Some 29 years since taking her first step towards becoming an RVN, Emma Darling is still as passionate about practice life as ever and was last year named VetPartners Practice Manager of the Year.
Here, Emma, who works at The Minster Veterinary Practice in York, talks about her career journey to the role of practice manager and the thrill of winning the award….
AFTER nearly 30 years of wholehearted service at Minster Vets, Emma has seen it all – foot and mouth, bird flu and Covid, as well as all the other challenges that test the mettle of practice teams day in, day out.
But whatever trials and tribulations may come her way, she knows that she can rely on a committed, dedicated team – and that’s what makes her most proud.
“Whenever there is a crisis, a veterinary team can always be relied upon to step up to the plate, and the pandemic was a time when our spirit of togetherness pulled us through,” she said.
“Covid was one of the darkest times for everyone across the UK and practice life was incredibly tough. People wanted to do their job regardless of what was happening and understood that animals still needed care. Out of adversity, I saw for myself what an amazing team I have.”
Emma joined the practice at the age of 18, when it was then called Grant & Partners, and is their longest-serving team member as she has never wanted to leave.
She loves her role and she is also committed to ensuring Minster Vets is a great place to work colleagues.
Supporting her colleagues and for taking on extra tasks to help make their role more comfortable saw her named the VetPartners Practice Manager of the Year in 2022.
Minster Vets clinical director Sarah Ford said: “Emma also helps, supports and collaborates with other practices and helps to make Minster Vets and VetPartners a great place to work.”
Emma added: “I think we all understand how practice life is completely unique, and, what makes our practice so special, is the team and the family atmosphere.
“Minster Vets runs through my blood, and even after all these years, I wouldn’t swap my career for anything.
“When you spend so long at one practice, you develop emotional ties and, as colleagues, we have gone through big events together on life’s journey, like weddings and children.
“We spend so much time together, probably more than we do with our own families, so it is important to have the right people who all share our values and have enthusiasm for the job.
“Whether they are an administrator, a receptionist, a nurse or vet, we all feel so passionate about what we do and are dedicated to providing the best quality of care for pets, the best service for clients and a great place to come and work.
“We have 89 employees at Minster Vets but they are not a number and they are listened to. Trust and communication are key to a happy practice, and over the years we have shared a lot of highs and lows together.”
Emma’s career journey started after leaving Bishop Burton College in Beverley, where she completed a National Diploma in Animal Care.
Starting right at the bottom, she learned all about veterinary nursing the hard way by mucking out stables, cleaning up after post mortems on chickens, completing the drug ordering and answering the phone.
She qualified as an RVN in 1997 and focused on being a small animal nurse when the practice became known as Minster Vets, and gradually started taking more and more responsibility.
She also completed the ILM level 5 qualification, which is ideal for those who have management responsibilities but no formal training.
When Minster Vets became the founding practice of VetPartners in 2015, that changed the course of her career as it opened up more opportunities to progress and she was promoted to the role of practice manager six years ago.
Supporting veterinary nurses with their career ambitions is a key objective for VetPartners to ensure skilled, dedicated and caring colleagues do not leave the profession.
Emma said: “I love being practice manager, but I am still an RVN at heart.
“I keep my skills sharp, whether helping when I can in practice or doing CPD, and I have maintained my registration. Being part of VetPartners means you are listened to and recognised for your skills, plus you have the chance to learn while doing a job you love.
“After joining VetPartners, Minster hasn’t stood still because it has embraced positive change. We used to do things well, but it is all about how you can do it even better than before.
“Once veterinary nurses qualify, they wonder what they can do next, but within VetPartners there are opportunities to progress. The challenge for the veterinary industry is to retain nurses. They are valued members of the team and it takes a long time to train, so we don’t want to lose them.
“As well as being part of the management team, my role involves supporting, coaching and hopefully inspiring our team members, and making sure everyone is with us on our journey. Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing my colleagues developing their careers and thriving.
“We have increased the number of senior nurses, senior receptionists and senior vets, which has been a huge benefit. It has allowed us to share responsibility and develop team members for the future of the practice and the profession.”
- We’ve exciting career opportunities for vets and veterinary nurses across our family of practices. To find out more, or to arrange a confidential chat, email careers@vetpartners.co.uk
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director. Email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk