background to base that advice on.”
That demand for high quality education specifically targeted to vet nurses and technologists has driven the creation of the new ROYAL CANIN Academy, a unique online education platform offering nurses the opportunity to further their understanding of pet nutrition and build on what they can offer pet owners in clinic. The objective is to help nurses feel empowered to run nutritional consults with pet owners and uplift the profession.
“There is content available specifically for nurses,” Jessica explains. “One of those is the Vet Nurse Education Journey where they are able to obtain 7 AVNAT points. It covers a lot of the topics where we’re finding gaps in knowledge, like pet nutrition fundamentals, myths, transition to adulthood, and more.”
“What we’ve really wanted to do is provide something that’s on demand and they can choose their own adventure,” she says. “I find being a nurse and being someone who has done further nutritional study, I found that there is a gap and what we wanted to do is fill that gap so they can go out and confidently consult with pet owners.”
The ROYAL CANIN Academy is coming soon! Scan the QR code to register your interest and be one of the first to join this exciting new education journey.
