24 Jun 2020
Awards scheme recognises veterinary nurses who have gone above the call of duty and made difference to animals under their care.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Winners have been announced in the Northern Ireland Veterinary Nurses of the Year awards.
The awards, in their third year, are organised by Agria Pet Insurance in conjunction with the BVNA and the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in Northern Ireland (AVSPNI).
Those nominated were put forward for consistently going above and beyond to make a compassionate, positive and significant impact to animals in their care, their owners and their colleagues. The winners would have been presented at the AVSPNI spring conference, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The winners are:
Catherine Morris, Gortlands Veterinary Clinic, Belfast
Catherine’s nomination commended her for her special qualities.
“She has been a shining example to our practice team of resilience, of not complaining and never giving up. Despite difficult setbacks she always puts her patients first. She has never compromised her level of care and she holds her head high as a fully qualified RVN.”
Claire McConaghy, Firmount Veterinary Clinic, Antrim
A special award was made to Claire in the Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award.
Claire was described in her nomination as being “an incredible nurse, clinical coach, great friend and a role model”.
Caoimhe Moor, City Vets, Kennedy Centre, Belfast
Caoimhe’s nominations included many accolades from the teams she works with.
“She is a hard-working student and a valued team member who can be relied on to take control on the busiest of day. We laugh a lot and sometimes cry. I admire her dedication and commitment to this profession.”
Alison Marshall, Oldstone Vets, Ballymena
Alison was singled out as an “Outstanding animal nursing assistant for her depth of knowledge, her reassuring
confidence handling clients and their pets, and for being a positive team player of great ability.
She is the most positive person I know.”
Natasha McIlhatton, City Vets, Kennedy Centre, Belfast
“Because she’s awesome! Always bubbly and very helpful.”
One of the many nominations received from City Vets pet owners giving examples of Natasha’s caring and sensitive approach.
SJ Gibson, Glenn Veterinary Clinic, Bangor
This was a new category for 2020, for a person working in any role in practice involved in recue and rehoming activities.
“SJ lives and breathes saving dogs. I am in awe of her energy and motivation. She is sunshine in human form. We truly value SJ and to work with her and to know her is a privilege.”
Susie Hill, business development manager at Agria Pet Insurance and organiser of the awards, said: “The current crisis has not impacted on the strength and depth of this year’s nominations. It is so great to see the heart-warming and so well-deserved recommendations from vets, nurses and pet owners.
“It’s disappointing not to have had the AVSPNI Spring Conference take place where we usually present these awards; however, we will hold a celebration for our amazing winners as soon as we are out of lockdown and can guarantee our safety.
“The other judges and I would like to thank everyone who took part in the awards. Congratulations to everyone who nominated and, of course, to our winners. You all make such a difference every day, and it’s important to recognise this.”
