Samantha Posner RVN qualified in 1988, and has been a BVNA member ever since! Having initially volunteered in her local veterinary practice at a young age, veterinary nursing has become a life-long career. In this blog, Sam discussed her journey through the profession up to the current day.
“My name is Sam Posner and I wanted to give you an overview of my career in this wonderful job. I’ve been a BVNA member since I qualified.”
“I started at the age of 11 or 12 as a volunteer at my local vets in Canons Park, Edgware. I then volunteered at around 14/15 at Michael and Anthony Youngs in Ealing Broadway, they then took me on as a trainee at 16. It would take me on average around 2 hours plus to get to and from work – 2 buses, and lots of walking and waiting!
“Back in those days we didn’t have buster collars and one of my jobs was to take an iron poker and various plastic buckets into the kitchen, heat the poker on the stove, remove the bottom of the bucket and poke holes all around the bottom edge so they could be tied to dog collars. My main boss Anthony Young was an examiner with the RVC. I didn’t realise how lucky I was to work there until I went out to other practices. We had our own lab, a theatre with a huge trough sink, fully tiled and only the anaesthetic machines and op table were in this room, there were also huge glass swing doors. I think at the time my head nurse was a RANA. I was terrified of my boss at the time and used to try and hide from him as he would constantly fire questions at you – “List the palpable lymph nodes, what’s the difference between serum and plasma etc.”
“I went to Berkshire College of Agriculture for 3 months for my prelims, and 3 months the following year for my finals – it was the best time ever! We used to go out to other practices on a Friday and this is when I realised how lucky I was to be employed at the practice I was. One place still used ether to knock out their patients, most still boiled syringes and needles, and hygiene wasn’t what I was used to – but it was all very good experience. I remember doing my practicals at the Royal College in London and I was sitting with some other very nervous trainees outside a room. We could hear an examiner shouting at one of the candidates – so when it was my turn, I made a big fuss of her dog when I went in. It was the time when we were changing over from Fahrenheit to Celsius and I had learnt all my cat, dog, rabbit temperatures in Fahrenheit only. The examiner asked me to pick up the thermometer on the left but I could see it was the Celsius one – luckily I picked up the other one and she let me go with that one – phew!
“I qualified on 1/8/1988 and decided to take a job in a mixed animal practice in Gloucester where my college friend worked. I had been around cows, horses, sheep at petting zoos – and suddenly I felt I was in a James Herriot episode! I had no idea how to hold a horse still, or how to assist in a lambing in the carpark. When you were on call on the weekend you lived at the practice – the vets didn’t like to be called out, so suddenly I was doing stitch ups with the help of the client and many more things that I probably shouldn’t mention!
“I then moved back nearer home and got a job in a practice in Hemel Hempstead and lived above the practice. I would often have sick animals in the lounge attached to a drip. I met my husband in 1990 and decided it was time for a move again, so became the head nurse at Medivet Watford – there were only 5 Medivets at that time! I got married and started having children, so came back to work in various part time roles – night nurse etc. I worked there for 23 years, I also worked part-time as a Health Care Assistant in a hospital whilst still working as an RVN, because I wanted to see what human nursing was like. I got to watch some very cool operations and enjoyed it but my passion and love will always be animals.
“I worked briefly at a veterinary practice in Chesham – probably my rebound job after Medivet! I am now working at Hope Vets. Over the last 2 years I have transitioned to more of an admin role – I could do with a hoist to get me off the floor!”
Thank you to Sam for sharing your story, plus for both for your dedication to the VN profession and as a BVNA member throughout your career!
During BVNA’s 60th anniversary celebrations, we’d love to hear from our members past and present with their memories and reflections on how far the profession has come. Please feel free to share any stories and photos you would be happy for us to publish, to bvna@bvna.co.uk.