Steph Worsley RVN has become president of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), with “Unity” as the theme for her year in office.
Worsley was formally elected during the BVNA AGM at its annual Congress in Telford on 10 October, succeeding Sarah Holliday. Sarah moves into the senior vice-president role, while Hamish Morrin becomes junior vice-president.
The new president begins her term at a particularly busy time for veterinary nursing, with implementation of the CMA reforms underway and the Government working towards legislation to replace the 60-year-old Veterinary Surgeons Act.
Worsley's veterinary nursing career spans 28 years, with experience including mixed and small-animal practice and a university teaching hospital. She is currently head veterinary nurse at a two-branch small-animal practice that also provides veterinary care for local charities.
She has been a BVNA member for more than 20 years and has volunteered with the association for around 18 of them, initially becoming involved as a regional coordinator organising CPD for nurses in Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside.
She joined BVNA Council in 2022, subsequently serving as honorary secretary and junior vice-president before moving into the presidency.
Speaking earlier this year about taking on the role, Worsley said she wanted to use that experience to support both BVNA members and the wider veterinary nursing profession.
“Unity” is likely to be particularly relevant over the coming year.
BVNA has been closely involved in discussions around both the CMA investigation and reform of veterinary legislation. The association has consistently argued that new legislation should better recognise veterinary nurses as skilled regulated professionals and create a framework that makes fuller use of their capabilities.
At the same time, there is still variation between practices in how nursing teams are used day to day. Even within the existing legislation, skills available through areas such as Schedule 3 delegation remain underused in some practices.
For Worsley, who has previously described the growth and development of veterinary nursing as one of the things that excites her most about the profession, the next year therefore comes with plenty to work on.
Her new officer team also includes Declan Jones as chair of the BVNA Membership Committee and Macauly Gatenby as chair of the Congress and Events Committee.