Dear Reader

My name is Jack Pye and I joined Council in 2019. I was inspired to become a Council member after meeting Jo Hinde and speaking to people on the BVNA stand at the London Vet Show. I realised very early on that male representation in the vet nursing profession is low and I wanted to raise that profile; being a BVNA Council Member has meant I can do that. I know I can’t change the world in my 3-year tenure, but it is good to have input in encouraging males into the profession. I wasn’t fazed by being the only male on my VN course but I guess others may feel intimidated by working with so many females. We also need to address the stereotyping of the public who assume vet nurses are female and if you are a male, you are training to be a vet. Even though I introduce myself as a nurse, I still get asked when I am going to qualify as a vet. The BVNA is part of the ‘Equality and Diversity working group’ and it is great to have input into that to widen access to everyone who wants to be a vet nurse. I’m part of BVLGBT who support and represent LGBT members of the veterinary profession and I was selected as one of their role models for their History month.

I’ve been part of the BVA ‘Under our care’ working group during 2020 in response to the RCVS review. This was a really interesting experience as it considered continuity of care and also evaluated the use of emerging technology to support animal health and welfare.

I’m about half-way through my time on Council and my objectives have changed a little bit due to personal circumstances. At the end of last year, I suffered ‘burnout’, where I became withdrawn, and lost my passion for vet nursing, which is something I never dreamt I would ever feel. My practice offered me time off but I refused as I felt sitting at home with nothing to do would make me feel worse. However, a couple of weeks later, I had to go into self-isolation due to contact with a COVID positive person and I think this was the world’s way of saying I needed to take time out.

It was during isolation that I wrote a piece for my social media about how I was feeling, this was particularly difficult as it made it real. The post received a lot of positive feedback and it was amazing to see how many other people are feeling the same. I think COVID has highlighted the need for more mental health support and awareness and it is something I am keen to be a part of.

Since qualifying in 2018, I have moved practices and now work in a busy small animal hospital. I work evenings and nights which gives me time to follow my other interests and gives me a much better work-life balance. I am currently working towards my VetsNow ECC award but one main area of interest for me is ultrasound. I attended a course ‘Ultrasound for Emergencies’ in 2019 which gave me practical skills for using ultrasound in triage trauma and tracking. I think this is an area of practice where nurses can become a real asset for the veterinary team. We can’t diagnose what we see, but we can record images, take measurements and show them to the VS, saving them time in the differential diagnosis workup. This interest has led to me talking at BVNA Congress 2021 and being involved in CPD webinars for nurses.

There are three main things that tell you everything you need to know about me; 1. I was English Masters Champion at Indoor Bowls in 2018. I got into it when I was about 10 years old due to a family friend and it has meant that I am able to talk to the mature clients really well. What people don’t know about bowls is that it is a game of strategy as well as a fabulous social event. 2. I love tortoises. I help out at a rehabilitation centre and have ended up with 28 of them. 3. As part of my work-life balance, I love spending time with my niece who had several heart operations when she was very young. She has inspired me to train for the Edinburgh marathon where I will be running for Great Ormond Street Hospital as a ‘thank you’ for how they have helped her and all the amazing work they do.

I’ve really enjoyed my time on Council and am looking forward to the next year. My nursing career is taking paths that I never dreamt of when I first qualified and I would encourage anyone to ‘go with the flow’ and see where it takes you. More importantly, reflect on your mental health and take steps to get the support you need, if you won’t do it for yourself; do it for your team and your patients.

The BVNA Council are here to represent you, if you have any questions or want to get in touch, please contact me or any Council Member at Council@BVNA.co.uk

Author

Jack Pye

Council member © jackpyervn@gmail.com DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2021.1935477

VOL 36 • July 2021 • Veterinary Nursing Journal