Read Amy Peat’s story below of her journey to becoming a Lead Surgical Nurse;

“For as long as I can remember, animals have been my passion. As a child, if I wasn’t playing with my animal hospital play set, laying down on the floor cuddling or playing with our dog, I was out riding horses and spending time at the yard, or in the garden making houses for honey bees. I never knew what I wanted to do or what industry I wanted to work in but I knew it was with animals. Who would have thought that by the age of 27 years old I would have been qualified for 5 years as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), have an Advanced Certificate in Anaesthesia and Analgesia, and be a Lead Surgical Nurse.

The beginning of the journey

This journey began at 15 when my secondary school told us we had to complete a week of work experience. In my mind I was going to go and work with my dad at the cement factory but my mum managed to get me a placement at our local veterinary surgery where we took our own animals. I spent a week with people that I knew well, I spent time consults with the veterinary surgeons (VS), working with the kennel nurses, watching operations and working alongside the RVNs on their daily duties. Although I enjoyed every moment, I did not want to be an RVN and definitely didn’t think that I was clever enough to become a VS. Once my week ended, I got asked if I would like to stay on and volunteer as a kennel nurse after school. I got to know the staff, enjoyed working with the animals and on my 16^th birthday I received a phone call offering me an after school and weekend job, which I immediately said yes to. I worked in my first practice for 8 years where I started as a kennel assistant. I then moved onto reception part time, then full time, and after a few years became a reception supervisor. Throughout these 8 years I completed my GCSE’s, AS levels, A levels and an FdSc in Applied Animal Behavioral Science and Welfare and whilst still working there full time, ran my own business of pet sitting and dog walking.

Moving up the ladder

8 years was a long time and this team became family but I felt like something was missing. One day I was talking to a colleague who told me that a local practice was looking for a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) with the chance to go onto college to train as an RVN. I thought at this stage that I was too old to start a new career and go back to college. I was 23 years old but after a long discussion with my partner and parents and a long hard think about what path I wanted to take, I made the jump. I interviewed and got the job as a rotating PCA which meant I travelled between different practices and one of which was a 24 hour hospital. I enjoyed every moment, I learnt so much from the team, and after 6 months I was offered a permanent position at the 24 hour hospital where I stayed until May 2020 carrying out my studies. I learnt a lot especially being in a 24 hour practice that saw a multitude of cases, which in my eyes helped mould me into the RVN I am today.

I was supposed to sit my practical exams in March 2020, but the whole world came to a halt and they were cancelled the day before I was supposed to travel. I was devastated that all of the hard work and everything I had worked towards was taken from underneath me. All I wanted was to finally wear my greens with pride.

In May 2020 I moved to a small practice which was very different to what I was used to. The clients were wonderful, the team was small but like a family and the patients were just the loveliest. I got to work with a lot of exotics, from snapping turtles, to pet foxes, to aggressive pythons. I finally was able to sit my practicals but using a portfolio and by October 2020 I had finally qualified and I was absolutely over the moon.

Making the move to referral work

One day a friend of mine mentioned about referral work; it had never even crossed my mind, let alone think I was good enough. But again, I made the leap and in May 2021 I moved to a referral practice and it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

At first, I felt like I knew nothing, a little like imposter syndrome. Everyone there knew exactly what they were doing and I felt like I was a brand new PCA again who was way out of her depth. But the team never once made me feel like I was unworthy of being there. Within this practice anybody who has been qualified for under 1 year had to complete a post registration programme which aids RVNs in transforming into referral nurses and gaining experience in tasks that we may never have done before. Working here helped me gain confidence and made me completely fall in love with anaesthesia. Within the programme I had to do things I had never done before, I used ventilators, which at first were so incredibly overwhelming and I felt like my head may explode from all the information I was given. But the anaesthetists and surgical nurses took me under their wing and took me through everything step by step. After a year I had completed the programme and was a fully fledged referral nurse.

Becoming a Lead Surgical Nurse

In September 2022 I moved to another practice to work alongside one surgeon who wanted a veterinary nurse who had worked in referral or had experience with orthopaedics, imaging, spinal surgery and emergency surgery. Almost 3 years later I am still working at this practice and I am their Lead Surgical Nurse. In October 2024 I passed my Advanced Certificate in Anaesthesia and Analgesia and I am hoping to now complete my PgCert in Emergency and Critical Care.

In my spare time when I am not nursing, I am now working alongside a friend at his zoo ensuring that he has the help and guidance alongside his VS that he needs. I have had the opportunity to work with Maned wolves, meerkats, otters, marmoset, lemurs, capybara, echidna and tapir. It’s like a dream to me. I have even spent 3 weeks out in South Africa on a Veterinary Programme and I loved every second of it.

Over the years and even some days now, I wonder why I even do this job, especially when I lose a patient, or I feel the patient has suffered before it has arrived with us or I have to deal with an unexpected welfare case. But looking back at everything I have done and learnt, I would not change it for the world. I never thought I would ever be where I am today but I wouldn’t have taken any other path and can’t see myself doing anything else. The job is not always easy, some days are worse than others but the support around me is and has always been the one thing that gets me through and that’s been for the last 16 years and it continues now. Inspiring people and helping them gain the confidence is one thing I will always pass on as it is what got me to where I am now and makes me want to keep growing.

One thing I always think about it is our declaration that we have to read out when we qualify; “I PROMISE AND SOLEMNLY DECLARE that I will pursue the work of my profession with integrity and accept my responsibilities to the public, my clients, the profession and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and that, ABOVE ALL, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care” (RCVS, 2012).

Animals have and always will be my first priority. An RVN once told me; “Always treat the patients the way you would want your animals treated; Treat them like your own”. This is one quote I will always standby and pass on to future nurses. Without RVNs and VS, who would fight for the patients that need us the most? Who would sit with nervous patients and reassure them? Who would give them the care and nurture they need to get back to health?”

Thank you Amy for sharing your journey!

We always love to hear from our members, so if you have a story to share, please send it to us with any photos to bvna@bvna.co.uk.