VN Times Podcast

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.