Jessica Williams
Hi! my name is Jess. You may have seen my face around a few of the Rockhall practices.
I am a registered veterinary nurse (RVN), graduated in 2020. Upon just being fresh out of college I landed my first full time job with the Rockhall family.
In this blog, I would like to discuss the opportunities for veterinary nurses, my role and experience as a new graduate, being new to the job, the numerous challenges as well as the opportunities I encountered along the way.
Veterinary nurses are equipped with such a diverse skill set. Many opportunities for RVNs would include first opinion practice, specialist roles at referral practices, emergency and critical care (ECC/Out of Hours) practice at veterinary hospitals. Other opportunities outside of the clinical settings include teaching, management, research, sales or rehabilitation.
Upon finishing my exams, I began looking for jobs within clinical practice and I came across an advertisement for a role that was involved in ECC (OOH) work. This stood out to me as well as the advert mentioning a support package for new grads. I felt this would be the perfect fit for me! I jumped at the opportunity to send in my application and from there my new adventure began with Rockhall.
I began my journey with Rockhall, at our PAS approved Hospital in Rockhall Vets, Henry Street & Limerick Night Vets, where I worked between both day and night shifts that dealt with the out of hours and emergency critical care of patients. This type of blended role was a massive opportunity for me to grow and expand my skillset as a veterinary nurse.
Within the first week on the job, I already felt I fitted in! The atmosphere was friendly, welcoming and engaging. I admired the work dynamic and I really felt I clicked with my colleagues from the get go. The support from my colleagues was tremendous, I wasn’t thrown in at the deep end and was given the opportunity to learn and develop at my own pace.
The practice and my colleagues made me feel comfortable every day on the job, a time came were I, instead of doing the ECC work I moved onto day shifts at one of our clinics in Rockhall Vets, Monaleen, for more consistency and support to accommodate me and as a way to build my confidence and develop my personal strengths and skillset.
Looking back, I can say that being a ‘baby new grad’ every day may seem like an uphill battle. The learning experience can be quite intense, it is daunting but it is also exciting and thrilling all at once. Being with such a supportive team means that you will receive patience, understanding and kindness. Everyone else has been exactly where you are before, they can understand and remember how it feels to be starting out. They share their stories, their experience, what scared them and what motivates them. From this, you will develop strong connections, bonds and friendships with your colleagues as they become not only your support network but also become the friends that you can count on!
Nine months in – with some stumbles along the way! I am absolutely thrilled to be in my first full time permanent role with Rockhall. Everyone has contributed so much to help me to meet my full potential as the RVN I am today and I am ever grateful for that.
If I had one piece of advice, I would give not only to myself starting out but to any other newbie RVN starting out on the playing field, it would be – confidence is always key. You will learn how to be patient with yourself, you will build and develop self-confidence and self-assurance. The process is long but it is worthwhile. Veterinary nursing is a life-long learning venture, grab all the opportunities you can take, don’t hold yourself back and most of all be sure to enjoy it.
Moreover, this is only the beginning for me. I am excited to further grow, learn and develop alongside my colleagues and friends and look forward to my bright future within the company.
