TITLE
PROTECTION

Statutory protection of title is an urgent need for our industry to draw the line between professionals and unskilled workers. Unqualified and unregulated staff pose unnecessary risks to the public, animal welfare, and the reputation of the veterinary industry.  Subsequently, in New Zealand, and many other countries, there is a move to limit use of allied professional titles to those individuals who have fulfilled requirements for regulation.  

It is important to point out that in New Zealand there are many unqualified individuals working in professional roles within the veterinary industry, many were trained on the job at a time when formal qualifications were not as accessible as they are now. Protection of title is not targeting this group of professionals, or aiming to remove them from the workforce, but rather is aiming for recognition of prior learning toward a formal qualification so that these individuals can share a formal title with their colleagues.

1. The term veterinary in the title should be reserved for practitioners who have a formal, industry accepted, qualification in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing, or veterinary technology – explicitly, a broad scope of practice and responsibility in animal healthcare provision.

2. The term veterinary should be restricted to qualifications that enforce a minimum of 160 credits at Level 5 or above.

3. The term veterinary nurse should be reserved for practitioners who have an industry accepted qualification that includes the terms veterinary nursing and that follows convention in point 2 above.

4. The term veterinary technologist should be reserved for practitioners who have a formal industry accepted qualification in veterinary technology at Level 7 or above.

5. The term veterinary technician should be reserved for practitioners who have formal, industry accepted, qualification that includes the terms veterinary technology and that follows convention in point 2 above.

6. Use of the term registered in front of a professional title is limited for use only by those who are currently on a verified veterinary register, and are in good standing. For example, Registered Veterinary Nurse or RVN, or Registered Veterinary Technician/Technologist or RVT

Many professional healthcare roles such as physicians, veterinarians, and nurses all have clear professional identity, and consistency of title around the world. For animal healthcare professionals like veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians, titles are not so clear, partly due to inconsistent or non-existent regulation and protection of title. 

Not only is this confusing to our own profession, but it’s also confusing to the public, employers, and prospective students. Aligning international trends is important for our professional identity and to clarify international standards of education and regulation. 

There is no protection of title in the UK. 

Qualified veterinary nurses are known as veterinary nurses, those on the voluntary register are known as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), and those with a bachelors degree are known as advanced veterinary nurses. 

Qualified nursing assistants/care assistants are known as veterinary care assistants (VCA), or animal nursing assistants (ANA).

The representative body for veterinary nurses is the British Veterinary Nurse Association (BVNA).

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is responsible for the registration of qualified vet nurses in the UK. If you’re an overseas qualified Vet Nurse and are thinking of working in the UK, find more information here.