veterinary nursing - Wellbeing programme
Tuesday 23 June 2026
| 7am | Registration opens | Level 3 |
| 8am | Welcome | Rob Mills (NZVA President) | Theatre A Level 5 |
| 8.10am | Plenary: Learning through times of disruption: navigating AI | Sir
Ashley Bloomfield | Theatre A Level 5 |
| 9am | Morning tea | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 9.30am | Welcome | Laura Harvey (NZVNA President) | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 9.45am | Fatigue in anaesthesia monitoring | Courtney Scales This session explores how fatigue affects anaesthesia monitoring and veterinary nurse wellbeing. We’ll look at the impact of chronic exposure to anaesthetic gases, how it contributes to cognitive tiredness, and the growing challenge of alarm fatigue when constant alerts reduce vigilance and response time. The lecture offers practical strategies to minimise exposure, manage alarms effectively, and recognise early signs of mental overload, helping nurses maintain safe patient care and personal wellbeing in the theatre environment. | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 10.45am | Running on empty: understanding burnout and managing yourself through it | Angela Chapman Veterinary nurses are vital to every clinic, yet their wellbeing often falls down the priority list. Feeling emotionally exhausted and burned out is increasingly reported in the profession and these feelings are known to impact physical and mental health. So, what causes burnout? And how can we protect ourselves from it? This session explores the complex nature of burnout, why some people are more vulnerable than others, and the key causes that are unique to vet nurses. You will gain practical insights and strategies to help you look after yourself, reduce burnout risk, and continue doing the job you love. | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 12pm | Lunch | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 1pm | Should I stay or should I go? Allied Veterinary Professional retention in Aotearoa New Zealand | Laura Harvey and Margie Rutherford This presentation explores the current state of Allied Veterinary Professional (AVP) retention in Aotearoa New Zealand, drawing on survey findings from AVPs across the motu, both within and outside of clinical practice. It highlights notable dissatisfaction, with a significant proportion who have considered leaving both clinical practice and the wider industry. Key drivers of retention are examined across four domains: career development, remuneration, workplace conditions, and mental health. The session concludes with evidence‑based recommendations aimed at strengthening workforce sustainability and improving wellbeing within the AVP profession. | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 2pm | Human factors and anaesthesia | Courtney Scales This session introduces the key human factors that influence safe, effective anaesthesia in veterinary practice. We’ll explore how communication, cognitive load, fatigue, interruptions, and equipment design affect decision‑making and teamwork in theatre. With practical examples and simple, evidence‑based tools, the lecture shows how understanding human factors can improve patient safety, reduce stress, and support veterinary nurse wellbeing. | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 3pm | Afternoon tea | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 3.30pm | Leading Vet Nurse teams through burnout: fixing the work, not the person | Angela Chapman Burnout is a growing challenge for veterinary nurse leaders, affecting team morale, performance, and staff retention. The good news? There are practical, evidence-based ways to reduce the risk. This session explores new research on the workplace pressures that drive burnout in veterinary nurses and shows how to recognise them within your team. You’ll learn about clear, easy to use tools to help you identify key burnout risks and choose tailored interventions to support your nurses. The session will equip leaders and nurses with actionable steps to create healthier, more sustainable veterinary nursing teams. | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 4.30pm | Bridging the gap - navigating from friend to team leader | Sue Crampton | Room 515 Level 5 |
| 5.30pm | Happy hour | Exhibition Hall Level 3 |
| 7pm | NZVA Special Interest Branch Dinners and NZVNA Dinner |
This programme was correct at the time of publication. Speakers and titles are subject to change. |