A new survey published by VetNurse Jobs has shown that above all else, the thing that veterinary nurses want from a job in practice is to feel ‘valued or appreciated, especially by veterinary surgeons, as part of a collaborative team.’

The survey, which was designed to give veterinary surgeons and employers a greater insight in order to be able to attract the highest calibre applicants, was completed by 206 veterinary nurses who described themselves as having recently looked for a job, or actively looking for a job, or could imagine looking for a job in the foreseeable future.

The second most important job attribute cited by veterinary nurses - out of 13 - was ‘pay’, with ‘work-life balance’ in third.

Interestingly, when asked a similar question, veterinary surgeons said ‘pay’ was only the 6th most important factor, perhaps a reflection of the fact that a reasonable salary is more of a given amongst veterinary surgeons than nurses. 

The survey also found that only slightly more veterinary nurses are prepared to do out-of-hours work than veterinary surgeons: 58% versus 52%.

Lastly, the survey showed that nurses may be more internet-savvy than veterinary surgeons, with an overwhelming majority (85%) said they were likely to spend most time browsing jobs online, as opposed to traditional magazines (compared to nearly 70% of veterinary surgeons that said the same).

VetSurgeon.org/VetNurse.co.uk Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "The survey was carried out primarily to help practices create recruitment adverts that better meet the hopes and aspirations of candidates, thereby improving response rates.

"I think it provides clear evidence of the need for advertisements to give examples of how you show you value your nurses, such as support for further education, a system which allows their voices to be heard and good ideas implemented, and team-building events.

"And if you pay well, don’t be shy about staying so."

The full survey results can be downloaded here.