VetPartners supports team members to improve their knowledge so they can progress in their careers and develop new skills that will benefit pets and their owners.
RVN Charlotte Bowling, who works at St-David Veterinary Centre in Cardiff, pursued additional studies in oncology because she loves learning and is dedicated to meeting the needs of pets suffering from cancer.
Here, Charlotte explains the personal heartache that inspired her career journey…
WHEN Charlotte Bowling’s son Bernard was diagnosed with kidney cancer three years ago, at 18 months old, it gave her an understanding of the rollercoaster of emotions people go through when caring for someone who is seriously ill and having to advocate for patients that can’t speak for themselves.
At the same time as Bernard was underdoing treatment, Charlotte’s dog William became unwell, which resulted in palliative and end of life care for her beloved pet.
The experience of caring for Bernard, who is now in remission, and for William inspired Charlotte to find out how she could give owners the best possible clinical and emotional support after their pet’s diagnosis.
After researching available courses, she enrolled on the Advanced Nursing Certificate in Oncology course through Harper Adams University and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and successfully completed her studies last autumn.
A thirst for learning
Since qualifying as an RVN in 2009, Charlotte has been keen to grow her knowledge so she can provide the best care to pets at St-David Veterinary Centre, where she’s worked for 10 years.
After achieving an RCVS Certificate in Emergency Care, and a VN Merit Award in dermatology through the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), she began to look for new ways to further boost her skills.
Charlotte said: “I wanted to do something more challenging, in an area I’m interested in, and I was really keen to gain additional skills that would ultimately benefit patients and owners. I’ve always found lab work and end-of-life care interesting and these are areas where I feel I can make a difference for pets and for people.
“At the same time as Bernard was receiving cancer treatment, my own beloved dog, William [pictured right with Bernard], was suffering from a serious health condition and receiving end of life care. It cemented my desire to help others, and that’s when I found out about the oncology certificate. I was delighted that VetPartners agreed to fund my course and made it possible for me to enhance my skills and achieve a personal goal.”
Charlotte feels nurses have an important role to play when patients are diagnosed with cancer because they can support everyone involved – vets, pets and owners.
She said: “We work alongside vets to facilitate the diagnosis and one of the key things for me is ensuring the highest quality blood samples are taken, so we get accurate results without any delays. For patients, we develop nursing plans and help ensure their needs are addressed and they are kept comfortable, and for owners it’s about being there to listen and providing information to help them make decisions.
“Oncology is an exciting and developing area of veterinary medicine and therapies and treatments are evolving, which is great for owners because they have more choice, but it also means they have an awful lot of information to take in and process.
“Vets talk them through the options and share important information, but once the client steps out of the consult room they might think of more questions they want to ask, or they would like something clarified or explained in a bit more detail. Sometimes they just need someone to be there for them while they process what’s happening to their pet.
“For me, it’s really important a client looks back and feels they understood everything they were told about the diagnosis and the treatment options and that they feel comfortable with all the decisions they made for their pet.
“Emotional support is critical too. All of our clients care deeply for their pets and, for a lot of people, their animals are their children. For some, their pet is their main companion, and they can be very worried and anxious if there is an uncertain future for them or they face losing them.”
Charlotte’s course involved online tutorials and optional study sessions at Harper Adams University and she studied in her own time, completing the course in two years. She continued studying while on maternity leave and after welcoming new baby Murray to the family in May last year.
Course modules delved into methods for diagnosing and staging tumours, shared advice on devising nursing plans for oncologic patients, and covered rare conditions that may develop in patients suffering from cancer. Charlotte also boosted her knowledge of palliative care and pet-owner communication.
She added: “I really enjoyed studying for the certificate. I love learning anyway but I found all of the topics interesting and, as well as improving my knowledge, it has boosted my confidence in caring for pets and talking to owners.
“I would definitely recommend the course to other nurses and it is relevant whether you work at a first-opinion or a referral practice. At St-David Veterinary Centre we refer patients for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but we’re still an important part of a pet’s cancer treatment journey. Pets are diagnosed here and we’ll see them between referral appointments for blood tests or other health issues, so it’s important to have a good understanding of their condition and their treatment plans.
“As well as being rewarding, doing further studies is a great idea if you want to progress in your nursing career or specialise in a certain area, and it can keep you motivated to. There are lots of courses available for nurses so you are sure to find something you have an interest in or is relevant for your practice. Having a family and busy job, I know that finding time to study can be difficult, but there are plenty of short courses you can do, to give you a taste of what’s out there.
“It was a really proud moment when I received my badge and certificate at a ceremony in December and it has inspired me to keep learning. My next challenge will hopefully be a laboratory certificate as I’d love to do more in that area.”
Article by Jo Browne, PR & Communications manager (South), email: jo.browne@vetpartners.co.uk