RE: New report says vet nurses need to take on more responsibility to stop vets leaving

Diane Hildreth-Osborn — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 06:17:54 GMT

I echo everything already stated by Sara-Ann Dickson.
I would add that implementation of Schedule 3 criteria should also be promoted more effectively in practices, with appropriate and sufficient training in-house given for these roles.
Having been qualified for 40 years, I have seen very little improvement (if any realistically), or any progression in many of the points already mentioned.
It’s very much a lottery and haphazard on so many levels.

RE: New report says vet nurses need to take on more responsibility to stop vets leaving

Sara-Ann Dickson — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 18:28:05 GMT

As a veterinary nurse, I welcome the conversation about addressing the retention crisis in the veterinary sector—but I feel the article’s headline unfairly implies that it’s our responsibility to fix it.

Yes, better utilisation of veterinary nurses is part of the solution—and we want to contribute meaningfully. But it’s important to recognise that nurses face our own deep retention challenges, including:

Low pay that often fails to reflect our qualifications or responsibilities
Lack of protection for our professional title—anyone can call themselves a “veterinary nurse”
Poor public and intra-professional recognition
High stress, compassion fatigue, and limited career progression

The Zoetis white paper rightly identifies that retention problems are structural and affect the entire veterinary team. That includes both vets and nurses. Shifting more responsibility onto nurses without improving our pay, autonomy, or working conditions is not a sustainable solution—it risks worsening the problem.

If we’re serious about workforce wellbeing, we need to redesign veterinary practice for all roles—with respect, fair pay, and clear professional recognition across the board.

Let’s work together on solutions that support the whole team.