There wasn’t much helpful advice about going to vet school when I made my A-level choices so I studied arts-based A-levels and started a marketing qualification. I found it unfulfilling and decided to return to my original plan of working with animals. I was lucky enough to get a student nurse position with a large mixed practice – The George in Wiltshire.

I loved my training. It was pre-degree vet nursing and the most common pathway was block release. Three of us started at the same time and, as it was a mixed practice, we got to do a bit of everything – although we seemed to spend most of the first six months doing cleaning of one sort or another. There was no room for delusions of grandeur.

I qualified in the era of the ‘little green book’, when student vet nurses had to demonstrate competency in a task – such as giving a subcutaneous injection or placing an endotracheal tube – and have our books signed to prove it. 

We enjoyed excellent practical teaching from the first-opinion team. They believed that nurses were a key part of the practice and this attitude was ingrained in us from the start.

There was even a touch of James Herriot (my hero) about that time, as one of the farm vets used to invite the team for Sunday lunch when he was on-call. We always hoped our duty weekends would coincide with his! 

I am still in touch with the vet nurses I trained with and we returned to the practice for a reunion this year, more than 25 years after we first met.

Once qualified, I worked in practices throughout the south west. My focus was small animal work and I gravitated towards working in hospitals as I enjoyed looking after hospitalised patients and getting involved in major surgeries. 

As I gained experience and confidence, I found I enjoyed mentoring student nurses and looking after the team. I was soon working in head nurse roles. 

I later moved into operations teams in corporate practice groups and then into referral practice. I am currently a practice director, with responsibility for a two-site small animal practice for CVS as I wanted to be more directly involved in practice life. I have even dug my greens out of retirement to do some hands-on nursing from time to time. 

My role has helped me to regain some balance in the hours I work and see the end result of my efforts up close, rather than from a distance.

'I wanted to study management because I have seen the impact that poor management can have on both people and patients'

Leadership

My interest in veterinary leadership began when I joined the Veterinary Management Group (VMG) – then known as the Veterinary Practice Management Association (VPMA) – at the recommendation of my then boss, Nick Stuart. He believed strongly in the importance of the non-clinical element of veterinary practice. 

The VMG is a membership organisation that represents those in leadership and management roles in the veterinary sector, promoting the view that a 21st century industry requires 21st century leadership. 

It aims to empower and equip veterinary leaders and their organisations to learn, share and grow – providing an opportunity for the whole industry to reap the benefits. 

When I was appointed as a practice manager, I decided to undertake the VPMA’s certificate in veterinary practice management (CVPM) to expand my knowledge and build recognition for my role. Initially I completed the Institute of Leadership’s Level 5 qualification in business and then passed the CVPM in 2013, achieving the Glyn Davies Award for Outstanding Achievement.

I wanted to study management because I have seen the impact that poor management can have on both people and patients. 

I’m also a firm believer in accredited learning. A good vet or nurse understands what they are doing clinically and the consequences of their actions. This should apply equally to those in leadership and management roles. They need to understand business strategy, financial issues and the legal framework under which businesses operate. And, when it comes to managing people, we are all different and we bring our unique experiences to our workplaces. Getting the best out of a team requires specific knowledge and expertise. 

I went on to develop my management skills by studying for an Open University degree in social psychology. I realise that not everyone will want to take their learning to that level but, in general, focusing on continually improving our understanding of people and our empathy makes us better leaders. We are a service industry and it is by engaging successfully with colleagues, owners and other stakeholders that we ultimately make a positive difference to animal welfare.

Having achieved the CVPM, I was invited to join the VPMA’s certification and training committee, and I applied to join the board in 2016. I have been actively involved in the VMG ever since. I am honoured to have been elected president for this year. 

My year as president

During my presidency, we will continue to highlight the importance of strong leadership for the veterinary sector and promote the evidence-based suite of certificates in veterinary leadership and management we recently launched as one way to achieve this. 

We will also focus on the ‘sharing’ element of our vision, bringing people together in order to share their experiences and learnings. It has been a difficult couple of years and, in many cases, we have learnt new things about ourselves and each other.

'Working in the veterinary industry offers a career spent with great people in a role where you feel you can really make a difference'

Reflecting on my career 

My career has been rewarding principally because it has given me the opportunity to work with many like-minded people, who value animal welfare and who also appreciate the teamwork, camaraderie and (sometimes) dark humour that helps us to cope with challenges and the more difficult aspects of our work. 

Nursing has changed in so many ways since I started out. It’s great that we now have the degree route and advanced diplomas to help people advance their careers, but I would like to see more postqualification accredited courses to enable nurses to develop further skills and autonomy. 

I believe we should certainly be investigating the human nurse model of grading and progression. While working conditions have improved, partly because of the impact of corporate groups and out-of-hours cover, salary levels and general benefits are not where they should be and support for flexible working can be a lucky dip. There is still much work to be done on this front.

Overall, though, there is no doubt that working in the veterinary industry offers a career spent with great people in a role where you feel you can really make a difference. Every day is different and continual learning is a natural part of this.