Specialised Theatre Nurse Emma is the perfect example of the saying ‘if you want something done, ask a busy person’.
Emma joined Animal Trust Shrewsbury in February 2022, and in addition to her ‘day job’, she is also currently serving as the Regional Chair and council representative for Cymru/Wales region for the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA). This is a phenomenal achievement because she’s the first RVN to hold this position. “I’ve been a committee member since 2013, doing various roles such as committee Treasurer and working with the membership development committee. Right from the start one of my main objectives was for nurses to have the same voting rights as vets, and in 2019 I was part of a committee to set up a group across the association to campaign for this. As a result, from April 2020 nurses were given the right to vote – something I’m really proud of, along with being Chair of course!”
“As the Committee Chair, I hope to inspire and empower nurses to join the Association and illustrate what opportunities are available. The role of Chair is a three-year position but I’m already thinking about what I can do next – I’d like to become the BSAVA President in the future,” she added.
Through the BSAVA, some golden opportunities have come Emma’s way. She was asked to be the new editor of the 2nd Edition Pocketbook for Veterinary Nurses – the go-to reference manual for all RVNs – and more recently as a contributor on the infection control chapter for the new BSAVA Advanced Veterinary Nurse manual.
“I was incredibly proud to develop the work of Louise O’Dwyer, the previous pocketbook editor, who sadly died in 2019. She was one of my vet nurse inspirations,” said Emma.
She’s also a regular contributor to the Vet Nurse Times, having written for them for the past 12 years. Over the years, Emma has written articles on topics including practice marketing, infection control, parasites, endocrinology and senior pet health. The most recent was heart diseases and the VN’s role in patient management which was published in February 2022. The next instalment is “Anaesthesia: what VNs need to know”.
Emma absolutely loves her role at Animal Trust. “I like to keep learning, and I definitely get the chance to do that here – I’m really enjoying what I do,” she said. “The opportunities for nurse-led care at Animal Trust are really exciting – they weren’t readily available in other practices I’ve worked at. We’re also lucky to work with amazing vets who want to utilise the nurses’ skills, which is fantastic to see. Nurses have a real opportunity at Animal Trust to progress and develop their skills – my advice is to seize every opportunity and make the most of it. It’s good for you as individuals and it’s good for Animal Trust,” she added.
