1. What’s your role at Southpaws, and what does a typical day look like for you?

I’m the Lead Anaesthesia Nurse at Southpaws. On a typical day, I will anaesthetise various patients for surgery or imaging. I can be seen supporting our younger nursing team with their own anaesthetics and teaching vet students.

2. What do you love most about being a veterinary nurse?

I love providing gold standard care to our lovely patients. I love seeing our sad, sick and broken patients go home whole, happy and healthy after their stay with us.

3. What drew you to working in a specialty/emergency hospital?

It was the next logical step for me. I’ve been nursing for 22 years now, starting in general practice and moving into emergency. After having a child, I decided I didn’t want to do shift work anymore, so after looking for a new job for quite a while, I just fell into a role in anaesthesia – and that was it for me, I absolutely fell in love with the discipline and knew I would never do anything else.

4. What’s something about your role that people might not realise?

That every anaesthetic is tailored specifically to the patient.

5. What part of patient care are you most passionate about?

Fear free handling. Keeping patients stress free should be at the heart of every veterinary practice. It makes our jobs that much easier, and the patient journey so much nicer.

6. How do you help make the hospital experience better for both patients and their owners?

As stated above, fear free handling. A client knows when their pet has had a positive experience at the vet.

7. What’s your approach when caring for nervous or critical patients?

For nervous patients – fear free again! Can you tell I love fear free handling? This can include sedation and pain relief as well. A painful patient will often lash out, but if you control their pain appropriately, they tend to settle.

For critical patients, always be prepared. You know the old saying, “Fail to prepare and prepare to fail”.

8. What do you enjoy most about working alongside vets and the wider team?

I love our team. We all get along so well and are always ready to have a laugh. Our surgeons are all a delight to work with. There’s no huge egos in the building and for that I’m grateful.

9. What’s a case that’s stayed with you (for a good reason)?

So many. Who doesn’t love a good success story? I do love our frequent flyers, the patients that come in weekly for bandage changes or repeated procedures who we are able to make real connections with.

10. What’s one skill you’ve developed that you’re really proud of?

I do enjoy a good arterial line placement, and flexing my skills at loco-regional anaesthesia.

11. What do you think makes a great veterinary nurse?

My compassion.

12. What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Teaching the other nurses new skills and seeing them thrive.

13. When you’re not at work, how do you switch off and recharge?

Getting cosy on the couch with a good movie, some good food and a G&T.

14. Coffee order (or go-to snack) on a busy shift?

Whatever is available! I will eat or drink pretty much anything!

⚡ Quick Fire Round

  • Dogs or cats? BOTH!
  • ECC chaos or steady ward day? No ECC for me, but surgery chaos? 100%
  • Favourite part of the shift: admissions, anaesthesia, or inpatient care? Anaesthesia, obviously!
  • Sweet or savoury snacks? Both!!
  • Dream patient (breed or species)? I have recently decided I want a Corgi! Hahaha!
  • One word to describe nursing? Brave.