International VN receives Golden Jubilee Award for animal welfare work

A veterinary nurse who is dedicated to improving animal welfare and veterinary care both in the UK and abroad is this year’s recipient of our VN Golden Jubilee Award, in honour of her exceptional contribution to the profession.

Hayley Walters (pictured), an Anaesthesia and Welfare Veterinary Nurse who works at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals and the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education (JMICAWE) at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, was nominated for the award for her contribution to animal welfare through her teaching, clinical and international outreach work.

As well as assisting with anaesthesia at the hospital she is also responsible for training both veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse students in all aspects of animal welfare, handling and pain management.

Furthermore, her work with the JMICAWE entails sharing her veterinary nursing and animal welfare education skills with partners across the world and has taken her to places as diverse as Bosnia-Herzegovina and India.

Kathy Kissick, the Chair of VN Council, was on the panel of VN Council members that chose to give Hayley the award.

She comments: “We had six high-calibre and impressive nominations for the Golden Jubilee Award this year and Hayley was chosen because of her extensive work above and beyond her normal role as a registered veterinary nurse [RVN] with regard to animal welfare in the UK and internationally.

“She clearly demonstrates a gold standard ambassadorial role for the RVN.”

The VN Golden Jubilee Award will be given to Hayley at RCVS Day – our Annual General Meeting and Awards Day – on 11 July.

Speaking of the honour, Hayley commented: “I am incredibly thrilled to be receiving this award and would like to thank my colleagues who nominated me. It comes at such a lovely time, too, as this year I have been in veterinary nursing for half my life as I started when I was 18 and have turned 36.

“If I was given the choice to go back and choose all over again I would still choose veterinary nursing in a heartbeat.

“Veterinary nurses are very well placed to improve not only patient experience when they are being treated but also, after the patients leave, through the education of animal owners.

"We must never stop caring, never stop learning and never stop trying to make a difference for every animal that comes into our lives. I am very grateful for this honour and would like to thank the RCVS for awarding it to me.”

The VN Golden Jubilee Award was launched in 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first training course for veterinary nurses. The previous award winners were Jean Turner in 2011 and Sue Badger in 2012.

Read further information about the award and the Golden Jubilee.