Veterinary Nurses
At Broadleys we are proud to have an exceptional team of 22 registered veterinary nurses. Who are all highly skilled and dedicated to looking after our patients to the highest standards.
Our veterinary nursing team perform many vital roles within the hospital in collaboration with our vets and animal care assistants;
- Patient monitoring during anaesthesia and sedation
As a veterinary hospital, ALL our patients are stringently monitored at all times by a fully trained veterinary nurse during anaesthesia and sedation, utilising a large array of advanced monitoring equipment.
- Administering prescribed medications
- Assessment of pain in hospitalised pets, to ensure appropriate, effective pain relief
- Ensuring patients nutritional needs are met
- Experience night nurses provide overnight care to our hospitalised patients
- Performing diagnostic imaging, including x-rays and CT scans
- Undertaking laboratory tests
- Preparing patients for a variety of surgical and medical procedures
- A point of contact for owners offering emotional support and playing an important role in advising owners especially when admitting and discharging pets before and after procedures
- Nurse consultations - dental hygiene, post operation checks, nail clippings, weight clinics, bandage care, socialisation appointments.
- Provide one-on-one love an care to all pets they work with.
What is a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN)?
Veterinary Nursing is a recognised, regulated and registered profession. The veterinary nurse qualification requirers 3 to 4 years of higher education combined with practical placements leading to a Diploma or Degree. On completion of training veterinary nurses are invited to register with the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) to be a registered veterinary nurse (RVN)
RVNs are required to adhere to a Code of Professional Conduct and complete a required number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours each year as per the regulatory body requirements.
Lead Nurses
Michelle has been an intricate part of the Broadleys nursing team since 2005 and our Head Nurse since 2019 She leads the Nursing and Animal Care Assistant team, with assistance from the Lead Nurses. Michelle is a highly skilled dedicated nurse who leads by example. In 2017 She completed a post graduate qualification in anaesthesia.
Melody Dodds
RVN Ncert surg
Lead Operating Theatre Nurse
Carlyn Blair
BSc (Hons) RVN Ncert MedNsg
Lead Wards Nurse
Jennifer Durrant
RVN
Lead Nurse, Student Nurse Coordinator
Kristi Cherry
BSc (Hons) RVN Ncert anaesth
Lead Nurse, Anaesthesia and Quality Control
Laura Nelson
Lead Nurse HR
Zoe Clark
RVN
Lead Nurse HR
Student nurse training
Our nursing team are helping to train the next generation of Nurses and Animal Care Assistants. We have seven student nurses here at the hospital, at varying stages of their training. Our student Nurse coordinator Jennifer leads a team of student mentors and clinical coaches to provide one on one training. Due to our multidiscipline hospital status the students receive a unique learning opportunity.
Advanced nursing qualifications
A number of our nurses have complete 2-3 year distance learning post graduate training programs. In order to graduate nurses have to complete multiple case studies and an examination in their chosen subject to achieve certificates
Broadleys encourage and promote further learning and values continued personal development. We are very proud to recognise the following nurses for achieving post graduate qualifications:
Michelle Keith RVN ana Cert and Kristi Cherry BSc (Hons) RVN Ncert anaesth
Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
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This specialised program expands on cutting edge techniques, emerging practices, and the latest pharmaceutical developments within the world of anaesthesia. This advanced qualification allow Michelle and Kristi to lead the nursing team to ensure we provide the safest possible anaesthetic protocols and the most effective patient tailored pain relief in conjunction with our vets.
Melody Dodds RVN Ncert surg
Certificate in Veterinary Surgical Nursing
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Expert surgical nursing is essential to successful surgical out comes. The surgical nursing team are integral in maintaining a clean surgical environment and providing sterile surgical equipment. They prepare patients for anaesthesia and then in turn for theatre, they monitor the anaesthesia and care for the patients until they are transferred back to wards. This certificate teaches the most up-to-date advances in this field, enabling Melody to lead the surgical nursing and surgical animal care team to provide exceptional care to our patients under going surgery.
Carlyn Blair BSc (Hons) RVN Ncert MedNsg
Certificate in Veterinary Medical Nursing
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Veterinary medicine is continually advancing and this program teaches advanced up-to-date and relevant knowledge of small animal nursing of medical cases. This knowledge can then be applied in Broadleys to ensure gold standard care for our patients. Carlyn is excellently placed as lead ward nurse to support the ward nursing and animal care team to providing first class care to all our inpatients.
Other Nurse Clinics
Oral Hygiene Clinic
15 min appointment – £15.00
Weight Clinic
Initial appointment and 6 follow up appointments – £55.00
If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight for your pet Sarah can help you formulate an individual feeding and exercise plan with regular appointments to make sure that your pet is on track. For the initial appointment we recommend that you bring as many of the family as possible so the whole household is on board with helping your pet to become slimmer and healthier. We will also ask that you either bring a bag of the food you currently use or take a photograph of the ingredient list and feeding chart.