Vicki Nielsen has enjoyed a rewarding career as a veterinary nurse despite having been discouraged from following her dream because she’s deaf. She’s now supporting future vet nurses to achieve their own career goals, as well as helping improve diversity and inclusivity in the veterinary world.
As we celebrate Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month, Vicki shares her inspirational story here….
GROWING up surrounded by a menagerie of dogs, birds and ponies, it was only natural for me to pursue a career working with animals. I applied for work experience at Goddard Veterinary Group’s Loughton branch and it helped me decide that veterinary nursing was the perfect vocation for me. I’ve now travelled full circle in my career as my current role is with Goddard Veterinary Nursing College (GNVC) in London.
Despite having my heart set on veterinary nursing, it wasn’t an easy path to follow and I even had a teacher at school try to dissuade me. They didn’t believe I’d succeed because of my deafness and thought I would face difficulties such as anaesthetic monitoring and hearing the heartbeat. However, there are various levels of hearing loss and, despite common misconceptions, I can hear a heartbeat using a stethoscope with no issues and can even detect heart murmurs and arrhythmias.
To help with communication when I started working in practice, I taught vets basic sign language for suture material sizes, as wearing face masks in the operating theatre made it impossible to lipread.
My employers also made reasonable adjustments to allow me to perform my role, such as putting in flashing fire alarms and the vets would use my mobile phone to contact me if I was on-call so that it would vibrate and wake me.
In 2010, I became a head nurse, stumbling into it by chance after working as a locum at a practice and being offered a permanent position. Because it was unexpected, learning how to delegate and manage a small team of vets and nurses with different personalities was a challenge. However, with the support of the team, I was able to do this effectively and learned a lot from the experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in practice and seeing patients recover from being acute cases was hugely rewarding, but in 2013 I decided to take my career in a different direction. It was a natural transition to go from being a hands-on vet nurse to working in education as I have always been interested in training students and became a clinical coach as soon as I was able to. I also took evening classes at a local college to obtain my Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector qualification.
I am now part of the team at Goddard Veterinary Group’s Nursing College, which is based at Wanstead Veterinary Hospital in London.
In my role as a personal tutor, internal quality assurer, and equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) lead, I provide support to students, clinical coaches, and training practices on our Level 2 Veterinary Care Support and Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing programmes.
I also conduct quality assurance and promote equality, equity, diversity, and inclusivity to our learners, and provide guidance, training and support to Goddard practices relating to Practice Standards.
Building relationships with students and those who support them in our practices is very rewarding, especially when I help them become more self-assured and confident.
It makes me very proud when students achieve their qualifications and when I see them progress further in their careers and witness their growth within our profession.
At Goddard Veterinary Nursing College, we work together as a team to provide support to any struggling students. We put in place reasonable adjustments and individual learning plans to help students achieve their short and long-term goals.
We recognise that everyone thinks and learns differently, so we prioritise individualised support and adjustments as needed.
I regularly check in with my students and conduct reviews to ensure they remain on track and identify any challenges they may face in achieving their career goals.
I often share my own experiences with students and encourage them to view challenges as learning opportunities. I also encourage them to view their education as a puzzle that will eventually come together with time and patience.
I strongly believe that there needs to be greater awareness and understanding of reasonable adjustments within the workplace. While I have been fortunate enough to have had employers who have been supportive and made accommodations, I have often found myself having to initiate the process.
By promoting greater awareness of reasonable adjustments, we can improve diversity and inclusion by ensuring that all employees have access to the resources they need to perform at their best. This not only benefits individuals with disabilities, but also helps to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment for everyone.
For a period of two years, I had the privilege of serving on the British Veterinary LGBT+ committee (BVLGBT+) representing the veterinary nursing profession and collaborating with other LGBTQIA+ veterinary professionals. Prior to joining the committee, I was asked to be a role model for them.
In addition, I have also been among the BVLGBT+ community that represented the wider veterinary world at London Pride. It was an unforgettable moment, as it marked the first time that veterinary professionals were publicly represented at the event, which was a source of pride for me and a milestone for the profession.
This experience highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of the diversity that exists within the veterinary world. As veterinary professionals, we serve a broad and diverse population, and it is critical that we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. By actively promoting diversity and visibility as the BVLGBT+ community do within the profession, we can help to break down barriers and create a more equitable and supportive community for all veterinary professionals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic.
I feel fortunate to be part of the wonderful team at GVNC. Not only are they incredibly supportive, but they have encouraged me to explore skills I never knew I had. They do not treat me differently because of my deafness, and instead view me as an equal member of the team. This is important to me because I want to contribute to the team’s success and deliver high-quality work just like any other member.
My advice to others is if you are truly passionate about achieving a particular goal, it is important to keep pursuing it. Even though I faced many barriers, it only made me more determined to achieve my dream and become more resilient.
Each obstacle you overcome will give you valuable experience and bring you closer to your objective. One helpful strategy I have found is to break down the goal into smaller, more manageable targets. By focusing on each piece of the puzzle in turn, you can steadily work your way towards your goal.
Finally, remember that it is OK to ask for help if you need it. Sometimes, it’s not obvious when you are struggling, so don’t be afraid to speak up and reach out to others for assistance. In my experience, people are usually more than willing to lend a hand and support you in achieving your goals.
For more information, contact Jo Browne, PR & Communications manager (South), email: Jo.browne@vetpartners.co.uk