About Veterinary Activities

Veterinary activities relates to those working in the veterinary practice team from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to auxiliary personnel.   Wider animal health and welfare roles covered by paraprofessionals are also included.

Veterinary nursing remains an important part of this work but from now on our focus will widen to all veterinary activities. So while our research is being updated, view more about veterinary nursing and paraprofessionals.

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Veterinary Activities

Playing a vital role in the promotion of animal health and welfare.

 

Veterinary Activities Facts

Research shows the following statistics on the Veterinary Nursing Profession:

• 44% of the industry workforce is self employed – the national average is 13%
• 20% of the workforce are women
• 53% of the workforce is over the age of 40, only 11% are the age of 25
• 93% of businesses employ less than 10 staff

Did you know?

• In 2010  there was 4,821 veterinary practices registered on the RCVS Register of Veterinary Practice Premises
• Of those, 1,642 are veterinary nursing training practices
• In 2010, there are 9,020 qualified veterinary nurses in the UK - 7,162 RVNs and 1,858 Listed VNs
• RVNs have to complete an average of 45 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) over a three-year period
• Only Listed nurses are entitled to use the post-nominal letters 'VN'
• There is a National Veterinary Nursing Week, first held in 2005 which is all about promoting the importance of VN as a profession and its role in the improvement of animal welfare. Read more
• The way everyone in the industry works has changed following new laws on domestic and captive animals – the Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Act Scotland. It requires all those working in veterinary activities to have a duty of care of animals and to promote to others, so our welfare standards remain something to be proud of
• 88% of equine dental technicians are self-employed and two-thirds have made a career change to re-train for this role
• 73% of those working in equine barefoot care are self-employed with a range of job titles used – the most common are equine podiatrist and hoofcare practitioner