An experienced RVN with a career spanning more than two decades, Alison has navigated leadership, ethics, and advanced clinical practice, always guided by a strong pull back to hands-on patient care. From head nurse and ethical review work to specialising in anaesthesia and analgesia, her career decisions have been driven by curiosity, integrity, and a determination to stay close to the clinical work she finds most fulfilling.
Please give a brief summary of your career path so far:
I became an RVN in 2001 and worked as head Vet Nurse at a busy small animal hospital in Suffolk for 20 years. During this time, I completed the RVC graduate diploma in advanced nursing. I had always enjoyed anaesthesia nursing and was given the chance to spend some time shadowing a human anaesthetist at a private hospital. Around this time, I was selected to be the first RVN member of the newly formed RCVS Ethical review panel. Being part of this panel was interesting and allowed me to explore the ethical issues surrounding research in our profession. My head nurse role evolved into a predominantly office-based role as the company grew and inevitably sold to a large corporate organisation. I found that I was missing the clinical side of nursing so I took an opportunity to work as lead anaesthesia and ophthalmology nurse in a first opinion and referral practice 5 years ago. My practice supports my passion for anaesthesia and encouraged me to undertake an MSc in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia via Edinburgh university, from which I graduated earlier this year. I am particularly interested in brachycephalic anaesthesia nursing and the challenges that come with this.
What is it about your work that enthuses you and brings you satisfaction?
I get satisfaction from supporting debilitated patients undergoing anaesthesia. Cases that are marked as potentially having a challenging anaesthetic are those that particularly interest me. There is so much troubleshooting to do when working in anaesthesia and we have to be flexible in our approach to care when things can change quite suddenly for our patients. I would also add that there is a huge amount of satisfaction in caring for cataract surgery patients, particularly when they are discharged and their happiness is evident when they have regained vision and are able to see their family again!
What is the biggest challenge to staying passionate in your veterinary career you’ve overcome, and how did you approach it?
Nurse management was rewarding for a long time, but the role eventually evolved to one where I was office and admin-bound and found myself feeling demotivated by the vast amount of HR work that was my responsibility, rarely being involved in patient care. I still felt loyal to the company I had worked for since leaving school, so I avoided addressing my uneasiness out of fear of letting others down. Once the company was sold to a corporate organisation, I realised this was the ideal opportunity to move on and find a role that could reignite my passion for nursing.
The move from office-based management back into a purely clinical role in a brand new environment was daunting. It took some soul-searching to take the leap; I was concerned that I had de-skilled in the time that I was away from the floor. With the support of my peers and family, I took the plunge into a role that refocused on anaesthesia nursing and I’m so glad that I did. After a brief hectic period of change, it was exhilarating being back in the thick of it and feeling like I was making a real difference to patient outcomes.
What advice can you share with others embarking on similar paths about finding fulfilment in their veterinary career?
While it tends to be a good idea to have something of a career plan, I would recommend allowing yourself some flexibility here to accept that the path you are heading down might not be straightforward. You could find it steers you down some new avenues that are worth your time to explore before you plough ahead. If you find yourself in a role that is not fulfilling, take a step back and evaluate what it is that you really enjoy doing and be honest about your strengths and what you want to learn and develop further. Sometimes gaining some work experience in different roles (even in other professions) can give you an insight into what you might want to aim for in the future. Everyone has a right to feel happy, respected and valued at work so look for the people who help make this happen in your work. Speak up for yourself and don’t lose sight of your goals when you hit a bump in the road. Sometimes these tricky moments allow us to re-evaluate what we really want from our careers and re-focus.
What best sums up your approach to keeping yourself and your team motivated and engaged within veterinary careers?
I love helping veterinary nurses to find the area of their role they are passionate about. Encouraging peers to gain additional qualifications brings a higher level of expertise to their role. Everyone on the team then benefits from their knowledge and confidence. Giving everyone an opportunity to be heard when discussing their professional goals is very important. Obviously, we wish to feel valued in our place of work and this should not only be reflected by our salary. Being acknowledged for doing good work, being given time and space to develop professionally and feeling included and respected helps keep people engaged in their career.
“Everyone has a right to feel happy, respected and valued at work so look for the people who help make this happen in your work.”
What do you feel would most benefit job satisfaction in the veterinary professions, and how could we work towards implementing this?
I hope that normalising and encouraging a healthy work-life balance is still something we are heading for in this industry. There are still people joining the profession only to subsequently leave because they feel that this is not achievable for them. Our daily careers should include: feeling supported in work and being part of a team where a positive, inclusive, diverse and fair culture is established, where we have open, honest communication, where we have fair compensation and benefits; where we learn new skills and thrive in our roles; where our physical and mental health are respected and supported and we feel included and taken seriously, no matter what our background.
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