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Life after vet school – graduation: where do I go from here?
Nothing hits you quite as hard as reality, as you walk out of your final fifth year veterinary exam.

Up until this very moment, your life has followed a structured timetable, carefully planned by the veterinary school. Now, with it all finished, who is there to lead you from here onwards? This is probably the most daunting question every final year vet student faces. University lecturers can only help you get so far, then you’re on your own.

Forging your own path

For those of us who are lucky enough to know exactly what they want in life, the path is quite clear. As the saying goes, “where there is a will, there is a way” – and it doesn’t get more true than that, for the rest the path is unclear, and there is uncertainty and doubt.

In this post I share my thoughts about the three main options that for new graduates: general practice, rotation internships and emergency internships.

General practice
- Great at putting the last five or six years of learning into perspective, it will solidify what you have learned.
- After one to two years you will have something to fall back on if you decide to try something else later.
- You will have primary case control this will allow you to develop and fine tune your communication, medical and surgical skills.
- The more remote the general practice, the likelihood you will be required to perform more advanced or complex diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures increases; therefore, the learning curve will be steeper.
Generally, this is a good place to start, especially if you are uncertain as to what direction you want to head in. I started here. My only caveat is that you select a practice you feel best suits you and offers the best environment for learning.

Rotating internships at specialist hospitals/referral centres

Gerardo Poli during his graduation.

Some new graduates go straight into rotating internships because of the opportunity to see a variety of cases and also because they wish to proceed down the pathway to specialisation.
- Generally limited primary case responsibility as you will be following and assisting a specialist or registrar.
- Offers the best exposure and foot in the door for a career as a specialist.
- Exposure to a wide variety of complicated cases.
- Opportunity to be involved in and possibly perform complex diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures.
- Build connections and network within the specialist or referral community.
- Most only last one year before a new pool of interns come through.
If you have experienced general practice and you know it is not for you then a rotating internship at a specialist referral hospital will allow you to get a taste of what is available.

Emergency internships

I do not generally recommend emergency internships to new graduates, despite the fact I have developed training programs to assist in the transition into emergency and critical care. There are large emergency practices part of a specialist referral centres and small centres running within a general practice hospital, but not all emergency hospitals offer internships.

Before deciding, here is what you need to know:
- It has t best opportunity for a softer entry into an emergency career.
- Generally prior experience is recommended as it can be a very steep learning curve.
- The abnormal hours can be isolating socially and adjusting sleeping patterns can be difficult.
- Most emergency internships are designed to retain interns not rotate them through, such as they “train to keep”.
- You will get primary case control and exposure to more critically ill patients.
- Depending on the type of practice and the arrangement you may get to perform more complex diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures as opposed to referring them to the associated specialist service.
If you are looking at a career in emergency I would recommend a larger hospital where multiple vets are on at the same time and you have the support you need.

Regardless of where you find yourself, the most important thing to realise is you have to start somewhere. Decide and take action. If you find yourself doing something you don’t like then you have learned what you don’t want to do. That is a valuable learning experience in itself. There are many ways to a destination, and no experience, whether it is good or bad, it is never wasted. Even in the darkest of days, remember, with every closed door, if you are looking another will open. Best of luck with all your future endeavours.
July 11, 2023
Blood gas analysis, pt 1: why everyone needs to know about it

For those of you who have received referral histories from emergency or specialists hospitals, blood gas analysis is probably no stranger to you. For those who have never heard of them before, fear not – you are in for a treat.

In my emergency hospital, the blood gas analyser is arguably one of the most frequently used bench top lab machines, second only to centrifuge, and for good reasons…

Acid-base disturbances are common in critically ill and emergency patients, and it can help determine the severity of their condition and sometimes provide the answer. Tracking changes in blood gas parameters can provide information about the patient’s response to your interventions.

Blood gas analysis can help assess the severity of a patient’s condition and help guide your diagnostic plan.

The information gained from pulse oximetry is very limited in patients with severe respiratory compromise, and the only way to accurately assess their oxygenation and/or ventilation status is by looking at their blood gas status.

So what does the blood gas analysis actually measure?

Most blood gas panels assess the pH of the blood, partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO₂). From these, the machine is able to derive the percentage of haemoglobin saturated with oxygen (SO₂), bicarbonate (HCO₃^–) concentration and base excess of the extracellular fluid (BEecf).

In most machines, they are also able to measure other parameters, such as electrolytes (Na, K, Ca, Cl), glucose and lactate.

While arterial blood gas samples are required for determining the ability of the body to oxygenate the haemoglobin, venous samples are suitable for determining the ventilation status, assessing acid base balance, electrolytes, glucose and lactate levels.

So how can this help as a point-of-care test?

As mentioned previously, blood gas analysis can help assess the severity of a patient’s condition and help guide your diagnostic plan. It can also provide a diagnosis (such as diabetic ketoacidosis, typical hypoadrenocorticism and high gastrointestinal obstructions).

The changes in these parameters over time can be essential in managing critical patients in the emergency setting; it will help guide you in developing an appropriate IV fluid therapy regime and fluid choice, address the patient’s oxygenation and/or ventilation needs, correct any electrolyte and glucose abnormalities, and – although fallen out of favour – the administration of sodium-bicarbonate therapy.

In upcoming blogs, I will teach you how to interpret the blood gas results. At the end of this, I hope everyone will incorporate blood gas analysis as their standard point-of-care test for the better assessment and management of patients.

If given the choice between a biochemistry and a blood gas panel in a critical patient, I would hands down select blood gas every time.

August 9, 2022
A difference of opinion
I’m only a few short weeks into my final-year rotations at the University of Bristol’s Veterinary Referral Hospital, but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot:
- DOPs aren’t as scary as I’d built them up to be in my head.
- It does get easier to navigate your way around the hospital with time (and trial and error).
- There are quite a few differences between first-opinion and second-opinion practice that I’d never really considered until now.
Budgets

The gift that is the NHS can certainly make us blind to the costs of routine medical procedures. Something as simple as an ultrasound, blood work and a couple of days’ hospitalisation can amass a bill that’s simply unaffordable for a lot of pet owners.

I’ve seen a lot of cases reach the end of the road due to lack of funds, when the answer (or potential answer) was frustratingly simple, but just too much money. The reality of referral practice, however, is that if your patient has made it to you in the first place, there is likely a higher budget to play with than the average consult.

When you’re on a certain rotation, you find yourself doing the same diagnostics every day, so it’s easy to lose track of the value of the drug you’re administering, or the probe in your hand. I think my group and I honestly balked when the cardiology team told us the cost of a standard echocardiogram at the end of our week where we’d been observing between 6 to 10 a day. Of course, it’s still important to keep costs low wherever possible, but it’s been interesting to see how larger budgets and insurance policies are broken down.

Seeing small animal CTs, echocardiograms and neurosurgeries for the first time was an amazing experience, but I do need to keep reminding myself that the proportion of my future patients that will go on to have these sorts of procedures is incredibly small.

Image © TungCheung / Adobe Stock

Specialisms

When you’re learning in a veterinary hospital, you’re constantly surrounded by leading experts in the field of everything under the sun, and sometimes it’s hard not to feel like a monkey with a stethoscope. Usually, in first opinion, there’s an assortment of different strengths throughout the practice – one vet may have intercalated in neurology and behaviour, while another may has done more CPD on exotic animal medicine. These differences are an asset to every practice and make team working an essential and valuable commodity.

In a referral setting, these “strengths” are often extended to actual specialisms, where the vets are not only actively involved in research in a particular field, but see only animals in a certain category of illness. The need for teamwork, however, is just as paramount here – if not more so!

After working in cardiology for a week and beginning to feel like I didn’t know anything, I can tell you that it was very refreshing to have the head of another department pop their head through the door and ask what on earth was going on with their patient’s heart. When they also didn’t know the actions of all the drugs I’d been painstakingly trying to commit to memory for the past five days, that too came as a wave of relief.

Client communication

Good communication and patience come hand in hand. If you’re delivering bad news to a client or talking them through a complicated diagnosis or treatment plan, that takes time – and although the average first opinion consult is only 15 minutes long, I’d say that, rather oxymoronically, there’s more time to deal with difficult situations in that scenario than in emergency referral.

Of course, first opinion sees it’s share of emergencies as well, but for the most part vets see a disease present slowly over time and are able to prepare their clients accordingly.

In the past couple of weeks, however, I’ve seen referral vets have to delicately balance client communication with the urgency of life-threatening conditions. Sometimes there are mere minutes to intervene after an animal enters the hospital, and vets must be very diligent and considerate when explaining this situation to an owner who may not yet grasp the severity. Owners have to have informed consent at all times, and to be prepared and supported in the event of any potential outcomes, but the sooner an animal is triaged and either treated or prepped for surgery the better.

I think that this is where the truly brilliant vets really shine. To have compassion and humanity at the forefront, with animal welfare and haste also in mind, takes a lot of mental and emotional gymnastics. I’m honestly in awe of every vet I’ve seen both in the past few weeks and over my years seeing practice who’s had to deal with a crisis on both the animal and the human end.

As of yet, I’m unsure if my career will lead me to first opinion or referral practice, but I can appreciate the similarities and differences between the two – despite us all starting out in the same place.
June 8, 2022
Tips for making the most of extramural studies
Thanks to it that shall not be named (the pandemic) I started my clinical work experience or “extramural studies” (EMS) a little later than is usual for a veterinary student.

Having 10 weeks of work experience cancelled out from under me in 2020 did feel incredibly frustrating at the time, but in hindsight, I think it made me appreciate my first few weeks of clinical work so much more.

With this in mind, I wanted to provide a couple of tips for any student who, like me, are a little late to the game, or who are simply looking to get a little more out of their placements – whether it be clinical or pre-clinical.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – or answer them!

I’ll be honest, I dread being quizzed and questioned by a seasoned veterinary professional as much as the next person. The key, however, is to think back to your university interview days: it is impossible for you to know everything, and there are bound to be parts of the course you haven’t even covered yet – vets do understand this.

When you’re asked a question in practice, you’re not expected to get it right 100% of the time, but to give it your best shot. Questions are designed to get you thinking, and as long as you apply yourself and have a go, you’ll gain far more respect from your peers than if you hadn’t tried at all. Remember: any answer is better than a blank-faced stare of internalised horror.

Likewise, vets expect you to ask questions back, so if you don’t know the answer to a particular question asked of you by one vet, there’s nothing stopping you from asking another vet about it later in the day.

Be curious and engaged, and if you don’t understand what’s going on, just ask.

2. Get stuck in

Now this one certainly applies to any stage of your training, whether you’re visiting a farm or a referral hospital. Placement providers appreciate students who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty – be it literally or metaphorically – so pick up that broom, laryngoscope, mop or stethoscope and give everything that’s offered to you a go.

Vets are often busy and focused on the task at hand, so you may have to ask if you can have a go at intubating, or that SC injection, or using the thermometer. The worst they can say is no if, perhaps, there isn’t time. However, in my experience, asking to try something makes them more likely to offer you the chance further down the line.

When it comes to certain things, it helps to take initiative:
- See a dull looking calf? Report it to the farmer.
- See a dirty consult table? Clean it.
And if you find yourself without anything to do between consults and ops, or in a lull between milking sessions, asking a nurse or farmhand if there are any odd jobs that need doing is a surefire way to bring a smile to their day.

When it comes to most farms/vet practices, there’s always something to be done.

3. Keep your head in the game

To paraphrase Dolly Parton, working 9 to 5 can take its toll – and I’m sure she would have been shocked to know the hours an average vet or farmer clocks in each week.

Not many vets work 9 to 5. Some work 12 hours a day or even longer, and if you’re not used to a busy work week then you may find yourself flagging by day four or so.

It can be all too tempting to zone out, check your phone or stare out of the window thinking about what you’ll have for dinner that evening – but all the time you’re doing that, really interesting stuff could be going on around you without you even knowing.

No placement provider is impressed by a student who looks bored or disengaged, but beyond that, by not paying attention you’re robbing yourself of really vital experience that is only meant to benefit you and your career.

Try bringing a bag of mints or sweets to keep your energy topped up during the day, bring a notebook or revision book to study from in the quiet hours, and maybe leave your phone in your bag instead of your pocket, so you won’t be so tempted.

4. Enjoy it!

At the end of the day, EMS is meant to be an enjoyable and exciting experience. It’s a glimpse into the future for most vet students, and even for students who choose not to go into clinical work, it can teach you a lot about client communication, business management and how to cope with a busy workload.

It’s perhaps a slightly overused saying, but when it comes to work experience, “you only get out what you put in” – so I wholly encourage you to throw yourself into your placement (not literally of course – literally, walk calmly and confidently into your placement).
October 20, 2021
Linear foreign bodies, part 3: should YOU take it to surgery?
In the previous post we covered what to look out for on ultrasound when assessing for a linear foreign body. Now we discuss the things you should consider before deciding to take the patient to surgery.

Read the following statements and answer the questions – either yes or no…

Linear foreign body surgeries can be technically difficult and can take a prolonged period of time to perform. The longer the surgery, the higher the rate of complications. Are you (or do you have access to) an experienced surgeon who has performed a linear foreign body surgery before, and do you have an additional pair of hands for surgery to help reduce surgery time?

Were bacteria visualised or is their presence likely based on the comparison of the abdominal fluid glucose and lactate to peripheral blood (see previous post)? If yes, then septic peritonitis is present. Approximately 40% of dogs with linear foreign bodies will have septic peritonitis. This means you need to be prepared to perform a resection and anastomosis; sometimes two. Have you performed a resection and anastomosis before?

Often a combination of gastrotomy, enterotomy, and resection and anastomosis are required. Are you prepared to perform a combination of these surgeries?

Linear foreign body surgeries can often require a significant number of surgical instruments and consumables. Do you have Balfour retractors, forceps, clamps, additional kit for closure, supply of lap sponges, as well as substantial amounts of lavage and access to suction?

Linear foreign body patients are often critically ill due to septic peritonitis. They can present in shock and have biochemical derangements such as hypoalbuminaemia, which indicates the need for perioperative critical care. Do you have experience stabilising, performing anaesthesia and postoperatively managing a critically ill patient?

Hypotension can be caused by hypovolaemia; however, if the hypotension has not responded to reasonable volumes of a balanced isotonic crystalloid fluid – for example, 30ml/kg to 40ml/kg – then the hypotension could be caused by vasodilation from septic shock. This means vasopressor agents will be required in addition to crystalloids. Do you have access and experience with vasopressor therapy?
Image: Gerardo Poli.

Conclusion

This list of questions is not meant to be conclusive or definitive, but merely a list of considerations before taking a linear foreign body patient to surgery.

If you answered no to many of these questions, then consider referral to a facility that is prepared and equipped for the challenges that often accompany linear foreign body patients. However, if referral is not an option, consider the list above as a way to be as prepared as possible for tackling those situations.
May 5, 2021
Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 2

Belief #2: if you can’t afford to care for an animal then you shouldn’t have one

You, young doctor or nurse – living in your privileged society of excess, with your years of study, working in an industry that exists largely to minimise animal suffering – have certain expectations of what “taking care of an animal” looks like.

Of course, we should always strive to do the best we can for any animal in our care, but we need to learn to put judgement aside when an owner’s abilities don’t stretch to meet our expectations.

Saying “if you can’t afford to care for a pet then you shouldn’t be allowed to own one” is a subjective and biased opinion.

What defines an appropriate level of “caring for your animal” is based to a large degree on your background, prior experiences with animals and financial circumstances.

Where is the line?

Let’s agree that if someone takes an animal in your care, it is his or her responsibility to meet its basic needs – make sure it doesn’t starve, freeze or cook to death; don’t cause it unnecessary suffering through wilful abuse or neglect; and satisfy at least some basic emotional needs of connection, and freedom from fear and pain.

Beyond that, where is the line?

You could argue provision for core vaccinations should make the cut into what constitutes basic levels of care, but I can assure you many unvaccinated animals around the world live very happy lives.

I’ve seen many colleagues spit venom about “careless owners” who “don’t deserve to own an animal” when a dog presents with a pyometra, so should we make neutering a minimum requirement of pet ownership?

Should every pet owner have the means to pay for at least full bloods and an ultrasound? What about major life-saving surgery? An MRI? Chemotherapy? Specialist referral?

If a line in the sand does exist, then it’s poorly defined – and, like the line between beach and ocean, it’s a line that will shift with every wave, tide, and storm.

Collision course

So, how does this belief hold you back?

If you subscribe to this way of thinking, you’ll be on a constant collision course with a large part of the population. It’s a mindset that will set you up for daily antagonistic interactions with the people who present their animals to you, instead of creating those all-important relationships that were mentioned in part one.

None of this will benefit your patients, your clients, or yourself. To put it simply: you’ll only make yourself resentful and miserable.

Burden of care

Where things do become complicated is when individuals expect a high level of veterinary care without being willing to pay for it.

When the burden of care – and blame for lack of provision of its gold standard – are shifted solely on to the shoulders of the veterinary community, the relationship starts falling apart.

This, of course, is rubbish – and should be treated as such.

It’s a problem that vets who have the capacity to provide high levels of care will grapple with, and can be the topic of many more blogs.

For the purpose of this post, let’s just say we should always aim to help – to the best of our abilities, and with a consistent level of caring and lack of judgement – any person who presents their animal into our care, despite their individual expectations and capacity of what constitutes a good level of care.

March 11, 2020
The blind leading the blind
As part of one of our small animal rotations, I spent a couple of days with the ophthalmology service at the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital.

Recognising common eye conditions and being able to localise lesions was uncharted territory for Jordan before her time with the ophthalmology service. Image: thenineworld / fotolia.

Not exactly the most clued-up on eyes, I was going in almost blind. I had an idea of common eye conditions and how to manage them, but recognising them and being able to localise a lesion in an eye was uncharted territory.

After a mind-boggling tutorial in which we tried to drag physics from the depths of our brains (A-levels were five years ago), consults began – and with them, ocular examination after examination after examination.

By the end of day one, despite my brain feeling fairly frazzled, I felt I could locate roughly where in the eye a problem was and begin to deduce differentials, or at least know which chapter of the book to look in.

We discussed the differences between referral and first opinion practice. One of the main reasons eye conditions are misdiagnosed or missed is simply lack of time in the consult room.

For example, if you have a five-minute consult and want to do a Schirmer’s tear test, half the time is already taken.

Several components exist to a thorough ocular examination, with some better than others at identifying certain conditions or highlighting certain anatomical regions of the eye.

One important thing I took away was you can still achieve a good examination with limited equipment – in our case, we found a broken otoscope the ideal instrument for distant direct ophthalmoscopy.

Guide Dogs patient

So it came to one of the final patients on our final day – a bubbly golden retriever about to begin formal training to become a guide dog. By this point, we thought we could accurately identify basic conditions, but didn’t want to believe what we found on his lenses. When asked for the diagnosis, I hesitantly answered “cataracts” for two reasons:
1. The cataracts themselves looked different to others we’d seen – they had a triangular shape with a clear area in the centre, making them not entirely opaque.
2. This young dog’s career as a guide dog would come to an abrupt end with this diagnosis.
However, a breed predilection exists for hereditary cataracts in retrievers and the Guide Dogs staff member who was accompanying the puppy walker – the person who fosters a puppy before they enter formal training – was not shocked by the news, having experienced the condition several times previously.

While the dog still had fairly good vision at the minute, it would have to be withdrawn from training.

Several options exist for guide dogs withdrawn for health or behavioural reasons – they can be put into another work sector, such as the police or other assistance dog programmes like buddies for disabled children. Otherwise, they are rehomed as pets – hopefully our golden friend will find a new family shortly.

Having looked into the Guide Dogs scheme a bit more, it’s astonishing how much work and money goes into the training and upkeep of a guide dog.

They are a fantastic aid to people with impaired or no vision and, while it was disheartening to see a dog that wouldn’t tick the health boxes for continued training, I could appreciate the vet’s role in the process.

Eyes may always be a tricky area of veterinary medicine, but I don’t think I’ll miss a triangular cataract from now on.
December 6, 2016
Behind the scenes at Fitzpatrick Referrals

Two years ago, I received an email to confirm an EMS placement at a certain well-known veterinary practice in the south of England.

Fitzpatrick Referrals: arguably one of the most recognisable practice premises in the UK. Image taken from the VBJ Practice Profile.

In my head, the placement remained far off until – three days after one set of exams ended and four weeks before another set – it seemed to sneak up on me far quicker than expected.

Brain slightly frazzled from exams, but orthopaedics (hopefully) fresh in my mind, I found myself pulling into the car park of Fitzpatrick Referrals.

Making sense of things

Being such a large and busy hospital, the first few days were a bit manic, with lots of new faces and protocols to get used to. To be honest, just finding my way back to the staff room was quite a challenge.

As my first time in a referral hospital, there were notable differences from first opinion practice, and the sheer number of surgeries the vets would get through in one day was impressive.

I was able to see a lot of surgery, which helped make sense of the numerous abbreviations our orthopaedic lectures presented, for both the conditions and procedures – an FCP corrected by PUO or the options of TPLO or TTA for CrCLR meant very little until I was able to see the procedures and understand a little more why they helped correct the particular conditions.

(If you’re still wondering: FCP = fractured coronoid process; PUO = proximal ulnar osteotomy; TPLO = tibial plateau levelling osteotomy; TTA = tibial tuberosity advancement; CrCLR = cranial cruciate ligament rupture).

Standard versus innovative

Noel Fitzpatrick: veterinary visionary? You be the judge.

The above are among many other “standard” referral procedures carried out at other referral orthopaedic hospitals throughout the country. There are, of course (as seen on television), other surgeries Noel carries out. Whether these are considered groundbreaking, experimental or too much is open to interpretation, but they are certainly unique to the “Supervet”.

Noel himself is clearly very passionate and believes wholeheartedly his innovations provide the best options in the world for his patients.

Many other vets would disagree. Many believe he goes too far; that the prolonged recovery and rehabilitation time for heroic procedures are not justified in patients that live in the moment and cannot perceive the future advantages temporary discomfort may bring.

Having been “behind the scenes”, I’m still not sure where I stand on these heroic procedures, but am certain the ethics must be considered on an individual case basis, as is done at Fitzpatrick’s – for example, limb-sparing surgery was decided against in a case of osteosarcoma in which survey chest radiographs showed metastasis.

Camera shy

Undoubtedly, Noel is an extremely clever bloke who has dedicated his life to providing animals with the best orthopaedic technology possible, but his methods will always remain controversial.

The placement was certainly a worthwhile and very different experience. The stationary cameras around the practice were easy to ignore, but observing a surgery that was being filmed, with the surgeon re-explaining the procedure for the third time at a different angle, not so much.

A very definite highlight was scrubbing into a TPLO and being handed the bone drill, to my utter terror and delight at the same time. I’m not sure the novelty of putting a screw into a dog’s leg will ever wear off.

May 16, 2016
RCVS VN council election manifesto: Wendy Nevins RVN

WENDY NEVINS RVN

Operations manager, The Webinar Vet

T: 07809 702074

E: wendy@wendynevins.com

Wendy began her VN career in 1991 as a trainee at a small animal practice in Surrey. On qualifying, she moved to Yorkshire and started work in mixed practice, and after becoming head nurse, left to relocate to Germany with her forces husband.

Back in the UK in 2000, Wendy moved to Devon and spent two years at a two-branch, small animal practice as a nurse, VN assessor and eventually, practice manager.

Moving to the north-west in 2002, she worked as a nurse in a small animal practice before becoming the Veterinary Nursing Approved Centre coordinator at Myerscough College. After four years there, she returned to practice part-time, where she started working for Anthony Chadwick at his Skin Vet practice. During this time, Anthony launched The Webinar Vet, and, once established, sold up. Wendy stayed behind as operations manager and is often known as “Webinar Wendy”.

In her role, Wendy organises CPD for vets, nurses and SQPs. She also deals with dermatology referral clients and spends at least one day a month working in practice.

Why is she standing?

Wendy says she is “extremely proud” to be a veterinary nurse and wants to take an “active part” in ensuring the profession moves forward.

“I feel I have gained valuable experience throughout my different career roles, which will benefit the role requirements of an elected member and our cause as a whole,” she said. “I have a very good understanding of the varying levels of our profession and I am in a privileged position of having contact with members daily, ranging from students to the most experienced VNs.”

On education, Wendy says she feels “passionately”, and has a “wide exposure”, thanks to her time at Myerscough and The Webinar Vet.

“I believe I will also add value… establishing and reviewing schemes for post-qualification and CPD for VNs. This also includes recommending to the council amendments to the rules relating to the registration, conduct and discipline of veterinary nurses, if required. I am widely accessible to nurses due to my current role, so I can offer effective communication between VNs and the council. On future challenges and issues? You tell me. I aim to be an effective voice for the nurse in practice – an effective voice for you.”

Hustings highlights

Wendy tackled lack of VN engagement in the RCVS in her passionate video, citing poor voting turnout figures and calling the electorate to action. “I want to help increase engagement, hopefully by… carrying on communicating with nurses via social media and within my role at The Webinar Vet,” she said. “Voting in an election is important.

Can you get other VNs to vote? Do you know nurses who don’t vote? If everyone who votes gets one more VN voting, we can increase that [2015 turnout] 11 per cent to 20 per cent.

“It would be great if you voted for me to represent you on VN council, but more importantly though – please, please vote.”

March 24, 2016
RCVS VN council election manifesto: Samantha Thompson RVN

SAMANTHA THOMPSON RVN

Wards supervisor at North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), Surrey

T: 07736 736341

E: samantha@thompson.co.za

Summerleaze Veterinary Hospital in Maidenhead was where Samantha gained her NVQ in veterinary nursing in 2009.

Shortly afterwards, she began working at North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), where she achieved her Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing from the RVC. After four years at NDSR, Samantha had a brief spell at Moor Cottage Veterinary Hospital in Bracknell before taking the medicine nurse team leader role at Chester Gates Referral Hospital. After a year she moved back to Kent and took up the wards supervisor job at NDSR. She also teaches the Diploma in Veterinary Nursing at Hadlow College.

Why is she standing?

“Exciting” and “dynamic” are the two words Samantha uses to describe the veterinary nursing profession right now, with VNs being seen “more and more as professionals in [their] own right”. “I hope this is only going to get better,” she said.

Samantha also says she would bring “enthusiasm and dedication” to the council, as well as her passion of educating student nurses.

“I always strive to improve my knowledge and nursing skills and have the drive and determination to help mould the profession moving forward,” she said. “I have been privileged to work with a number of amazing nurses and I would like the profession to get the recognition it deserves. I believe it is moving in the right direction with lots of exciting changes on the way, but I cannot imagine a better time to get involved with the profession’s future.”

Another challenge she’s ready for, says Samantha, is the role of RVNs within practice.

“As the qualification and further qualifications increase in skill level, it would be rewarding to see this acknowledged with further delegation to RVNs,” she said.

Hustings highlights

Samantha said she is standing for VN council because, “like a lot of people”, she was not sure “what the council did” and “wanted to play a more active role in the decision-making process of the profession I feel passionately and strongly about”.

As a teacher, it was all about education in Samantha’s video.

“I think our pre-registration education possibly needs reviewing,” she said. “Training placements are scarce and quite hard to find, and this is something we need to work on with employers and course providers to improve for nurses who want to train in the future. On post-registration education… I think RVNs really need to see the value of CPD and I think it should be something that should be undertaken and enjoyed and something we should be able to use in the future.”

March 24, 2016