What a ‘RVN’ means at Rockhall Veterinary. 
By Dr. Kathy Enright BVM&S MRCVS
When I sat down to write this blog post I wanted to outline all the different roles played within the job of a ‘Registered Veterinary Nurse’ (RVN). I wanted to show the person on the street what exactly these hard working girls and guys do on a day to day basis and to gain awareness for their role. I also want to say thank you to our own hard working RVNs, and show them they are ‘valued’ and that we do ‘see’ what they do.
I know that as a Vet we couldn’t get through a day without our nurses. I really wanted to highlight to the general public, just what an important role RVNs play in every facet of our work and how a veterinary clinic couldn’t function and shouldn’t function without them. I began drafting my list of the roles that RVN’s do (and believe me it was exhaustive), the endless tasks that RVNs do, and I still didn’t feel it was complete.
A person goes to college and studies for 3 or 4 years, with several hours spent on placements, to be an RVN. When the person qualifies they are expected to be all things to all people. Some of the roles they are expected to fulfil are – reception duties, book-keeping, surgical nursing, anaesthetists, grievance counsellors, dental hygienists, cat nurses, groomers, facebookers, instagramers, midwives, geriatric nurses, radiographers, scrub nurses, lab technicians, phlebotomists, wildlife, stray and street animal caregivers. And that only includes some of what they do for the animals. The vets are even more demanding!
Most nurses move through these roles with relative ease, they really stand in the background when there are wins often not getting the credit they deserve. They deeply feel the losses, when we don’t get the outcomes we had hoped for, as unfortunately is inevitable from time to time.
It is a hard job, often under-estimated, under-valued, physically & emotional energy zapping. It certainly is not always well paid and the hours are long and unsocial.
So why do it?
With the right team, support, friendship and respect, it can be the most rewarding job.
Nursing in any form is a vocation and for all the same reasons that at times it is a hard job, it is also so very rewarding.
For all the diversity the role offers means there is a space for everyones strengths, a chance to specialise and focus on those strengths, and to feel you played a vitality important role. That you made a difference. And let’s face it, at the end of the day who wouldn’t love the opportunity to get a sloppy puppy lick or a kitty cuddle? And to know, that the patient and client wouldn’t be going home if it wasn’t for the care they received from their RVN.
So the next time you meet one of our amazing nurses, please be assured you are in the caring hands of our highly skilled, highly knowledgeable and ‘Registered Veterinary Nurses’. They are the heart and sole of the practice. They are valued. They are at the core of our team.
Our amazing RVNs
Head Nurse Rockhall: Heather Lenharth RVN
Head Nurse Henry Street: Naomi O’Connell RVN
Nurse: Aisling O’Donoghue RVN
Nurse: Laura Kellegher RVN
Nurse: Emma Schmid Looney RVN
Nurse: Patrick Floyd soon to join our team as graduate as RVN
And part time TVN (Trainee Veterinary Nurse) Andrea McMahon
