In this VN Times podcast, editor Lacey Pitcher RVN discusses the broad opportunities of a vet nurse passport with Donna Wills, an RVN and animal physiotherapist. Donna shares her career pivots and the decisions that have led her to now support from the other side of the consult table to provide more holistic care for animals and their people. ••• 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗣𝗴𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗔 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀, 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗣(𝗩𝗣) Donna qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2003 and has worked in small animal practices, veterinary hospitals, ECC and rescue homes. Having qualified as an animal physiotherapist in 2005, Donna set up Animal Physiotherapy Ltd and went on to establish physio clinics in the south of England, hosted by five veterinary practices and the Pet Spa at Harrods – the latter of which led to media work. Outside of work, Donna is a keen gymnast, and is proud to have represented Britain in the Masters Cup at the age of 42.

VN Happy Hour made a triumphant return for Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month 2024, tackling the topic of parenting in the profession and asking, are we progressing? VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher was joined by a brilliant panel who shared their wisdom and candour to bring the community together and answer some tricky questions. Guests included @mortagefreeleigh – a content creator passionate about tax-free childcare and making things less overwhelming – who provided our audience with some great advice and signposting. Lianne then joined our panel of Emma Townson and Miles Asteri, both experienced RVNs who have worked in a range of roles to unpack key themes such as flexible working. Happy Hour returned with a bang and we hope you enjoy the conversation. Useful links: https://mortgagefreeleigh.com/ https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/tax-free-childcare/ https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/find-information/?information_filter_search=1&tags%5B%5D=g_0_4230&tags%5B%5D=g_0_4219&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9cCyBhBzEiwAJTUWNbsbBheL94I_eHwPc3pNKHHT6d8l5Za2UbXP3ZEv2u9d77DWQu__qRoCFf8QAvD_BwE https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/flexible-working-factsheet/ Sponsor https://www.lintbellsvet.com/pages/mobility-library https://vetactivelife.com/

In this episode of the VN Times podcast editor Lacey discusses leaving clinical work with Sophie Giddens, a former Equine RVN who has forged a career supporting veterinary clinics while utilising many of her skills acquired in the clinic. Sophie reflects candidly about not necessarily having a plan when leaving her role, and the power of community and networks while making career connections. 𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗦 Sophie works at VET.CT as a group case manager and trainer, helping with the training of the case manager team and taking responsibility for IT design and developments that improve the operations team workflows. After working at an equine hospital as a nurse for 12 years Sophie made the move to a non-clinical role at VET.CT. Being able to move out of clinical practice while still being able to work closely with, and positively impact, the veterinary industry has made the change in career a successful one.

In this VN Times Podcast, editor Lacey Pitcher RVN discusses careers with Kirsty Cavill. Kirsty has a passion for veterinary nursing that has allowed her to develop and utilise her skills in a variety of ways to not only help improve animal welfare but also provide accessible care in a variety of ways. Kirsty, an award-winning vet nurse, shares her advice and insight to help other consider how they can support and nurture the human-animal bond. 𝘕𝘖𝘛𝘌: 𝘋𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.

In this episode, VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher welcomes experienced RVN Sara Ho-Le to discuss training, leadership and peer mentoring. Sara’s career has been varied and her passion for emergency and critical care has seen her travel to the other side of the world. Sara discusses utilising her career passport to nurse down under and how mentor nurses have shaped her career. ••••••••••••••• 𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗛𝗢-𝗟𝗘 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Sara completed her veterinary nursing diploma after passing the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2011. After working in clinical practice for several years, Sara obtained RCVS clinical coach status and is passionate about the training and development of student veterinary nurses. In 2018 Sara returned to study and completed the Certificate in Veterinary Nursing for Emergency and Critical Care (CertVNECC) through VetsNow Ltd. In 2022 Sara obtained the Veterinary Technician Specialist qualification in Emergency and Critical Care through the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses (AVECCTN). Sara has worked in a variety of practices, including first opinion, specialist centres, university teaching hospitals, and not-for-profit organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia. She currently works as the training and development coordinator at one of Melbourne's largest veterinary hospitals. Sara’s professional interests include emergency and critical care nursing, disease pathophysiology, anaesthesia and analgesia, wound care, and in-clinic teaching and training. ••••••••••••••• 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 EVE website – https://eve-veted.com/ EVE Instagram – www.instagram.com/eve.vet.ed/ EVE Facebook – www.facebook.com/eve.vet.ed/

In this episode, VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher welcomes experienced RVN Helen Harris to discuss squiggly careers and falling back in love with veterinary nursing. Helen’s career has been varied including GP, charity and shelter medicine and now, zoo nursing. Helen discusses starting out as a veterinary nurse and how her various workplaces have shaped not only her career, but her outlook on animal welfare and veterinary medicine.

In this episode, VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher welcomes experienced RVNs Jackie Hay and Michelle Barley, two of the nurses behind UK Vet Nurses Worldwide, an initiative dedicated to advancing animal care worldwide by helping facilitate skilled vet nurses sharing their knowledge and education with others to help improve animal welfare. Despite experiencing technical issues, Jackie and Michelle rallied in true vet nurse fashion to make things work – even resorting to recording the second half of our interview in a car using mobile internet (pictured) – because the conversation was too valuable not to be had. Follow UK Vet Nurses Worldwide on social media at: www.instagram.com/ukvn.ww www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554955708249 You can also support the initiative at www.gofundme.com/f/uk-vet-nurses-worldwide __ 𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Michelle is a qualified Veterinary Nurse with twenty-nine years’ of experience and she works part-time as a nurse, she has worked with large animals, small animals, equine and exotics. Michelle was on the Board of Trustees for St Francis Dogs Home, Newquay from 2019 to 2022 and has now become the Fostering Coordinator. Michelle has a particular passion for dogs and horses and has a keen interest in dog behaviour and currently working towards her behaviour certificate. __ 𝗝𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗬 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Jackie has been a qualified vet nurse for 18 years. She enjoys emergency and critical care and gained the Vets Now ECC certificate in 2019. Throughout her career, Jackie's main focus has been the care of small animals but she has also supported British Divers Marine Life Rescue with the rehabilitation of seal pups. She is passionate about maintaining high-quality care standards and has been a clinical coach supporting student vet nurses. Jackie was inspired to create the charity UK Veterinary Nurses Worldwide after working with charities in Cyprus, Romania and Sri Lanka where she trained vets and their assistants in anaesthesia, safe practice and animal welfare. The initiative, UKVNWW, will continue this work and promote animal welfare internationally. __ 𝗙𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Fay initially started with a career in human medicine and later decided to retrain as a veterinary nurse. Since 2016 Fay has been involved with trap, neuter, and release clinics and actively gets involved with outreach projects where she can. Fay wasn’t a guest on this podcast episode but as a valuable member of the team, we wanted to credit her.

In this episode, VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher talks to RVN Laura Jones, founder of www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com and veterinary technician specialist in small animal medicine. Laura is a regular speaker at many big conferences around the UK and further afield, but in this podcast we learn about the person behind the accolades and how she is sharing her passion for medicine with other nurses. ______________ 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗦𝗰(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝘀), 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗔𝗩𝗡(𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹), 𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗠𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗙𝗡, 𝗩𝗧𝗦(𝗦𝗔𝗜𝗠), 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Laura began nursing in 2007 and qualified as an RVN in 2010. She went on to gain the RCVS Advanced Nursing Diploma in 2014, before moving to a multidisciplinary referral centre in Hampshire as an Internal Medicine nurse. Here, she completed a top-up degree in Advanced Nursing, graduating in 2017. In January 2019 Laura moved to The Ralph as Senior Medicine Nurse and, in June of the same year, became a member of the Academy of Internal Medicine Veterinary Technicians, completing the VTS entrance exam in Arizona.

In this VN Times podcast editor Lacey Pitcher speaks to Laura Hughes about the importance of conversations surrounding nutrition. Laura is a veterinary nurse development manager at Purina PetCare who firmly believes that supporting nurses has a direct impact on animal welfare. This conversation includes: • what the Purina Institute offers nurses • CentreSquare resources and tools • a teaser of what Purina will be offering at BVNA congress ___________________ 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 Laura qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002 and worked across first opinion, referral, and rescue centre practices before joining Purina. Since then, she has worked in various roles across the Purina business. Her current role is to support veterinary nurses in practice as well as technical training for the Purina Veterinary Nutrition Partners. Laura’s aim is to further develop the awareness of Purina’s research and to inspire more people to be passionate about nutrition.

In this episode, we join Congress Times editor Tom Jackson as he speaks with BVNA president Charlotte Pace, who provides some practical advice for veterinary nurses who may wish to develop the knowledge and skills required to successfully and confidently support cardiology patients in their care. Charlotte looks at the definition of heart disease – which presents differently in different species – before going on to discuss the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine’s consensus statement guidelines for the classification, diagnosis, and management of cardiomyopathies in cats and dogs. ___________ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗔(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝘀), 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗩𝗧𝗦(𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆-𝗜𝗠), 𝗣𝗚𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁(𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗘𝗱), 𝗙𝗛𝗘𝗔 Charlotte qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2003, while working in practice in London. In the same year she moved to the RVC to work as a medicine nurse. In 2006, she became the dedicated cardiology nurse for the RVC Queen Mother Hospital for Animals. In 2010, Charlotte passed American veterinary technician exams and became the first nurse to hold the cardiology qualification outside the US. Since 2012, she has taught veterinary nurses on both degree and diploma programmes. Charlotte returned to veterinary practice in 2015 – she works at Vets4Pets in Cambridge – and continues to write and lecture on veterinary cardiology. She is BVNA president for 2022-23.

Arlene Connor, national referral nursing lead (UK referrals division) and Helen Rooney, clinical and development support (referrals) at IVC, join VN Times editor Rachael Buzzel to chat about their career journeys and what referral nursing means to them. They also discuss the launch of IVC Evidensia’s Introduction to Referral Nursing Programme, on which you can find further information at https://bit.ly/43BRICR _____________________________________ 𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Arlene has more than 20 years of industry experience, many of which saw her holding senior roles in referrals with Vets Now and, later, IVC, where she was passionate about influencing and shaping the role of the referral veterinary nurse. Arlene’s career path started as a veterinary nurse with a focus on surgical nursing, before progressing to a senior surgery role. She then became the clinical nursing manager at Vets Now referrals in Glasgow and moved on to become national referral nursing lead (UK referrals division) for IVC Evidensia. Arlene is involved in managing business-critical projects for IVC, but referral nursing is never far from her thoughts, and she continues to champion the role and development of referral nurses. _____________________________________ 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗔𝗩𝗡(𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹) 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Having qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1996, Helen has spent most of her career working in the veterinary referral sector in patient care and surgery. She gained a ward manager position before accepting the role of clinical nursing manager at Vets Now in Manchester. Helen has many years of experience in the veterinary education sector, where her focus was patient care and medical and critical care nursing. She is now clinical and development support (referrals) at IVC, where she is able to indulge her passion for nurse training and education, and support Arlene with the development of exciting and diverse progression opportunities for referral nurses within the group. _____________________________________ 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗗 This podcast is sponsored by IVC Evidensia. IVC Evidensia is incredibly proud of its talented nurses, who can be found excelling across disciplines, areas of specialisation, stages of career, and more. Veterinary Nurses are vital members of its clinical teams, and its nurses are valued clinicians in their own right, bringing their skills and knowledge to first-opinion practices, referral hospitals and beyond. Discover brand new nursing opportunities, across its network at ivcevidensia.co.uk/careers

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.

VN Happy Hour welcomed three of the biggest names in UK veterinary nursing when the hugely successful live event returned on 23 February 2023. The online event saw a lively discussion around the theme of “Protect the title”, during which our panel discussed why it’s so important to protect the “veterinary nurse” title and what this would mean for you as a VN, as well as the profession. More than 1,200 delegates have attended VN Happy Hour events since the concept was first launched during the pandemic, and we experienced one of our biggest turnout to date when BVNA president Charlotte Pace, Linnaeus chief nursing officer Andrea Jefferey and RCVS VN council chair Matt Rendle, tackled the hot topic of vet nurse title protection. Answering questions sent in by delegates, our all-star panel provided insights and discussed developments on this key issue, as well as offering tips and advice on all things veterinary nursing.

RVN and clinical tutor in veterinary nursing at Myerscough College Rachel Pilling has always had a passion for well-being and is a strong advocate in supporting mental health of veterinary professionals. Having always wanted to become a wellness coach, the time never seemed to be right. However, a devastating diagnosis for Rachel paved the way to building a new business to help others look after their mental health and learn lessons in “self kindness”. 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗟 𝗣𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗙𝗗𝗦𝗰𝗭𝗥𝗠, 𝗜𝗤𝗔 Rachel always pursued a career working with animals – from horses at her local riding school to an animal keeper at a safari park for eight years, followed by the journey to becoming a qualified veterinary nurse. After the birth of her daughter Meghan, Rachel moved into a more supportive role as a clinical tutor of veterinary nursing at Myerscough College, alongside locum work as an RVN. When Rachel returned to practice after a year of maternity leave, she noticed a difference in her confidence and looked at ways to build this back up, which was difficult while working part-time hours. Following a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma in August 2022, Rachel was given the push to complete an accredited diploma in life coaching in October 2022 and decided to set up her own coaching business, with a focus on improving positivity and mental well-being within the veterinary profession. She wants to help others discover their own potential and to show that anything is achievable with the right mindset. Rachel is in the early stages of developing her business, but is very excited to see where it will lead and the impact that it will have on professionals working within the veterinary sector. For business updates, follow Rachel at https://www.instagram.com/the_veterinary_coach/

As fireworks season approaches, RVN Nikki McLeod joins VN Times editor Rachael Buzzel to advise on how practices can support pet owners and their pets through this unsettling time and why vet nurses are perfectly placed to do this. 𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗞𝗜 𝗠𝗰𝗟𝗘𝗢𝗗, 𝗕𝗦𝗰(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝘀) 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗠 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗙𝗡 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗙𝗕 Nikki, a self-confessed “crazy cat lady” and “study geek”, has been an RVN since 2000. She is a cat advocate and consulting nurse for a small animal practice in Fife, and is studying for multiple certificates. Not satisfied with gaining her first undergraduate degree at 50, she is now going on to study clinical animal behaviour at The University of Edinburgh, with a view to becoming a practice-based clinical animal behaviourist. She will also be joining BVNA council and serving a three-year term in October.

After a bit of a break, regular hosts Rachael Buzzel and James Westgate hit the ground running with a Medivet sponsored episode titled “Know your worth – are VNs paid enough? How to gain confidence when talking about money”. Our lead interview is with BVNA council member Lyndsay Hughes, who spearheads a nursing network within XLVets and believes empowering nurses will lead to improved confidence in them being able to achieve all that they want to within their roles. Joining her in our panel discussion will be VMG senior vice-president and WSAVA executive director Rich Casey, and financial advisor Ruth Downs, who uses her knowledge to help simplify finance for others. This episode originally took place at 8pm on 29 September 2022.

This month, VN Times editor Rachael Buzzel is joined by locum RVN Jack Pye, who specialises in emergency and critical care and has a passion for ultrasonography. Jack is also a member of BVNA council, sits on the VN Times editorial board, and is a regular guest, contributor and official quizmaster on VN Happy Hour. He joins Rachael to discuss his love for ultrasonography; from the lightbulb moment to speaking at BVNA Congress and now offering CPD in practices all around the country. __________________ 𝗝𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗬𝗘 𝗥𝗩𝗡 Jack began his career in first opinion practice where he developed a passion for progression. He is currently a locum RVN and undertaking his certificate in emergency and critical care. Jack’s specialist interests are ultrasonography and ECC, and he enjoys sharing his experiences and new learnings by engaging with others on his social media platforms ( @pye_rvn ), with the hope of encouraging and supporting others' professional development. Jack has started providing in-house CPD on ultrasonography and enjoys supporting others in this area of diagnostic imaging.

Building resilience has been the theme of Alexandra Taylor’s year as BVNA president – and she joins us to review some of those initiatives, as well as preview how the campaign will conclude at congress. Charlotte Pace, who will take over as president at congress, also joins us to provide an insight into her aims and objectives around the theme of empowerment. Mrs Taylor and Ms Pace also discuss the launch of two new BVNA toolkits over the coming months – one aimed at supporting student VNs, the other offering advice around the topic of pay. Congress takes place at Telford International Centre from 7 to 9 October. To learn more about this year’s event, look out for your copy of BVNA Congress Times, being mailed with September‘s VN Times. ____________________________ 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗫 𝗧𝗔𝗬𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗖&𝗚, 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗦𝗔𝗡, 𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗠𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗙𝗡, 𝗜𝗦𝗙𝗠 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗙𝗕 Alex qualified as a nurse in 1997, and has worked in both first opinion and referral practice. She is especially interested in feline nursing – and has completed both the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) feline nursing certificate and diploma, as well as the ISFM Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour. Alex runs her own company, “The Cat Nurse”, where she offers CPD about feline nursing and behaviour. She also volunteers for Milton Keynes and District Cats Protection, where she runs workshops about cat behaviour and care for groups of adults and children. A member of the ISFM Feline Wellbeing Panel, Alex has a particular interest in nutrition, behaviour and stress-related diseases. She has been a BVNA council member since 2018 and is the association’s president for 2021-22. ____________________________ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗔(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝘀), 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗩𝗧𝗦(𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆-𝗜𝗠), 𝗣𝗚𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁(𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗘𝗱), 𝗙𝗛𝗘𝗔 Charlotte qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2003, while working in practice in London. In the same year she moved to the RVC to work as a medicine nurse. In 2006, she became the dedicated cardiology nurse for the RVC Queen Mother Hospital for Animals. In 2010, Charlotte passed American veterinary technician exams and became the first nurse to hold the cardiology qualification outside the US. Since 2012, she has taught veterinary nurses on both degree and diploma programmes. Charlotte returned to veterinary practice in 2015 – she works at Vets4Pets in Cambridge – and continues to write and lecture on veterinary cardiology. Charlotte will become BVNA president for 2022-23 at congress.

RVN Nicola Lakeman is the keynote speaker at BVNA Congress 2022 – and her lecture will give an insight into how resilience has played a part in her career. Ahead of congress, Ms Lakeman joined us to share her excitement for the event and discuss how she hopes delegates will be able to relate to her experiences. “Building resilience” is the headline theme of congress, which takes place at Telford International Centre from 7 to 9 October. To learn more about this year’s event, look out for your copy of BVNA Congress Times, being mailed with September’s VN Times. ________________________ 𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗔 𝗟𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗦𝗰, 𝗕𝗦𝗰(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝘀), 𝗥𝗩𝗡, 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗦𝗔𝗡, 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗩𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗖, 𝗩𝗧𝗦(𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) Nicola worked as the head medical nurse at Plymouth Veterinary Group for 20 years. She is now nutrition manager for IVC Evidensia. Nicola graduated from Hartpury College with an honours degree in equine science and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002. She has written for many veterinary publications and textbooks, and is the editor of Aspinall’s Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing and consultant editor for The Veterinary Nurse. Nicola has recently gained a Master’s degree in Advanced Veterinary Nursing with the University of Glasgow.

The VN Times VN Happy Hour broadcast on 28 April 2002, entitled “Finding your nursing niche”, looked at how developing a nursing specialism can enhance your clinical career. Guests this month included Emma Gerrard, a specialist staff theatre nurse at a not-for-profit community interest practice and the first VN to hold an officer position for the BSAVA when she was elected regional chairperson and council representative for the Cymru/Wales region. April’s VN Happy Hour also saw the return of Jack Pye, who discussed his nursing niche in the world of diagnostic imaging, as well as his latest career development as a much sought-after provider of in-house and online ultrasonography CPD. Abi Edis rounded up April’s exciting panel. She qualified as a nurse in 2010 and, after three years, pursued her career with exotic medicine. Abi has worked as an exotic species veterinary nurse at the RVC’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital for more than eight years, has lectured at both national and international conferences, and enjoys clinical research in practice.