Episode 15 - Two Week Takedown. It's Vet Nursing Awareness Month, so we've got some very special GUESTS on the show!

1.The GP hook

It’s Vet Nursing Awareness Month. We asked three brilliant RVNs—Jade, Elle and Alex—how UK practices can use nursing skills better, boost confidence and deliver kinder feline care. Here’s what to change on Monday.

It’s Vet Nursing Awareness Month — so we asked three brilliant RVNs (Jade, Elle and Alex) how UK practices can use nursing skills better, boost confidence and deliver kinder feline care. Here’s what to change on Monday.

You know the morning: two ops running late, phones buzzing, a fractious tom in reception and a student nurse with a helpful idea you don’t have headspace for. We’ve all been there — and, as our guests explain, we can do better quickly and cheaply. Across the interviews the themes repeat: use nurses every day (don’t wait for crisis), build psychological safety and make cat‑friendly care standard, not exceptional.

2.Recognise RVNs — then make space for them to work

Common trap

Waiting until things are manic before delegating. Instead, build nurse‑led tasks into calm parts of the day so skills stay current and confidence grows.

Practice move

• The public still underestimate the breadth of nursing work. In practice, that shows up as underused nurse clinics, missed opportunities for delegation and a perception that nurses “just hold animals.”
• Many RVNs support reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and protection of the RVN title so the public and employers better understand the role. Title protection and clearer regulation are seen as ways to improve recognition and formalise nurse scopes of practice — many nurses hope this will open up more routine, delegated responsibilities.
• Everyday visibility matters just as much as legal change: nurse‑led clinics, shared decision‑making and nurses talking to clients in their own right shift how teams and owners value nursing work.
• Map your weekly “always‑nurse” list: who routinely places IVs, runs standard clinics, preps and monitors, and which Schedule 3 closures are nurse‑led under vet direction. Put it in writing and review monthly.

3.Use the nursing skillset daily, not ad hoc

Practical prompt

• Skills like suturing, closures and agreed minor procedures need routine, supervision and feedback to stay sharp. If a nurse hasn’t closed for a year, restart under direct supervision and rebuild competence.
• Out‑of‑hours teams often model good teamwork: two people share the load, keep lines of communication open and focus on the next best step for the patient.
• Nurses often get superior post‑op feedback because they check wounds day‑to‑day — that makes them excellent at spotting what works, and what causes avoidable complications.
• Agree a short supervised learning plan for any nurse who wants to reclaim or extend a clinical skill (e.g. scheduled supervised closures twice a week for a month).

4.Culture, confidence and pastoral care are clinical issues

Monday‑morning move

• Confidence isn’t just bravado. Elle highlights how self‑esteem (sense of worth) and confidence (belief in abilities) can get tangled. Harsh cultures, blocked CPD and “only a nurse” messaging corrode both.
• Psychological safety — a flat hierarchy where people can say “I’ve got a thought” — improves patient care because it encourages advocacy and shared problem‑solving.
• Coaching and peer support give structure when self‑doubt hits. Sometimes signposting to affordable coaching or peer groups is the right next step.
• Open your daily huddle with one nurse‑led improvement question. Example prompts: “What simple feline stress reducer can we trial this week?” or “Which nurse clinic could we pilot this month?”

5.Cat‑friendly care without new walls

Owner line to try

Clinical pearl (clearer)

• You don’t need a separate cat ward to make a massive difference. Small environmental and handling changes reduce stress and improve the quality of exams and procedures.
• Carrier training isn’t a niche: encourage owners to keep the carrier out as a resting spot at home so it isn’t only associated with vet visits. Alex recommends resources and short video guidance (see useful links).
• Don’t rush cats. Passing tasks such as blood sampling, blood pressure or comfort checks to nursing teams can reduce time‑pressure in consult rooms and improve feline handling.
• Anxiolytics have a place but don’t replace respectful handling and environmental adjustments.
• “Can you leave the carrier out this week with a soft blanket and a few treats? If it becomes a normal nap spot, travel day is much easier.”
• Give each cat a hide plus a visual shield over the kennel front (for example, tuck a towel over the front so the cat has a visual retreat). It’s low‑cost, quick and often calms ward behaviour noticeably.

6.Nurse‑led clinics that work — for patients, clients and the business

Admission prompt

• Diabetic, weight, blood‑pressure and senior‑cat clinics suit nursing leadership: they run well with agreed protocols and clear escalation paths.
• Charge for nursing time. Professional nursing work has value; a simple service proposal showing patient benefit and clinic income often secures managerial buy‑in.
• Protected 1:1s surface nurse interests (anaesthesia, nutrition, physiotherapy) and help align rotas and CPD to service goals.
• Protect breaks. An uninterrupted lunch break is a right; emergencies are exceptions, not a standing policy.

7.Career paths beyond a single ladder

• Nursing careers aren’t one linear ladder. RVNs now work in GP, referral, education, leadership, CPD, research, industry, charity, locum/mobile roles and social media.
• It’s OK to change direction: moving out of clinical practice doesn’t stop someone being a nurse. Many nurses now hold higher degrees and senior leadership roles.
• Get curious — go to conferences, network and look at how others have translated nursing skills into different careers. Consider professional bodies (BVNA) and local networks if you want to shape the future.

8.Systems and research to back

What this looks like on the floor

Useful links

• Reform discussions include title protection and broader defined roles for nurses; many RVNs also want clearer frameworks around prescribing and anaesthesia responsibilities.
• Return‑to‑work support after career breaks matters: structured refreshers and staged supervision rebuild competence and retain skilled staff.
• Nurses can and should be research partners — practice‑based projects improve everyday care and there are funding routes that support clinician‑led research.
• A dog presented non‑ambulatory on all limbs and owners were considering euthanasia due to cost. A nurse suggested ANNPE as a possible diagnosis and a conservative plan (cage rest, analgesia, owner‑led physio). Two weeks later the dog was walking on all four limbs. Team listening changed the outcome.
• During emergency C‑sections, the vet may be the visible hero, but nurses ventilate, warm and stimulate neonates — those hands and decisions matter hugely.
• International Cat Care — icatcare.org (cat‑friendly clinic resources and owner materials; iCatCare’s YouTube channel has carrier‑training videos).
• British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) — bvna.org.uk (BVNA runs events, CPD and Council opportunities).
• PetSavers (BSAVA) — petsavers.org.uk (funding for veterinary professional and practice‑based research projects).
• Veterinary Woman — search “Veterinary Woman” online for resources and events supporting women in the veterinary professions.

9.Take‑home points

Last word

If you want cats calmer, teams kinder and days smoother, start by asking your nurses what they’re ready to lead — and back them to lead it.

• Build nurse‑led work into routine days, not just crises.
• Psychological safety is how better plans emerge — flatten hierarchies and listen.
• Cat‑friendly wins are low cost: hide, cover, calm and carrier chats.
• Charge for skilled nursing time and present clear service plans to management.
• Title protection and Act reform are widely supported as routes to recognition; everyday visibility of RVNs is equally important.
• Careers don’t have to be linear — nursing identity travels with you.