VN Times Podcast VN Times

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.

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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.

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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
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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.
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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.
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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.