‌

Register

Login

Vet Times logo
+
  • View all news
  • Vets news
  • Vet Nursing news
  • Business news
  • + More
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • View all clinical
  • Small animal
  • Livestock
  • Equine
  • Exotics
  • Vet Times jobs home
  • All Jobs
  • Your ideal job
  • Post a job
  • Career Advice
  • Students
About
Contact Us
For Advertisers
NewsClinicalJobs
Vet Times logo

Vets

All Vets newsSmall animalLivestockEquineExoticWork and well-beingOpinion

Vet Nursing

All Vet Nursing newsSmall animalLivestockEquineExoticWork and well-beingOpinion

Business

All Business newsHuman resourcesBig 6SustainabilityFinanceDigitalPractice profilesPractice developments

+ More

VideosPodcastsDigital Edition

The latest veterinary news, delivered straight to your inbox.

Choose which topics you want to hear about and how often.

Vet Times logo 2

About

The team

Advertise with us

Recruitment

Contact us

Vet Times logo 2

Vets

All Vets news

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotic

Work and well-being

Opinion

Vet Nursing

All Vet Nursing news

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotic

Work and well-being

Opinion

Business

All Business news

Human resources

Big 6

Sustainability

Finance

Digital

Practice profiles

Practice developments

Clinical

All Clinical content

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotics

Jobs

All Jobs content

All Jobs

Your ideal job

Post a job

Career Advice

Students

More

All More content

Videos

Podcasts

Digital Edition


Terms and conditions

Complaints policy

Cookie policy

Privacy policy

fb-iconinsta-iconlinkedin-icontwitter-iconyoutube-icon

© Veterinary Business Development Ltd 2025

IPSO_regulated

22 May 2024

Derbyshire RVN celebrates progress during 30 years in practice

Helen Clarke now holds a senior leadership role with the practice she joined in 1994 and is keen to see further advances for her profession.

author_img

Vet Times

Job Title



Derbyshire RVN celebrates progress during 30 years in practice

Helen Clarke.

An RVN who is celebrating 30 years with her Derbyshire practice has hailed the progress of the profession during her clinical career.

Helen Clarke joined the Chapel House Veterinary Practice, which has branches in Chesterfield and Staveley, as an SVN in 1994.

Today, she is practice manager and while she acknowledges that further advances are needed, she said the nursing profession and wider sector have both “come a long way” since she first arrived in practice.

‘Hesitant’

Helen Clarke at the time of her RCVS registration.
Helen Clarke at the time of her RCVS registration.

Mrs Clarke said: “Older vets were very hesitant about delegating clinical tasks early in my career. I think they felt the RVN’s role was more as a cleaner/receptionist/housekeeper, rather than integrating their combined knowledge to improve patient care.

“Now, I love how the roles of RVNs are evolving, the respect they receive from colleagues and the wide understanding of their RVN role and potential.

“However, I know more can be done here, as protecting the title of RVNs is paramount. Currently, anyone can call themselves a vet nurse, which undermines all the hard work and training that comes with those who are fully qualified.

“It is amazing what an RVN can now do in their own right and the services we can provide directly to clients with education and preventive health clinics.

“I really hope in the future our role can be expanded further to allow even more responsibility with the added duties to assist vets with prescribing for minor ailments and routine vaccinations.”

Memorable cases

Mrs Clarke also recalled some memorable cases from her time in practice, including a terrier that was found to have both male and female sex organs, and a skunk that certainly made its presence felt during a clinical examination.

She said: “Within seconds, the consultation room was uninhabitable because of the stench, which then proceeded to spread throughout the whole practice and remained for well over a month.”

Now in a key leadership role, Mrs Clarke said she felt “empowered” to improve the practice’s operations, while she also regularly hits the target outside the practice as a multiple county rifle shooting champion.

‌
‌
‌