'Future proofing' the veterinary nurse profession

RE: 'Future proofing' the veterinary nurse profession

Arlo Guthrie — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 10:00:05 GMT

[quote user="PHA86"]If the nurses aren't justifying their wages, I would say that's more of an organisational problem.[/quote]

PHA86 - Yes, I'd agree. But in small businesses in particular, there's greater individual responsibility.

In other words, you can do the job as you are told, and through no fault of your own, find that you've become an expensive cost. Or you can be more proactive (hate that word), and try and constantly ask yourself: How is what I am doing going to contribute to the financial success of the business?

When it comes to keeping the job, or asking for a pay rise, or a promotion, you're then in a much better bargaining position if you can say: "I do this, this and this, which directly result in these sources of revenue for the business."

And it is not necessarily a case of devising new ways of generating revenue, but just thinking through how what you already do adds to the business, and if you can tweak what you already do to improve it.

RE: 'Future proofing' the veterinary nurse profession

PHA86 — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 20:10:20 GMT

If the nurses aren't justifying their wages, I would say that's more of an organisational problem.

RE: 'Future proofing' the veterinary nurse profession

WelshyNurse — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 17:31:45 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Probably more need, in this increasingly competitive world, for nurses to better justify their pay.[/quote] Agree with this totally

RE: 'Future proofing' the veterinary nurse profession

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 16:20:16 GMT

I suppose the first thing that comes to my mind is that if you are going to try and future-proof something, you have to forecast what the future holds (ie what you are future-proofing for).

My predictions:

Further development of the profession in terms of the respect it is held in and the scope of what you can do.
Impact of corporatisation. Funnily enough, whilst I'm philosophically against corporatisation, and the reduction in choice and variety that ensues, and the consequent homogenisation of the high street, I wonder if corporates are better employers for VNs than independents (huge generalisation there, but they do have better resources to provide support, training etc).
Probably more need, in this increasingly competitive world, for nurses to better justify their pay. I'm not saying you don't earn it (on the contrary, I think the reverse is true). But that in all walks of life, more complex business management tools are making employees more accountable for what they add to the bottom line.

What do you (and everyone else) think the future holds?