The long and winding road – a personal perspective on becoming a specialist veterinary nurse

ABSTRACT:

Veterinary nursing embraces a wide variety of skills and, traditionally, VNs cover many different areas in their day-to-day jobs. However, for a veterinary nurse to be able to specialise their work into one particular area has many advantages. The foremost advantage for most specialised nurses is the increased job satisfaction gained by being able to focus on something that they particularly enjoy. Another significant advantage is the improved patient care offered, as specialised skills develop and specialised teams with like-minded colleagues are built, standardising care at a high level.

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Notes on contributors

Susanna Taylor

Susanna Taylor RVN VTS [Anaesthesia] NCertA&CC

Susanna qualified as an RVN in 2006 and began work at the Royal Veterinary College in 2007 as one of its first specialised anaesthesia nurses. She became senior and then head anaesthesia nurse and then attained the VTS (Anaesthesia) qualification and the NCert in Anaesthesia and Critical Care in 2010.

After becoming a ‘mum’, Susanna left the RVC and now works as a parttime theatre/anaesthesia nurse. She regularly provides anaesthesia-based CPD and is the nurse representative on the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists Executive Committee.