Fi Marjoram is Nurse Programme Specialist for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Here, Fi discusses what empowerment has meant to her – in her own career, and amongst the teams and colleagues around her:

“I must confess that my first thought when I hear the word ‘empowerment’ always goes straight to ‘The Spice Girls’ and ‘Girl Power’, and although I was almost 30 when the legendary 5 were at their peak, I remember the discussions then around empowerment and what it really meant to feel ‘empowered’.

“I was very happily working in practice at that time, within a team that truly appreciated and made the most of their Veterinary Nursing team. I headed up a group of 3 nurses, all working alongside a vet who recognised that not only did his Veterinary Nursing Team have the ability to bring in considerable revenue to his practice – but that also in giving us the opportunity to do so, he had a very happy nursing team who weren’t going anywhere.

“I was fortunate enough to spend much of my time in that practice doing a variety of consultations. I loved spending time with clients and building valued and lasting relationships with them – some that I am proud to still have maintained some 20 years later.

“Knowing that my team fully supported one another in our various roles gave me the confidence and security to push myself to do a greater variety of consults. Be they weight, senior pet, adolescent, pain management or post operative checks, I knew everyone around me always had my back. Every time I heard a colleague refer a pet to me, I felt valued, and every time a grateful owner dropped off a card or some flowers, or simply said ‘thank you’, I felt empowered. I knew I made a difference. A difference to my patients’ health, to the lives of their pet parents and to the health of my practice, and the communal value of my incredible team.

“Going to work every day, doing a job I loved and knowing I was making a difference. That made me feel empowered. Although a failing back took me away from Veterinary Nursing and into the field of veterinary nutrition, another role I am lucky enough to love, I will always look back with tremendous gratitude and a head held high for my time as a Veterinary Nurse in practice. I’ll always be grateful for the skills and confidence I gained from that part of my career, and I’ll never stop being proud to have worked as a nurse and to still have the privilege of working alongside Veterinary Nurses every day in my role as Nurse Programme Specialist at Hill’s. Pride in my nursing history and loving the whole of my career to date- to me, that is empowerment.

“So, make sure your Veterinary colleagues empower YOU and your fellow nurses to do everything you are legally allowed to do! That way you can free up your vets to do what only they can do, while helping your clinic to bring in more revenue and give more patients, even better care.

“So, although your Veterinary Nurse uniforms may not be Union Jack flags or leopard print jumpsuits (if only!) I hope you all know you’re the real deal and not a bunch of ‘Wannabes’. Forget Girl Power. I’m talking Nurse Power!”

#EmpowerOurVNs #WhatVNsDo

Fi Marjoram C&GCertSAN CertCFVHNut BVNACertSAN

Nurse Programme Specialist

Hill’s Pet Nutrition