John qualified in 2004 and worked at Castle Vets in Reading for 17 years. From 2011 he also ran a dermatology clinic at the practice and completed the BSAVA Merit Award in Dermatology. He has had several articles published in different journals around the subject of dermatology nursing, and has lectured at events such as at London Vet Show, BSAVA and BVNA. John left practice in 2018 to become group manager of the Veterinary Nursing Dermatology Group (VNDG) and works for the group’s sponsor Vetruus. For further information, visit www.vetnursedermgroup.co.uk ..read more

VN Happy Hour saw a lively discussion around the theme of “Protect the title”, during which our panel explained 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. If you’d ..read more

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 kee ..read more

This month, former VN Times editor Holly Kernot speaks to Flick Caldwell, who, in the August 2019 issue of the magazine, shared her experience of working as an RVN, despite suffering with a condition that causes chronic pain. Here, Flick talks more about her condition and the symptoms that affect her everyday life, and how she copes, as well as how she hopes to help and support other VNs suffering with disabilities. Despite being in constant chronic pain due to a rare hereditary disability, RVN Flick Caldwell refuses to let it get in the way of her career, or her plans for the future. In “Th ..read more

More than two-thirds of people experience the impostor phenomenon at some point in their lives – so how can they overcome this oft-debilitating emotional experience? Step forward Kate Atkin – who will explore the concept in her keynote lecture at BVNA Congress and offer tips on how to manage it. Ahead of congress, Kate discusses how she discovered the phenomenon while studying for a master’s in applied positive psychology, her experiences with the “impostor chatter”, and how VNs can tackle it in practice ..read more

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 kee ..read more

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 ..read more

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 featured 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 were VMG senior vice-president and WSAVA executive director Rich Casey, and financial adv ..read more

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. 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 ..read more

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. Alex Taylor RVN, C&G, CertSAN, ISFMDipFN, ISFM A ..read more