19 May 2022
“Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month is a perfect time to highlight the varied and vital role our RVNs play in practice, and raise awareness of the many career development options available to them” – Sophie Connolly, group nursing manager at Park Vet Group.
Rachael Buzzel
Job Title
A rowing world record holder and gold medal winner is now putting all of her energy into highlighting the “varied and vital” role veterinary nurses play in practice to mark Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) 2022.
RVN and group nursing manager at Park Vet Group Sophie Connolly has enjoyed huge success in all things rowing, including a gold medal for England in the double sculls at the Home International Regatta in 2018 and setting an ultramarathon rowing world record during lockdown in 2020 – on a rowing machine in her house.
Success also spills into Miss Connolly’s day job, where she is responsible for a team of more than 40 RVNs, student veterinary nurses and patient care assistants at Leicestershire-based Linnaeus-owned Park, which has practices in Glenfield, Whetstone, Saffron Lane and Scraptoft Lane.
Miss Connolly has been credited for creating development pathways for nurses and throughout VNAM has been raising awareness of the vital role they play in veterinary practices.
Miss Connolly – who qualified as an RVN in 2010, completed an RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing in 2015 and a Masters by Research in Anthrozoology in 2017 – said: “I love being able to support development in the team. This ranges from supporting our patient care assistants to undertake further apprenticeships, supporting students from apprenticeships and degree programmes, and supporting our team to grow and develop.
“VNAM is a perfect time to highlight the varied and vital role our RVNs play in practice, and raise awareness of the many career development options available to them.”
It is this love of lifelong learning she is looking to instil in her team, along with colleagues including Faye Kilby, Park’s lead referral nurse, who has been with the practice since 2006 and qualified in 2009.
Mrs Kilby said: “After qualifying, I went on to study for my advanced veterinary nursing qualification, where I gained in-depth knowledge of anaesthesia, radiology and surgery. I became deputy head nurse in 2015, where I gained valuable leadership skills, and went on to become our orthopaedic referral nurse.
“On my return from maternity leave in 2019, my role progressed to lead referral nurse to include ophthalmology. I am about to start a diploma in animal physiotherapy, where I am eager to qualify as a physiotherapist and provide our orthopaedic patients with outstanding aftercare.
“Having a dedicated group nursing manager at our practice is vital for encouraging nurses to focus on career development, and see opportunities to grow and develop within the practice in the same way I have.”
