How long have you been a VN and what training did you have to do to achieve your quali fications?
I’ve been registered as an RVN since July and studied a foundation degree in veterinary nursing at Askham Bryan College in York.
I’m keen to add to my qualifications and am due to start studying towards a Master of Science in Advanced Veterinary Nursing degree at the University of Glasgow in September.
What attracted you to a career as a VN?
I always wanted to work with animals, but ended up working in customer service when I left college in 2004.
I did work experience at a first opinion practice in 2014 and decided to change career, starting my studies in 2015.
My work experience placement showed me just how much care the RVNs, SVNs and animal care assistants gave to each and every patient, and I wanted to provide that level of care myself.
The variety of cases I experienced meant no two days were the same and I knew I wanted to work as an RVN from that point.
What are the best things about being an RVN?
For me, it’s seeing a patient arrive at the practice that is critically ill and dealing with it until it is well enough to go home. Seeing a patient go home after all the work the entire Paragon team puts in is by far the most rewarding part of my job. I also get to work with an amazing team of people and coming to work doesn’t feel like a job.
What kind of attributes do you need to be a good nurse?
You need to be someone who has a love of animals and will look after their needs at every opportunity. You also need to be able to prioritise tasks, work accurately in a sometimes stressful environment, and be able to work in a team of people with very
different personalities and abilities.
I also think you need to be able to talk about the difficult days with the rest of your colleagues, as it’s surprising how many people have good advice on how to deal with the more difficult aspects of the job.
What advice would you give someone thinking about a career as a vet nurse?
Go for it. Even if you are working in a completely different career, it’s possible to change to working in a job you will love.
The first thing to do would be to speak to local practices and do at least four weeks of work experience to get an idea of what the role actually involves, as it isn’t just playing with puppies and kittens all day – although that would be nice.
Then have a look at the different qualification routes – my course was nearly entirely paid for via student loans, while a variety of funding options are available depending on the course you apply for.
What are the best things about working at Paragon?
Definitely the people who work here and how passionate they are about providing the best level of care to every single patient.
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