An interview with BVNA President Alexandra Taylor RVN C&G CertSAN ISFMDipFN & AdvCertFB
Alex qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1997 and has a special interest in feline nursing. She has completed the ISFM feline nursing certificate, diploma and advanced certificate in feline behaviour, and is currently studying towards gaining her advanced diploma in applied animal behaviour (feline). As well as working as a locum RVN and running her own company The Cat Nurse, where she offers CPD about feline nursing and behaviour, she also works as the Cat Advocacy Project Manager for International Cat Care.
Special interests include feline friendly nursing, feline behaviour and stress related diseases in feline patients. Alex has been a BVNA Council Member since October 2018 where she is currently the President. Alex is also a member of the ISFM Feline Wellbeing Panel.
What are you looking forward to most about BVNA Congress 2022?
That’s a difficult one as there is so much to look forward to this year! For me personally I think it will be the awards ceremony at the gala dinner. Giving awards to other veterinary nurses really makes my heart sing. It’s so lovely to recognise and celebrate the hard work of other veterinary nurses and the BVNA awards are very special. The fact that this year’s gala dinner fancy dress theme is ‘feline fine and fabulous’ really makes me smile and I can’t wait to see everyone’s outfits!
Which sessions in the Scientific Programme are you particularly anticipating this year?
This year’s scientific programme is jam packed – there is something for everyone. I am obviously a bit biased towards feline nursing and behaviour and we have streams for both of those, but there are so many fantastic speakers this year it will be hard to choose. Having said that, I like to try and attend non-clinical lectures when I can, so the resilience and leadership streams really appeal to me this year. There are also some great workshops on wound management, quality improvement, SVN wellbeing and creating a feline blood drive to name a few.
Can you tell us more about some of the fringe events that will be running alongside the scientific programme?
The fringe events are really important as they give delegates the chance to have their say about important topics that are relevant to the veterinary nursing profession. We have two VN Futures fringe events centred around the School Ambassadors’ Scheme and supporting newly qualified nurses, as well as a discussion panel session about brachycephalic animals from the Animal Welfare Foundation, and a career challenge event provided by Linnaeus. We are also hoping to hold a discussion panel event in the hub to talk to delegates about protection of the title ‘veterinary nurse’, which I am very much looking forward to.
How can delegates make the most of the CPD streams on offer?
I would advise delegates to pick a few non-negotiable sessions, but also attend a few on topics that you are not naturally drawn towards – you might be surprised! I am going to try and attend a few wildlife, zoo and exotics lectures this year because it is a subject I know little about and the quality of speakers we have in this stream is superb!
Don’t forget that lectures can be watched up to six months after the event too, which is helpful for those who want to watch more online.
“Sometimes veterinary nurses are so caring of others that they don’t apply that same care to their own lives, and I think that needs to change.”
How have you developed the theme of building resilience during your presidency at BVNA?
Sometimes veterinary nurses are so caring of others that they don’t apply that same care to their own lives, and I think that needs to change. Over the last year we have worked with RCVS MMI and VetLed as part of VN Futures to support and facilitate discussion forums, the ‘Safe To Speak Up’ campaign, civility training and think tank sessions.
After the success of the chronic illness campaign and toolkit, we are now looking at producing a pay toolkit and student toolkit for our members, which I am sure they will find valuable.
Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) was also a huge success this year. The hashtag was #OurProfessionMyResilience and we started by asking vet nurses to send us in photos of themselves at work, but then also demonstrating what they did outside of work to wind down or build their own resilience. We had some excellent examples of this including exercise, mediation, enjoying nature, art and reading, but my favourite was one of our BVNA Regional Representatives who does historical re-enactment!
We also provided four webinars throughout VNAM which were focused on resilience, widening participation and diversification of the veterinary nursing profession.
Over VNAM we ran two competitions to encourage vet nurses to showcase what they do in practice – we had a video competition and alternative media competition – brilliant entries and I felt so proud to see how bright veterinary nurses shone in these and how dedicated they are to their patients and the profession – it brought a little tear to my eye!
I also want to mention our VN Futures Inclusivity & Widening Participation (DIWP)Working Group as I think this fits in with resilience too – chaired by BVNA Senior Vice President Jo Oakden, the group ran a role models campaign over June this year, where we asked people from a variety of backgrounds to talk about their own careers, lives and why they feel diversity and inclusivity is so important. We asked the role models to share their journey, any challenges they faced and how they were overcome.
Why do you feel this work is so important, for you and for the profession?
I think volunteering my time as a BVNA Council member has made me realise just how hard lots of people are working behind the scenes to create positive change for the veterinary nursing profession. I am a big believer in ‘if you want to see change, be part of that change’. The BVNA Council Members and staff all work incredibly hard to make the future brighter for veterinary nurses. We are the voice of the veterinary nursing profession and trust me, we are there representing veterinary nurses to make sure we are heard when it counts, and that really matters.
How did you decide to start The Cat Nurse, and was it daunting starting your own business?
Originally ‘The Cat Nurse’ was started on social media to inform others of what I have been up to and to educate cat caregivers (owners, veterinary professionals, breeders, etc.) about feline health and welfare. I never expected it to take off quite as much as it did! It was quite daunting at first because I was being asked to speak at lots of different events and provide in-house training on cat-friendly nursing, but I did it and absolutely loved it – talking about cats is my all-time favourite thing to do! The pandemic did hit me quite hard, but luckily, I am starting to get lots of requests to speak again and I would love to one day write a book about feline nursing.
What most excites you about your work?
This is a tricky one because I wear so many hats and have recently started a new part-time job working for International Cat Care. I would say that making any sort of impact is exciting and rewarding, be that as the BVNA President, The Cat Nurse or Cat Advocacy Project Manager at International Cat Care. When people email or message me to say that something I have done has had a positive change on their life or to the welfare of their patients, that means a lot to me.
What career challenges have you learned the most from?
I have been a veterinary nurse for 25 years and had various challenges over the years. I think anything that helps you grow as a person is good, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of your health. Having suffered from endometriosis for many years I think that it is important to notice when you are not doing well physically or mentally and rest when you need be kind to yourself, especially when times are hard.
Finally, what is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Never let anyone dull your sparkle!
Find out more about BVNA Congress 2022
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