Alison Clare Hickman's Groups Activities

I need to rant!!

FINNIGAN — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:23:47 GMT

Hi all just need to rant!

im a 61 yr old vet nurse, 19 yrs experience, work full time, have 5 degrees in different subjects under my belt, im looking for new position due to new management bullying etc,

i have been to 3 interviews in the last month, having sent my cv that states my date of birth!

but all 3 interviews i have been asked how i think id manage the job due to my age!!!!

i have no issues regarding my work role, can still lift a 40 kg dog, I swim 4 times a week, walk my dog without a zimmer frame, go to the gym 3 days a week lifting 35 kg weights!

im getting peed off being asked this question!

im pretty sure they are not allowed to ask this, and why interview me if my age seems to be a problem, its on my cv??

im starting to think my nurse days are over, im so cross, i have plenty of experience and still a lot of years left in me, I could teach most of them a thing or to, i wont need time off for child care or maternity leave!

what is wrong with this world!

Street paws volunteering?

Rachael Yates — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 19:26:40 GMT

I’ve been wanting to volunteer with street vet/street paws since before I qualified. I reached out to street vet who told me street paws cover my area, however I’ve contacted street paws twice now to enquire but had no reply. Does anyone here volunteer with them or can advise on how to get in touch?

Can you suggest some job responsibilities for a reception-only nurse?

ANON 32 — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 10:03:14 GMT

Hi guys,

I‘m trying to come up with ideas for a reception only nurse but have only come up with insurances, pharmacy and pre/post op calls so far.

Any ideas to bulk up the job to justify a higher salary?

thanks

VetNurse Clinical Article Club

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 09:27:01 GMT

Becoming a Cat-friendly Clinic

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:22:32 GMT

Welcome to our first VetNurse Clinical Article Club discussion for 2023!

To anyone new to this, the idea is that every two weeks, we pick an article in Veterinary Practice and invite the author to join us here, so that you can ask any questions you may have, and discuss the subject with one another.

Each discussion will run for a week.

As a bonus, you can claim time spend reading or participating in the discussion towards your annual CPD requirement!

This week's article is Becoming a Cat-friendly Clinic, and I am delighted to welcome the author, shelly jefferies, a veterinary nurse with over 20 years experience and founder of svn2rvn, to join the discussion.

First you need to read Shelly's article here: https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/becoming-a-cat-friendly-clinic

Then come back and post any questions you have for her about creating a cat-friendly clinic.

And if you already run a cat-friendly clinic, share what you do to make things cat-friendly!

Our aim is for this discussion to be a useful reference for anyone trying to create a cat-friendly clinic in the future, so the more questions you ask and experiences you share, the better.

Fire away!

New club for vet nurses

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 15:58:03 GMT

After our trial last year, we're now launching the VetNurse Clinical Article Club in earnest!

For anyone new to this, it is a club where you are invited to read a (usually clinical) article published in Veterinary Practice, and then come here and discuss the article with the author and with each other, in particular asking the author any questions you might have, and discussing the implications of the article in practice with each other.

You can claim time spent on the discussion towards your annual CPD requirement ... just press the 'Claim CPD' button at the top of the discussion thread in due course.

We might add things like prizes for best questions etc, as the club grows.

First things first, come and join the new club (free) here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/vetnurse-clinical-article-club/

Our first discussion will start next Monday.

The article we'll be looking at is: Becoming a cat friendly clinic (https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/becoming-a-cat-friendly-clinic)

And I am delighted to say we'll be joined by shelly jefferies, to take your questions and discuss the topic.

Selena Carnell, Sal the 1st Alison Clare Hickman Olivia Coulton, Nick Shackleton , hope you'll all become inaugural members!

VetNurse Clinical Article Club

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 21:43:00 GMT

Happy Christmas

Sal the 1st — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 06:09:43 GMT

Just dropping by to wish everybody a happy Christmas and all the very best for 2023.

I don't drop by so often now. I haven't given up on nursing - I still work full time as a nurse but this last year I have allowed other aspects of my life to take up more of my time. Have to say for me my out of work activities have been a lifesaver.

My words of wisdom to all this year - your life is far more than the job, and the stiff upper lip is greatly over rated.

Have a good one folks

Is a collective letter to management ever a good idea?

Nicky Lawson — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:49:13 GMT

Like many other practices we have been short on vets and nurses for a while but the team effort has been for the most part really great. One of the things I love about my job is the team work

a shortage on nurses continues with many of us doing extra hours and days to continue helping out but we are close to burning out. Stress levels are high. At a staff meeting yesterday we were basically told we shouldn’t be complaining about a lack of nursing or reception staff, the number of nurses should be able to manage the ever increasing workload (like they did in the olden days) and basically to put up or shut up.
Not one good thing was said either about reception or nursing staff. No acknowledgment of works achieved.

we were even told that apparently we stand around for 3 hours a day doing nothing- untrue. The last time we had a few days allowing us to catch up and organise and improve certain areas was due to an O2 issue. Normally we are run off our feet swapping in and out of roles to try and maintain the flow- we are a team of flexible nurses

so the question is- would a collective letter from the nurses be regarded as highlighting the genuine concern of the nurses or should we all just look for other jobs?

Important VetNurse Announcement

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 16:04:31 GMT

I am absolutely delighted to tell you all that VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org have gone into partnership with Improve International in order to provide you all with more quality content and resources.

A little background. Over the years, I've had my bottom sniffed by a lot of different companies, and I've never really seen much value in joining forces.

The one partnership which really did seem to make sense to me, because of the benefits for members, is one between the leading training provider and the longest established communities.

With them focusing on developing quality content and us focussing on community and community content, I think it's a match made in heaven.

Plus it gives VetNurse and VetSurgeon access to a much bigger infrastructure, so it's no longer just me sitting at my desk.

In terms of the sites themselves, it is very much business as usual. I haven't sold the sites. They still belong to my company. They will still be moderated by yours truly. Nothing changes there.

But what we now have is far greater resources to start upping the production of good quality content which I hope you're going to find really useful.

There will be an official announcement in due course, but I thought I'd let forum users know first.

Any questions, thoughts or comments, speak freely!

What are the best and worst bits of vet practice for you?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 09:30:13 GMT

I'd like to copy a discussion we're having over on VetSurgeon and ask you what you think over here!

What are the best and worst bits of practice? What do you love and what do you really hate, and better yet, how do you solve it?

Even better, can you help others out with suggestions for mitigating their pet hates?

Post your thoughts below, and my plan then is to carry out a quantitative survey of your suggestions amongst the wider veterinary nursing community.

Incidentally, over on VetSurgeon, we have also just introduced a new policy of zero tolerance of any kind of bad manners or unkindness in the forums. It's been less of a problem over here, because it has been quieter over here, but nevertheless the policy will apply here too. I want to make a VetSurgeon and VetNurse a haven away from other social media, where you are guaranteed of a friendly reception, and now that we're working in partnership with Improve International, you'll have a source of authoritative information you can trust (unlike so much stuff posted elsewhere).

On which note, what are the best and worst bits, and what tips can you offer for coping with the worst bits?

(at the end, there will be a case of (good) champagne for the best tips for coping with the worst bits.

Free CPD

Jesse Bishop — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 04:06:18 GMT

Hi all!

I am in desperate need of some CPD preferable free or cheap!

Feeling totally demoralised

FINNIGAN — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 22:06:52 GMT

Been a vet nurse now 16yrs, am now hating the industry I work in, have spent this week trying to justify our profession, constant complaints from clients that we don't care about the animals we are just greedy bastards after their money, the last straw today when I was confronted by a client about charges for her pet, telling me I don't care about the animals just the money I'm taking from them!@ i worked my arse off as a single mum to get where I am today, pure sweat and tears, I loved my job and used to be proud of it, but I can honestly say I no longer feel the same, I'm not in control of the charges IVC are, I DONT SET THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT ITS US NURSES THAT are TAKING THE CALLS from these irate clients, no support from above , clients dint think twice about paying 4000 for a puppy but moan to death about the charge for a vaccine!! I'm tired of it, you see on Facebook posts constantly about vets and charges, saying we are all about the money, it's heart breaking, I don't want to do it anymore, I'm tired of taking the crap !!

Nurse Consult Room

apache — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 19:05:20 GMT

Ladies,

I'm in the process of building a nurse consult room. Plan was stalled by COVID but the roof joists are up so ready to roll in the next 6 weeks or so.

Currently, I'm setting it up the same as the vet rooms (table, chair, scales, cabinets). Not a massive room (3mx3m) but bigger than some.

Should be a nice light space.

Any tips or things you have done differently or wish you had done specifically for a nurse room?

Thanks in advance

Crisis in the veterinary profession

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 08:47:43 GMT

Wondering what everyone's take is on this news story:

https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/b/veterinary-nursing-news/posts/veterinary-crisis-hits-itv-news

Does it reflect what you are seeing elsewhere in the country?

Is OOH becoming unsustainable?

Anyone got any clever ideas for solutions, or ways the situation could be improved?

Alison Clare Hickman's Groups Activities

I need to rant!!

Street paws volunteering?

Can you suggest some job responsibilities for a reception-only nurse?

VetNurse Clinical Article Club

Becoming a Cat-friendly Clinic

New club for vet nurses

VetNurse Clinical Article Club

Happy Christmas

Is a collective letter to management ever a good idea?

** Important VetNurse Announcement **

What are the best and worst bits of vet practice for you?

Free CPD

Feeling totally demoralised

Nurse Consult Room

Crisis in the veterinary profession

Important VetNurse Announcement