Agreement reached to progress regulation and title protection for veterinary nurses and technicians

_{Image: representatives from the VNCA and AVBC at the joint workshop in Melbourne. L-R: Jo Hatcher (AVNAT Chair), Gary Fitzgerald (VNCA President), Dr Peter Gibbs (AVBC Chair), Dr Patricia Clarke (AVA representative and NIAG chair), Jane Bindloss (AVNAT member) and Jasmine Pengelly (VNCA Professional Advancement Chair & SPC Member)}

At a recent workshop in Melbourne the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) and the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA) reached agreement to work together to progress the issue of nationally consistent regulation and title protection of veterinary nurses and technicians. 

The AVA was represented by AVA Director Dr David Beggs and Dr Trish Clarke as part of the Nurse Industry Advisory Group. They participated alongside AVBC’s executive, Council and standards committee members, veterinary nursing member association representations, and other stakeholders from across Australia and New Zealand, including registrars from all eight Australian veterinary board jurisdictions. 

A nation-wide shift towards increased regulation and title protection for veterinary nurses and technicians will benefit veterinarians by providing a skills boost to help ease the workforce shortage and increase workforce sustainability. This will improve veterinary practice efficiencies and uplift animal welfare standards across the board. 

Currently, Western Australia is the only Australian state or territory that has a formalised process for title recognition, registration and maintenance of credentials for veterinary nurses. A voluntary national registration scheme does exist – the Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Registration Scheme – which was launched by the VNCA in 2019. 

However, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has identified that Australia and New Zealand currently lag behind global standards by not regulating and protecting the title of veterinary nurses and technicians. 

“This is a step towards recognition of the whole veterinary team through improved regulation, a strategic objective of the AVA,” says Dr David Andrews, AVA CEO. “We are excited to see this important work of development of a pathway towards national registration of veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians take its next step.”