I Want Your Job: Veterinary nurse

'I love to see happy, healthy animals'

Anna Johansson, 26, is a veterinary nurse based in Norfolk

What do you actually do?

I nurse sick animals through injuries and illnesses, and make sure they are calm and comfortable. I'm involved in surgical and medical procedures, where I'm on hand to assist the veterinary surgeons. I'm also involved in preparing animals for operations, and in post-operative care. I give advice to owners, and call them to give them updates if their animal is in hospital.

What's your work schedule like?

We share a rota of shifts, typically lasting about eight hours – say, from 8am until 4pm, or from 10am until 6pm. If I'm on call, I might need to be available from midday to midnight, so I will keep a phone on me in case I get a call from the vet asking me to go into the clinic and check something.

I work at a large, busy practice, and we mainly treat small animals like cats and dogs. I might start my day doing a ward round with a vet, then help out with surgery. I'll "scrub in" first, prepare the animal for anaesthesia, and then monitor the animal's anaesthetic. I might also take X-rays.

What's your favourite aspect of your job?

I love working with animals, and the best thing about my job is that it's hands-on, so it's very satisfying. Seeing an animal going home happy and healthy because of your work is a brilliant feeling. I also love being part of a team and working together to resolve problems.

What are the downsides?

It's difficult not to get deeply attached to our patients, and when things don't go the way you wish they would, it can be very hard. The hours can be pretty antisocial, too. Because of the nature of my job, I regularly have to work on Friday evenings or in the middle of the night.

What skills do you need to do the job well?

You need to be passionate about animals, responsible, and able to work well in a team. It's important to be compassionate and patient with animals, and with their owners, especially if they are upset.

We are all registered and regulated nowadays, so there's a strong emphasis on individual responsibility. You should commit to keeping your skills up to date after you've completed your training. In terms of training, you could either apply to study veterinary nursing full-time as a degree at a college or university, or you could train at a veterinary practice while studying at the same time. Training takes about two-and-a-half years.

What advice would you give someone with their eye on your job?

Be prepared for hard work, and learn to control your emotions under pressure. In the beginning, I found parts of the job hard to deal with, because I became attached to the patients. Some of the job is messy, because you're cleaning up after sick animals, so you need to be prepared to get dirty.

What's the salary and career path like?

The salary is between £15,000 and £20,000 a year, depending on your experience and qualifications and where you are based in the country. You can choose to specialise in a particular area through further study, such as equine veterinary medicine. Or you could move up to become the head nurse in a large practice, where you would have greater responsibility.

For more information on careers in veterinary nursing, visit The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons website at www.rcvs.org.uk; the British Veterinary Nurses Association at www.bvna.org.uk; or the British Equine Veterinary Association at www.beva.org.uk