Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Introduction
The role of the veterinary nurse( VN) has undergone many changes, including the evolution of the consulting VN, which has seen VNs progress from aiding veterinary surgeons( VSs) in their consultations to becoming a standalone service provider, who can perform an array of their own consultations.
These days, more and more practices are recognising the importance of VN-led consultations. The number of these consultations is expected to increase as the profession progresses, so it is essential to understand the impact a VN can have in the consulting room.
Background
The veterinary nursing profession has made huge changes within the past 20 years. Prior to 2007, all qualifying VNs were entered on to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons( RCVS) List of Veterinary Nurses. However, in 2007, the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses was introduced. Qualified VNs were invited to join voluntarily, or were automatically registered if they qualified after 2007. In 2015, a supplemental Royal Charter was introduced [ 1 ], which meant the RCVS became the recognised regulator of registered veterinary nurses( RVNs) and, as such, the Register of Veterinary Nurses became mandatory for all qualified VNs. Only VNs on the Register can use the RVN designation.
In the past, the VN would predominantly aid the VS with their consultations, improving efficiency by performing tasks such as restraining animals, typing notes, charging and dispensing medications. These duties are still valued today, but it is now more widely understood that RVNs are highly qualified individuals who have much more to offer in the consulting room( Figure 1).
VN-led clinics can improve patient welfare and client satisfaction, and allow more time for VSs to provide the services only they can offer. The option to attend a VN consultation can also encourage clients to come into the practice, because VN consultations are often cheaper than a consultation with a VS and so offer a more affordable way for pets to be monitored, particularly those patients with long-term medical conditions.
In addition, VNs are highly trained professionals, who may be able to observe crucial clinical signs during routine preventative healthcare consultations, which may otherwise have gone undetected had the patient not come into the practice. Furthermore, anecdotally, clients seem to feel more comfortable discussing some information with a VN rather than a VS [ 2 ]. In addition, by offering VN consultations, a practice can open up more appointments, spread appropriately between VSs and VNs, which will enable more patients to be seen more quickly.
Figure 1. The many and varied capabilities of qualified RVNs are now more widely understood and valued.
Schedule 3
The RCVS created Codes of Professional Conduct for VSs and VNs to provide guidance on what is and is not deemed acceptable within clinical practice. This guidance includes a Schedule 3 exemption to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 [ 3 ], which details the tasks that may be delegated to RVNs and student veterinary nurses( SVNs).
When consulting, VNs must consider the fundamentals of the guidance underlying their professional work, including the Schedule 3 exemption. The exemption allows certain tasks that are usually reserved for VSs to be delegated to VNs, provided they are confident and competent in the skills being asked of them and the VS is confident in the VN ' s competence. RVNs may be directed to administer medical treatment or perform minor surgery( not including entry into a body cavity). SVNs may be directed to perform the same tasks, but they must be supervised by an RVN or VS and,‘ in the case of minor surgery, this supervision must be direct, continuous and personal’ [ 3 ].
Schedule 3 is directly relevant to many of the tasks VNs carry out in the consulting room, such as vaccinations, monthly injections and dispensing medications, to name just a few. To allow the VN to perform them under the Schedule 3 exemption, it is vital that all of these tasks are prescribed by the VS in the patient ' s notes. VNs are not permitted to diagnose, attempt to diagnose, or suggest treatment or surgery, as performing any of these actions is outside the scope of a VN ' s legal capabilities. However, there are many valuable ways in which VNs can work within their remit in consultations, and some of these will be discussed in this article.
Volume 40( 6) • December 2025
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