The month of May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, and though we celebrate the great work that our team of passionate and dedicated Veterinary Nurses do for The Mayhew every single day, we are proud to shine the spotlight on them even more this month to highlight this important profession.

Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month pays special recognition to the Veterinary Nurse profession and helps to spread the word about the importance of the role of the veterinary nurse in practice and the provision of responsible pet care to the general public. Our team of Vet Nurses play a key and varied part in helping the hundreds of neglected and abandoned animals that come through our doors every year, so we want to celebrate their significant contribution this month.

We spoke to our Deputy Head Vet Nurse Charlotte and Senior Vet Nurse Kelly about why they chose a career in Vet Nursing at The Mayhew.

Charlotte, Deputy Head Vet Nurse

Charlotte our Deputy Head Vet Nurse has been at The Mayhew for 6 months.

Why did you choose to work at The Mayhew?
“I’d previously spent three years training at The Mayhew as part of my degree, so when the opportunity of Deputy Head Vet Nurse came up, I knew it would be a great place to work and a supportive place to learn new skills. I knew that I wanted to stay working for a charity.”

Where did you study to train to become a vet nurse?
“I took the degree route into vet nursing and studied for four years at Middlesex University, where I would spend alternate terms studying at University and learning on a placement here at The Mayhew.”

What have you learnt whilst working here?
“I’ve learnt everything I know about vet nursing at The Mayhew, as I trained here for my degree! Even when you finish training, you’re still learning though and the great thing about The Mayhew is we don’t just neuter animals, but we also care and give treatment to our in-house animals so you often see a lot of different types of cases.”

What do you enjoy most about working at The Mayhew?
“We’re a relatively small team, so I’ve got to know everyone well and we also have the chance to work closely with the other departments, including our Animal Welfare Officers, Kennels and Cattery teams.
I’ve also just started my clinical coaching, which is fantastic as it gives me the chance to pass on the skills I was taught here during my degree to vet nursing students studying with us.”

Kelly our Senior Vet Nurse has been with The Mayhew for two and a half years.

Kelly David, Senior Vet Nurse

Why did you choose to work at The Mayhew?
“I wanted to do something different, as I was previously working for a private practice and had never worked for a charity before. I really like The Mayhew’s charity ethos and wanted to be able to help animals in need.”

Where did you study to train to become a vet nurse?
“I completed a two-year course at Hadlow College where I would spend one day studying at the college and the rest of the week working on placement.”

What have you learnt whilst working here?
“I’ve learnt a lot about working in animal welfare and the importance of being non-judgemental in our work. We are here to help animals and prevent suffering, so no matter what the problem is we do not judge.

Kelly David, Senior Vet Nurse, with a kitten

I’ve also learnt a lot about myself, as this is the first time I’ve had a role where I’ve had to learn how to organise and manage a team. I have also spent some time in India as part of Mayhew International with our Head Vet Dr. Ursula, which was amazing as I had the opportunity to teach people vet nursing skills, including giving and monitoring the anaesthetic.”

What do you enjoy most about working for The Mayhew?
“We have a really good team in our Vet Clinic and have a great work ethic and everyone has the same ethos which is to do our very best for the welfare of the animals we see.
The Mayhew as a whole is a great place to work and it’s so rewarding when you see an animal you’ve been caring for and giving treatment to over a long period get better and find their forever home. It’s an amazing feeling to know that you’ve helped them get better, and though it’s sad to say goodbye to them, it’s fantastic watching them get adopted by a loving family.”

Gillian Rich Head Vet Nurse checking on a patient

Our Nurses are an integral part of our Vet Team as they make sure our animals receive the highest quality of care, and are responsible for the welfare, comfort and recovery of our animals who may have undergone surgery or are receiving medical treatment.

Our highly skilled Vet Nurses really help to make a difference to the welfare of our animals that come into us daily. They not only provide round-the-clock care for our animals, but give medical treatment, carry out minor surgery, monitor during anaesthesia, prepare animals for surgery, take X-rays and carry out diagnostic tests and advise owners on the health and welfare of their pets. Our Vet Nurses also run weekly Vet Nurse Clinics, which provide general health examinations, weight checks and dietary advice, dental and nail clipping. Find out more about our Vet Nurse Clinics here.

Alongside their practical and medical roles, our Vet Nurses also play an emotional role, by providing a loving hand to help make the pet’s pain go away and giving reassurance to worried owners.

Our Vet Nurses have a crucial role alongside our Vets on Mayhew International’s overseas programmes. In countries where resources are limited, how the animal is looked after before and after surgery can be a question of life or death. They give animals care before, during and after surgery. They also work with Vet Assistants, Vet Technicians, and Dog Handlers showing them pre and post-operative care, good cleaning techniques and gentle restraining and handling, which is all vital for good animal welfare and for ensuring the survival of animals.

Being a Vet Nurse can be a challenging role involving a lot of hard work, however it is an extremely rewarding profession, which is such an important part of the overall Vet Team.

At the moment we are looking to recruit two highly motivated Registered Veterinary Nurses to join our fast-paced, small animal Community Veterinary Clinic. Watch our video below for an insight into working as a Vet Nurse with us, and you can find out more about the role here.