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.
Liz is our Lye Head Veterinary Nurse here at Blacks Vets 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?
I have been in practice for 24 years. I first started my journey 12/8/1996 and qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) in 2003.
What attracted you to a career as a Veterinary Nurse?
Having knowledge and being able to care for animals. I wanted to be able to give them the best care possible and make a difference. I also wanted to help educate owners.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a Vet Nurse?
Seeing how I help make a positive difference to pets and their owners.
What kind of attributes do you need to be a good Vet Nurse?
Compassion, empathy with a caring nature, commitment, willingness to learn, proactive, focused, driven and being kind. In my opinion, you need to be in love with animals and also be a good communicator with people.
What are the best things about working at Blacks Vets practice?
The support I get from my colleagues and being a branch head nurse. A particular highlight of mine is also the gratitude you receive from clients for taking care of their pets.
What would be your career highlight so far?
Becoming a Head Nurse and gaining my certificate in Feline nursing and Dentistry and making my branch an accredited feline friendly practice.
Have you completed any additional training to support you in your role?
I recently gained an ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing and a Ncert in Dentistry.
What's the next step in your career pathway?
I would like to learn more about feline behaviour. Anyone who knows me knows I have a huge passion for anything cat related and I particularly find cat behaviour really interesting.
Thank you, Liz, 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.
