Age no barrier to VN qualification

At 55, Beth Barathy is the oldest veterinary nurse to have qualified, according to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' records - and she believes she is a good example of what it is possible to achieve if you put your mind to it.

Beth spent many years working at a local heavy horse centre before joining the Kingfisher Veterinary Practice in Chard, Somerset, in 2000. Starting out as a part-time receptionist, she went on to pass her Animal Nursing Assistant qualification with distinction and from there progressed to VN training.

"I made a nuisance of myself, asking lots of questions and wanting to do more and more with the animals until someone suggested I take some formal training," explains Beth.

"Going back to College was daunting, as I had left school with no qualifications. It was hard to juggle the coursework, portfolio and revision, but I was determined to succeed. I think I am a good example of what you can do if you really want something and are committed!

"I love veterinary nursing, there is a huge amount of variety in the job and you never know what you are going to be looking at next. I get a lot of job satisfaction when an animal comes in poorly and I am part of the team that gets it back on its feet. I would recommend a career as a VN and think it ideally suits a more mature person, as you have the experience to take things in your stride," she explains.

The Chard branch is one of four that forms the Kingfisher Veterinary Practice, two of which are VN training practices. Beth works in a team of four VNs and four veterinary surgeons.

She was awarded her Certificate in Small Animal Veterinary Nursing in November and would like to take her equine certificate some time in the future. That would be the icing on the cake," she says.

This summer the VN National Vocational Qualification was streamlined, with a new, more nursing-centred syllabus. Furthermore, the requirement for a caselog-based portfolio has been dropped. It is hoped that the new-style training will be easier for student VNs to complete, whatever their age.