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BVNA is the representative body for veterinary nurses. We promote the interests of veterinary nurses, and prepare our members for the challenges ahead.

Our mission statement and values

BVNA History

Find out about the incredible journey BVNA and veterinary nursing has undergone, hear from some of our industry mavens and see our

History Timeline

Our roll of honour ‘BVNA Presidents’ over the years

BVNA Honorary Members


This is where we are now in the form of numbers!

55000

The number of veterinary nurses who have attended BVNA Congresses

58

Years ago, BVNA was established and continues to grow

19000

Hours of CPD gained watching BVNA webinars

444

Issues of the Veterinary Nursing Journal

5000

Students enrolled for BVNA's Oral Care Nurse Certificate training course

2600

Lectures at BVNA Congresses

Our Team

The Council

Made up of 11 full Members and 3 student Members, our voluntarily council work very hard on behalf of our members.

BVNA Members can request a copy of the latest council minutes by emailing bvna@bvna.co.uk

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Bronwyn Bailey SVN

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Cheryl Plimmer RVN

Practice Nurse

Qualified in 2002.

Experience: Small animal only, charity hospital, ECC hospital, worked overseas, currently a lead RVN with keen interest in anything anaesthesia, leadership, training and education.

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Cheryl Plimmer RVN

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Craig Tessyman RVN - Jnr Vice President

RVN

I have been working as a Veterinary Nurse for 20 years. During this time I have worked in small animal, emergency out of hours, both referral orthopedic and soft tissue theater and I am currently the senior nurse of an exotic only team, located in a busy multidisciplinary referral hospital.

During my time in small animal practice I was the head nurse and built my knowledge and skills in running both logistically and financially a practice and dealing with the challenges that can be faced on a day to day basis. I have been a clinical coach now for 8 years and I am enthusiastic about giving my knowledge and experience to future nurses. I chair an exotic and wildlife veterinary focus groups to implement best practice across an international board of members, as well as working closely with a rabbit specific group.

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Craig Tessyman RVN - Jnr Vice President

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Declan Jones RVN

RVN

As I’m sure is the case for a lot of us working in veterinary clinics, I knew I wanted to work with animals in some way from a young age. I have worked in the same clinic since I started training as a VCA in 2014, through my years as an SVN and now as an RVN on the Kent coast.

Despite my short time on council I’ve already learnt so much, and every single person I’ve met at the BVNA, both on council and working as staff, has been remarkable and hilarious.

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Declan Jones RVN

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Emma Foreman RVN

RVN

I am a current BVNA Council Member. I wanted to work with animals for as long as I can remember and have fortunately been lucky to have done so since I was 16. I qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002, and have since gained my RCVS Advanced Diploma in 2015, and the ISFM Feline Medicine Nursing diploma in 2019. Throughout my career I have worked in first opinion, mixed, referral, charity and university hospitals, alongside my clinical role, I also tutor student veterinary nurse students part-time.

My particular interests lie in anaesthesia, emergency and critical care nursing and theatre practice.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter and menagerie of pets, seeing live music whenever I can and when the time allows, relaxing with a good book.

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Emma Foreman RVN

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Kate Davies SVN

Student

I am a second year veterinary nursing student.

I have been working the PDSA for 7 years, I started as a VCA until the opportunity to became a SVN came along just over a year ago.

I have two dogs, mitzy and bucky which I enjoy taking for walks.

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Kate Davies SVN

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Kim Rathbone RVN - Honorary Secretary

RVN & BVNA Honorary Secretary

My name is Kim and I am a BVNA Council Member and Honorary Secretary. I joined BVNA Council in 2022 and I have very much enjoyed being part of the association and being the voice for the Veterinary Nursing profession. During my time on council I have been involved in many campaigns from Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, Diversity, Inclusivity and Widening Participation Group, Welfare of Pets in School and the Charity Committee and so much more. But the biggest one has been Protect The Title VN, this is so needed for the profession in terms of retention and feeling more valued. We as a profession are extremely skilled and I believe that having are title protected will allow us to progress and see value in what we do not just in the job role, but from clients as well.

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in March 2023 and have had to take time of work to go through treatment which initially was hard because I am a workaholic. However I quickly realised and valued having the time off was important for me during this journey. My purpose was now to recovery and look after me and I think being in work would have been just to exhausted, not only that you do need to be mindful of germs whilst having chemotherapy and being surrounded by people and animals is too risky. I have continued to attend meetings online on behalf of the BVNA and I am still very much an active council member. I have really appreciated still being able to be the voice for the profession, in all honesty I don't think the BVNA could have stopped me.

I first started my career in Lancashire as a Veterinary Receptionist and it was from doing this role I wanted to become a Veterinary Nurse so I made the decision to change practices to start my VN training, however my husbands career changed all that and it brought us to the West Midlands so I changed practices again only this time to a referral practice, after only a few months they decided to put me through my VN training and I was so excited. I later qualified in 2012 and after a year of qualifying I went back to 1st opinion and become a Consulting Nurse, team leader to the Vet Care Assistants and a Clinical Coach. I now work full time as an RVN at the Guide Dogs and I am very much enjoying the change in pace and new opportunities, I am also very much looking to returning to work after having nearly nine months off.

I have 1 Guinea Pig called Cassie and a rescue Budgie called Blueberry. I have been with my husband for 23 years (married for 11 years) and we have bought our first house. I enjoy reading, walking, swimming, watching movies, yoga and socialising with friends in my spare time. I also love CPD and you will often find me catching up with webinars or listening to the latest podcasts in my free time.

Who knows what the future holds for the profession, but I know one day the vet Surgeons will be updated and the title VN will be protected. We just have to keep having faith and shouting about what we do, and then we can be proud that we fought for a profession we are proud to be a part of.

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Kim Rathbone RVN - Honorary Secretary

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Lyndsay Hughes RVN - President

Director of Animal Operations, RVN & BVNA President

I am proud to have been nursing for 18 years and have seen many changes within the profession but I feel that there is still a lot to do regarding promoting and supporting nurses. I am passionate about my position as an RVN and I am fortunate enough to have had senior and management positions in practice for the last 11 years. I am currently the only nurse on a board of Directors of a very busy independent small animal practice. My key areas of interest are supporting, developing and empowering nurses as well as promoting the nursing profession.

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Lyndsay Hughes RVN - President

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Nikki McLeod RVN

Practice Nurse

When it was time to leave school several decades ago, I knew I wanted to work with animals or in art. A keen horse-rider, Scottish national rhythmic gymnast and amateur photographer in my teens, I decided that animal care was the route to go down. I decided to spend an amazing year at BellMead animal care training college in Berkshire, England and then worked in boarding kennels in Yorkshire and Edinburgh.

I then thought it would be fun to embark upon on a veterinary nursing career, finding a SVN position in Kinross while doing block release at Edinburgh’s Telford College. In true Nikki fashion, I failed my first year exams, but after taking a year out and sitting 2nd year at Barony College, in 2000 I found myself with a RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, a place on the RCVS List, a VN badge and 2 initials after my name!

I worked my way around a couple of veterinary practices, eventually working my way up to Head Nurse of a growing small animal practice in Dunfermline.

Alongside all this hard work at vet nursing, I kept up with my other passion of art and ran a photography business specialising in weddings and portraits: I also got married and had our first son! In 2008, I decided to make the big jump out of the veterinary profession and leapt into full time self-employment, photographing weddings as far away as Cyprus and New York as well as many weddings in all parts of Scotland.

While pregnant with our second son in 2014 (I went into labour at a wedding and had him 2 days later!), I fell back into the veterinary profession. The bride of said wedding worked in the profession and told me of a part time maternity receptionist position at a cat clinic in Edinburgh available! My perfect job at a perfect time as our son was in and out of hospital all the time and this cat work was an instant stress-reliever! A couple of more maternity leave jobs later and I found myself doing my Period of Supervised Practice and found my name on the Register of Veterinary Nurses in 2017!

I now work at a small animal practice in Dunfermline, Fife, as a part-time RVN. I’ve been the practice’s resident ‘Cat Advocate’ and crazy cat lady since February 2018 and I’ve helped them become a ‘Cat Friendly Clinic’ with Silver Status.

I developed a passion for learning, in order to better myself in the return to the profession. I passed, with a distinction, the ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing, a pass as a Free Fear Veterinary Professional and am now an Elite professional, and a pass in the ISFM Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour, developing my love for reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in the veterinary practice. I have also studied at Edinburgh Napier University, to top up to BSc (Hons) degree level in Veterinary Nursing level, and now I’m a Masters student at University of Edinburgh in Clinical Animal Behaviour.

When I have time to do something other than work or study, I love to watch the Fife Flyers ice hockey team with my husband and two sons, who both play junior ice hockey in Fife. Bergy the cat is the final male of the household, it’s not a surprise to hear that he was named after an NHL hockey player!

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Nikki McLeod RVN

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Poppy Meredith SVN

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Rebecca Winter RVN

Registered Veterinary Nurse & BVNA Council Member

Registered Veterinary Nurse & BVNA Council Member

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Rebecca Winter RVN

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Sarah Holliday RVN - Honorary Treasurer

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Steph Worsley RVN

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Victoria Foulkes RVN

Medicine team leader and Tutor

I started in mixed practice back in 2005 and qualified in 2008. Since qualifying I have worked predominantly in referral with a year spent working as a night nurse at an emergency Out of hours practice before returning to referral.

For the last 8 years I have been the team leader of the Internal Medicine department. Some of the standard diagnostic procedures my team carry out include radiographs, ultrasound, and endoscopy, I also manage the radioiodine unit.

Most recently I have became a clinical coach and after completing a teaching qualification started working at a nursing school part time teaching the level 3 nursing diploma – both of which I absolutely love!

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Victoria Foulkes RVN

Our Staff Team

A highly experienced and passionate team, driven by the desire to make BVNA the best it can be for its members.

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Angela Mariconda

Office and Accounts Manager

Since leaving school in 1982 I have worked for a variety of professions and always within an accounting role. I guess that’s because I’m particularly tidy, methodical, and some would say, way too organised and that’s probably why I enjoy accounts work so much.

I joined BVNA in 1993 with my main responsibility being book-keeper, however I quickly volunteered to take on additional tasks which included processing the association’s membership and exhibitor bookings for congress. I enjoy keeping busy as well as a challenge, so over the years I have worked in many different roles with BVNA and in 2020 changed my job role again to ‘Office and Accounts Manager’.

My main responsibilities are managing the associations accounts and finances, providing management reports and support to the Chief Executive, as well as managing the office, equipment and resources.

I’m always keen to help, provide advice and support from my working history and experiences. I have also made a large number of BVNA ‘friends’ over the years and I’m always on hand if someone wants to know anything about things such as previous projects, contacts, historical information, etc…I often say I feel like the Wikipedia of BVNA!

Outside of BVNA, I enjoy travelling with my husband and have been fortunate enough to visit some amazing places. As we are both qualified PADI Scuba Divers we enjoy this hobby together and have seen some weird and beautiful things below the waves which makes you realise that there really is another world out there!

We also both enjoy skiing and I’ve always enjoyed keeping fit, so took up running in April 2021 and now run three times a week with a running club. I also enjoy reading and socialising, as well as cooking and try to cook at least one new recipe a month.

I’m a great believer in finding what makes you happy. Life is precious, so love what you do!

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Angela Mariconda
Office and Accounts Manager

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Charlotte Bullard

Learning, Development & Communications Manager

I completed my BSc in Equine Sports Therapy in 2014 and, after spending a year as a receptionist in a small animal veterinary practice in Suffolk, in 2016 I moved to work as a Course Assistant for an equine distance learning college near Newmarket. There I progressed to the role of Programme Manager, which involved overseeing and teaching predominantly equine veterinary nursing and equine therapy students. I loved experimenting with innovative ways of delivering teaching and online resources – and this led me to pursue the MSc in Veterinary Education at the Royal Veterinary College, which I completed in 2021.

I joined the BVNA in Summer 2019 as Education Manager, and have since taken up the role of Learning, Development and Communications Manager. The main aspects of my work for BVNA include overseeing our CPD provision, and ensuring this leads to a real impact on professional practice plus future opportunities for development for our members. I also develop our Scientific Programme for our annual BVNA Congress. Finally, I oversee our communications and campaigns, including our annual Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month and ongoing campaign for statutory protection of the 'Veterinary Nurse' title.

I live with my husband David in the depths of the countryside on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, and outside work I am most frequently found in wellies! I have a Welsh Section D called Hazel, who I’ve owned from a 2-year old and have slowly started her ridden career since then. We also have a young Border Terrier called Jonty, who loves joining us to explore other areas of the countryside in the UK – I will walk for hours as long as there is a good pub at the end of it!

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Charlotte Bullard
Learning, Development & Communications Manager

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Danni Moeser

Membership and Marketing Co-Ordinator

I graduated from University in 2013, where I studied Outdoor Leadership. I am very active and it is very rare that I will be sitting down not doing anything! I enjoy skiing, surfing, horse riding and running, and have previously completed several half marathons and a full marathon. I have been at BVNA since February 2019 and I am currently the Marketing and Membership Co-Ordinator. I am responsible for BVNA's membership admin tasks and I manage BVNA’s social media platforms, while assisting with our events, projects and campaigns.

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Danni Moeser
Membership and Marketing Co-Ordinator

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Huw Jones

Chief Executive Officer

I joined the BVNA as Chief Executive in May 2020 during Lockdown!! A strange time to join but the members, officers and staff have been incredibly helpful and I’m looking forward to actually meeting them at some time soon. Before that I had 2 years at Age UK London delivering their Trusted Traders Business Directory and Insurance Products. This was very rewarding as it made a real difference to vulnerable older people, and I met the traders who all wanted to give something back to the community. Before that I was at the North London Chamber of Commerce where I spent 17 years, most of it as Chief Executive. This experience enabled me to use my previous experience in the private sector, and also gave me an insight into working for a membership organisation. The membership business model is unlike anything I had ever come across before during my time in the private sector!! However, I thoroughly enjoyed it as well as growing the membership, and providing a variety of events the opportunity to make a real difference to business, helping them grow and thrive in North London was very rewarding. Representing the views of members to senior influencers, politicians and partners to ensure future support is based on the needs of business.

Originally from South Wales I moved to London when I took up a position with Islington Council and have never moved back, London is my home. I now live in Crouch End North London, with my wife Sadia and my daughter Amelia. We can see Alexandra Palace from my house and are fortunate in that we are surrounded by many beautiful green spaces such as Hampstead Heath, Kenwood House and various local parks. We are quite an active and sporty family and try to be out most weekends. As a Welshman I passionate about Rugby although at school I never played. Being in the Millennium Stadium with 80,000 singing the national anthem is very moving. I do look forward to the 6 nations, and hope that the best team wins, as long as they are wearing RED!!

In spite of my busy lifestyle I manage to keep myself fairly fit and enjoy the odd round of golf, a weekly yoga class and a run when I can motivate myself to do it!! I enjoy the theatre, concerts, eating out and nice holidays and am hoping we can all get back to this sometime soon. I also like to read and as an avid people watcher I enjoy reading biographies, but having a young family means that this usually only happens on holiday. We don’t have any pets, my family had dogs when I was younger. However, I will be looking to spend a couple of days in a practice after Lockdown to broaden my own knowledge and start to understand the real difference our fabulous nurses make.

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Huw Jones
Chief Executive Officer

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Kevan Bowen
VNJ Sales Manager

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Lisa Brett

Events Manager

I have had a variety of administration jobs from Essex Police to Financial Times Publishing. After being made redundant whilst on maternity leave from FT, I started undertaking temping for an agency and my first assignment was at BVNA! A job came up about 6 months later and I have just celebrated my 25 year anniversary.

I am the Events Manager at BVNA where I am responsible for the operations of BVNA Congress, from ordering enough lunches for everyone, planning and setting up the venue to ensuring that our exhibitors, delegates, guests and speakers have an amazing experience!

I have been married to Rob for 30 years and have 2 daughters, Jasmine who is 30 this year and a Senior Paediatric Staff Nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Rachel, 25 who currently works in the retail sector but is looking at a change of career in Midwifery!

We have a gorgeous French Bulldog called Ronnie, who loves a snuggle with whomever is willing! I love being creative and you can usually find me making fancy dress costumes, carving pumpkins at Halloween, knitting children’s cardigans and sewing dance costumes! I am a member of Harlow Running & Tri Club and have completed many 5k and 10k races, including cross country plus two half-marathons...no, I'm never doing a full marathon!

I also volunteer at the local Dance School, where my daughters used to perform and I attend my classes, on the reception desk and work backstage during the many dance, music and drama productions.

Myself and my hubby love to travel, having recently visited Dubai and Mauritius, Mexico is next on our list!

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Lisa Brett
Events Manager

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Nicola Ruedisueli

Editor in Chief

Nicola Ruedisueli

I qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1985 whilst working at Liverpool University Small Animal Hospital. I moved to Nottingham to work in an orthopaedic referral practice before moving to Mars UK for twelve years. During this time, I managed veterinary practices in the South West area selling clinical diets and educating vets and nurses on nutrition. I progressed to working as a veterinary nurse at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, then on to the Technical Helpline. After training veterinary students in clinical nutrition I moved to Nottingham Trent University to write the FdSc Veterinary Nursing programme in 2008. The course went on to become the highest-recruiting FdSc VN programme in the UK in 2015.

In 2019, I jumped at the chance to become the Head of Learning and Development at the BVNA. The main part of the role is as Editor in Chief of the VNJ; overseeing the articles, mentoring authors and developing the strategy to grow the impact of the journal. The L&D department develops CPD that will enable BVNA members to increase the influence they have on nursing practice.

My role has now evolved as BVNA moved to publish the VNJ ourselves in 2022 using designers and digital publishers to produce the bi-monthly journal. We could not achieve the high quality content without students and veterinary nurses sending us their work. I am proud to be part of building evidence-based nursing practice.

I still work in a local veterinary hospital on a weekend rota to keep up to date with my nursing skills. My husband worries about which animals I will bring home at the end of a shift.

I have two sons, two dogs, two cats, two chickens and a blue-tongued skink. When not looking after the animals I take a gentle jog around the village fields. I don’t often confess to enjoying the original Star Trek series but I am often found watching Marvel films or Disney cartoons.

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Nicola Ruedisueli
Editor in Chief

Advisory Council

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Jo Oakden RVN

BVNA Advisory Chair

Since graduating from the RVC in 2008 I have worked in a variety of small animal and mixed veterinary practice. Since qualifying I have completed the Certificate in Feline Nursing and a Certificate in Canine and Feline Veterinary Nutrition. I have two young children, and a small menagerie of animals at home that keep any ‘free’ time, busy.

I have worked with the BVNA as a regional Co-ordinator since 2014 and was elected onto BVNA Council in 2017 and elected as BVNA President during 2020-21.

I represented the BVNA as Chair of VN Futures 2021, founder and inaugural chair of the VNF Diversity & inclusivity group, the RCVS Legislation Working Party and Vet Sustain.

I am a business support manager for Vet Partners and work with exploring and supporting training for practice teams as well as being a Board Member for Vetlife.

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Jo Oakden RVN
BVNA Advisory Chair

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Samantha Morgan Dipavn (Med & Surg) RVN


I qualified in 1999 and spent 15 years working in both general and referral practice completing the RCVS Diplomas of Advanced Veterinary Nursing in both Medicine and Surgery. During this time I became interested in passing on knowledge and skills to others and developed my role as assessor to college tutor, completing my Certificate in Education to support this change.

I have had the pleasure of being involved with BVNA since 2008 first as a Regional Coordinator and then on the BVNA council between 2020 to 2019, during this time I was BVNA president in 2025-2017. It was my honour to be part of the creation of VNFutures alongside the RCVS and the VNJ. I am delighted to remain part of BVNA in its advisory board.

I am one of two directors at Abbeydale Vet Nurse Training, a private training provider based on the South Wales border as well as an OSCE examiner.

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Samantha Morgan Dipavn (Med & Surg) RVN

How we work for you

Our staff, members and volunteers work tirelessly to raise awareness about the role of a veterinary nurse; to improve the pay and working conditions for veterinary nurses; and to create diversity in the profession through various projects and campaigns.

BVNA actively works to support the Investors in the Environment campaign and provides useful tools for nurses in practice to also help make change. Please click here for more info.

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