Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) Emily has taken part in our Q & A series to help shine a light on the exciting opportunities for vet nurses in the world of referral practice and share her experience since joining Fitzpatrick Referrals nursing team.
Job title: Rotational RVN
Team: Wards + Prep
Joined Fitzpatrick Referrals: 2022
What attracted you to a career in referrals and to apply to Fitzpatrick Referrals specifically?
Emily: I was attracted to a career in referral nursing because it gave me a lot more opportunities as a nurse and allowed me to develop my skills in certain areas of nursing, such as using the ultrasound machine to scan bladders and express them.
I applied to Fitzpatrick Referrals because I was interested in learning more about the orthopaedic and neurology cases seen here. I wanted to see the specialist surgery that I would not have otherwise seen working in a primary care vets.
Did you have any worries about working in referrals? Is it what you expected?
Emily: I was definitely apprehensive about working in a referral centre as I had only worked in a primary care vet hospital before starting at Fitzpatricks. The jump from primary care vets to referral nursing does seem big to start with and can be overwhelming. However, it is so worth it! As a referral nurse, you get to learn new skills and utilise them so much more, which makes you feel like a valued member of the team.
What support and mentorship did you receive when you joined Fitzpatrick Referrals?
Emily: During the first six months, I had a mentor and also a booklet to go through and sign off certain tasks. The mentor was there to support me and make sure I was happy with the tasks before signing them off to say I was competent in completing them. The mentors are great teachers, and I never felt like I was thrown in the deep end or left alone.
Tell us about your current role and what it involves
Emily: My current role as a rotational RVN involves working two weeks in prep and then two weeks in wards each month. In prep, I monitor sedations and anaesthetics. When doing a surgical case, it often involves taking a TPR (temperature, pulse and respiration) of the patient, getting a plan approved from the vets and anaesthetists, calculating and drawing up the drugs, placing IV catheters and giving the pre-medication drugs to the patient. Once the patient is anaesthetised, my job is to monitor the patient’s anaesthetic all the way through to recovery and then make a post-operative plan with the veterinary surgeon. I then hand over the patient to the wards nurse to carry on caring for the patient in recovery.
In wards, I get given my own ward for the week and look after all of the patients who have either undergone or are going to have surgery. It is my job to ensure the patients get all their treatments on time e.g. making sure IV catheters are patent, giving pain relief medications, icing wounds, scanning and expressing bladders and more!
I enjoy both aspects of my job and love the variation every two weeks!
Tell us a few things that you’ve gained since working at Fitzpatrick Referrals and your favourite aspect of your job
Emily: Since working at Fitzpatrick Referrals, I have gained a lot more knowledge and confidence, my skills have developed and I have seen a lot of interesting cases. One of my favourite parts of the job is caring for and seeing the patients recover after surgery, especially the spinal patients who regain movement in their hind legs and can walk again! It is very rewarding!
What makes you proud to work at Fitzpatrick Referrals?
Emily: I’m proud to work at Fitzpatrick Referrals because we have a lovely team who work together to give the best care possible to the animals that need it. Everyone is always happy to help each other and has a positive attitude at work. Plus, the sweet treats from our kind clients are a bonus too!
Any advice you’d like to give to veterinary nurses considering moving into referrals?
Emily: I would definitely recommend moving to referral nursing, I am so glad I did!
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