May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, a whole month dedicated to raising awareness of the veterinary nursing profession and the vital role they play in animal care and treatment.
Tracey is our dedicated Head Veterinary Nurse here at Blacks Vets in Oldbury and she kindly took time out to tell us about life as a vet nurse.
How long have you been a Vet Nurse and what route did you follow to qualify?
25 years in total. All in house training on a YTS scheme many moons ago.
What attracted you to a career as a Veterinary Nurse?
I always wanted to care and work with animals, so this seemed like the perfect, most suitable career choice for me.
What does your job as a head veterinary nurse entail?
To provide gold standard of care wherever we can. We treat all patients as if they are our own because we know how scary it can be to be away from their owners. I work in a team with the rest of the Oldbury staff to ensure the practice is running as best as we can, keeping the team and clients happy.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a Vet Nurse?
Making patients feel comfortable and knowing the owners are happy and grateful in what we do. Not forgetting all the cuddles and kisses!
What kind of attributes do you need to be a good Vet Nurse?
I would say you need to be a people person with a positive attitude who can also remain calm during busy and sometimes stressful times but who can also realise there are so many times to come.?
What are the best things about working at Blacks Vets practice?
We are a family here at Blacks Vets with a good working environment where everyone is comfortable working in their teams.
What would be your career highlight so far?
Joining the practice when I was only 16 years old, progressing from a trainee to qualifying and now a Head Nurse at Oldbury.
Thank you, Tracey, for sharing your story.
To find out more about the role of RVNs in veterinary practice, or if you are interested in finding out more about a career in veterinary nursing, visit the BVNA website at www.bvna.org.uk/a-career-in-veterinary-nursing/a-career-in-veterinary-nursing.
