Linnaeus chief nursing officer Andrea Jeffery and RVN Sue Badger, who has been in the profession for more than 50 years, join VN Times editor Rachael Buzzel to discuss their new book Professionalism and Reflection in Veterinary Nursing. A project more than 10 years in the making, Andrea and Sue hope the book will support the evolution of the professional RVN and equip vet nurses to contribute to the ongoing development of a professional identity. For further details of the book, or to order a copy, visit http://bit.ly/3zih9Mj ________________________ 𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔 𝗝𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗘𝗱.𝗗, 𝗠𝗦𝗰, 𝗙𝗛𝗘𝗔, 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗔𝗩𝗡 (𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴), 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝗱, 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Andrea is chief nursing officer at Linnaeus – a unique role within the veterinary sector that ensures the nursing team is represented at executive board level – and was at the forefront of the creation of its central support veterinary nursing team, formed to further support and develop its vet nurses. Andrea began her career as an NHS nurse before training as an RVN. She soon discovered a passion for educating the next generation of veterinary nurses and has played a key part in passing the baton of knowledge on to future nurses by spearheading various undergraduate programmes for the University of Bristol – latterly, helping develop the first graduate training programme and a Masters by Research for RVNs. Andrea gained her doctorate in 2021 in the area of veterinary nurse retention, she has a Master’s degree in e-learning, and co-developed the Orpet and Jeffery Ability Model 2007 – the first model of care for veterinary patients of its kind, aimed at ensuring VN teams deliver consistent patient care. Andrea has served on RCVS VN council and is a member of the RCVS VN disciplinary committee. ________________________ 𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗲𝗱, 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝗱, 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Sue has been a veterinary nurse for more than 50 years, qualifying as a registered animal nursing auxiliary in 1976 and working in many clinical environments over the years. Sue has seen many significant changes in the role of the RVN and was instrumental in setting up both the original veterinary nursing course at the University of Bristol and the university’s first four-year degree. Sue is a past-president of the BVNA and was the second recipient of the RCVS Golden Jubilee Award in 2012. Having retired from practice, she remains on the RCVS VN register.