Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month competition winners revealed
Thrums Vets created a two-day course for school leavers interested in veterinary nursing.
The theme for this year’s VNAM was ‘Progression’.

The Donkey Sanctuary and Thrums Vets have won this year’s Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) competition.

Run by the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), which organises the awareness month, the competition celebrates the different ways practices, nursing teams, and individuals join in with
VNAM.

The brief for this year’s competition was ‘Your #VNAM2024, Your Way’ and the overall theme for
VNAM was ‘Progression’.

During
VNAM, the Donkey Sanctuary invited members of the public for a tour of the sanctuary. A talk was given by the veterinary nursing team and those attending were taught about what veterinary nurses do and the need to protect the title.

The veterinary nursing team also invited students from local veterinary nursing colleges to three talks about how to progress into equine nursing.

Thrums Vets, based in Scotland, put together a two-day course for children at school-leaving age who were considering a career in veterinary nursing.

The course included information about where and how to train to become a veterinary nurse, and introduced the students to some of the tasks veterinary nurses carry out, including bandaging, suturing, and conducting a clinical examination.

The runners up were Delaware Veterinary Group, based in Somerset, and Island VetCare, based on the Isle of Wight.

Lyndsay Hughes, BVNA president, said: “Our competition entries have been absolutely outstanding, and it has been wonderful to see how the theme has been interpreted.

The variety of entries we have had, and the quality of these, has made it really very difficult to judge this year's competition and has made the team exceptionally proud to know we work alongside such excellent veterinary nursing teams.
 
“Thank you to everyone who entered for taking the time to be an integral part in sharing this year's VNAM theme. Your continued efforts help us raise awareness about the significant impact veterinary nurses have and the fundamental role you play in ensuring animal welfare is maintained.”

The full list of entries can be found on the BVNA website.

Image © BVNA

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

BSAVA partners with BVA Live 2026

News Story 1
 BSAVA is to partner with BVA Live (11-12 June 2026) to champion clinical research.

The organisation will be supporting BVA Live's Clinical Abstracts programme, showcasing selected abstracts of veterinary research throughout the event.

The clinical abstracts can be on any small animal veterinary subject, and must be based on research undertaken in industry, practice or academia. Abstracts can be presented in poster or oral formats.

Submissions will open on 15th December 2025, and close on 6th March 2026. You can register interest here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Nominations open for RCVS and VN Council elections

The nomination period for the 2026 RCVS Council and VN Council elections is now open, with three veterinary surgeon seats and two veterinary nurse seats available.

Prospective candidates can download an information pack and nomination form from the RCVS website. Individuals can nominate themselves for the elections, with the results to be announced in the spring.

Clare Paget, the recently appointed RCVS Registrar and elections returning officer, said: "If you want to play your part in influencing and moulding how the professions are regulated, and making key decisions on matters of great importance to your peers, the public and animal health and welfare, please consider standing for RCVS Council or VN Council next year."

Nominations close at 5pm on Saturday, 31 January 2026.