VN Council meet to discuss changes
Image: RCVS
During a recent meeting of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council (VNC), topics of discussion included the declaration of criminal convictions, the removal of VNs from the register, and CPD compliance.
The council, meeting at the RCVS headquarters in London, were reminded that currently, veterinary nurses and those applying to be registered as veterinary nurses must disclose to the RCVS "any caution or conviction, including absolute and conditional discharges and spent convictions, or adverse finding that may affect their registration, whether in the UK or overseas."
It was noted that if the council were to apply the same approach as is currently being proposed for vets, wider disclosure could be required. This could potentially involve backdating records to include any convictions from 2006 onwards for those already registered, and indefinitely for those still to register.
A number of concerns were raised by council members, such as the definition of a minor conviction, what would happen to the disclosed information, and who would make the decision about whether a conviction rendered a nurse unfit to practice.
Libby Earle, head of veterinary nursing at the RCVS said VNs were being asked to disclose the same information as previously, but in a different way. A new tick-box format would be employed to make data collection easier, and safeguards would continue to exist for VNs and the public, in the form of the VN preliminary investigation and disciplinary committees, which would consider if an offence affected fitness to practice.
Regarding the suggestion of backdating records, VNC member Andrea Jeffery proposed that veterinary nurses should be required to disclose any convictions from when they entered professional training. It was agreed that further clarification should be sought before a decision is made, however.
The council also discussed methods to deal with nurses who do not comply with CPD requirements. It was decided that the council should proactively enforce compliance through a staged process of encouragement, dialogue with non-compliant VNs and evaluation of guidance. If problems persist, with no satisfactory explanation, the case will be referred to the preliminary investigation committee.
Mrs Earle said she felt "extremely encouraged" that over 1000 veterinary nurses were using the professional development record (PDR), the RCVS' online tool for recording CPD. The PDR, she said, gave "better advice and allowed for CPD planning" and would be strongly recommended to those nurses who failed to comply with CPD requirements.
The council also agreed it should be made clear in the online version of the Register of Veterinary Nurses if a VN has been removed for disciplinary reasons. Previously, the names of these nurses were only listed in the printed version of the register. Further, the veterinary nurses' registration cards are to be discontinued to avoid any confusion that may arise if an RVN has been removed from the register but still has a valid registration card. The online register is regularly updated and can be accessed by employers wishing to check a VN is registered.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
