Carly Kilby is a Registered Veterinary Nurse and BVNA Regional Representative, and has been qualified for 18 years. This week’s VNAM theme is ‘My journey as an SVN’. Sometimes this journey isn’t always smooth, and here Carly reflects on her time as a student, the lessons she learned, and the positives she found out of taking longer than anticipated to qualify.

“My journey as an SVN was longer than it should’ve been as I chose to work the weekends before my written and practical exams. I also wasn’t very disciplined with revision. I had a “if I don’t know it, then I never will” approach to my exams, which wasn’t helpful for myself as a student, but also wasn’t helpful for my practice, who wanted another qualified nurse! I think I just refused to become stressed over something I thought I couldn’t control.

“I loved my training practice. It was a busy mixed practice with a large team of people who socialised and got on well. The nursing team was supportive and were forever passing on hints and tips. They put a lot of emphasis on theory and practical working, making sure that what I read, what I studied and what I regurgitated made sense to me and explained how those elements were put together.

“I was a student for 5 years, right up to the point my RCVS student enrolment would come to an end, but I wouldn’t change anything. Those extra two years of study and work allowed me to gain confidence in myself as a veterinary nurse and added extra experience to my CV.”

Want to learn more about what it’s like to be an SVN?

Join us for our first LIVE event of #VNAM2023 on Tuesday 2^nd May at 7.30pm, where we start at the beginning of the veterinary nursing journey to raise awareness of what it’s like to be a Student Veterinary Nurse. You can register for the webinar here.

Whether you’re thinking of joining the profession or are already an SVN starting your career path, all are welcome to share your ideas and experiences with our panel of speakers.

Find out more about how you can get involved in #VNAM2023 here.