A veterinary nurse who has made an exceptional contribution to improving animal welfare and veterinary care through teaching, clinical and outreach work, will be awarded the 2014 RCVS VN Golden Jubilee award.

 

Hayley Walters is an anaesthesia and welfare veterinary nurse at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals. As well as assisting with anaesthesia at the hospital, Hayley trains both veterinary surgeon and veterinary nursing students in animal welfare, handling and pain management.

 

Hayley’s achievements are not limited to the UK, as she also works for the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. This role has enabled her to share veterinary nursing and animal welfare education skills with partners across the world, including Bosnia-Herzegovina and India.

 

Kathy Kissick is the chair of the VN Council, and was on the panel of council members who chose Hayley for this award out of six nominations. She said: “We had six high-calibre and impressive nominations for the Golden Jubilee Award this year and Hayley was chosen because of her extensive work above and beyond her normal role as a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) with regard to ambassadorial role for the RVN.”

 

Hayley will be presented with the award at RCVS Day – the college’s Annual General Meeting and Awards day – on July 11.

 

Hayley commented: “I am incredibly thrilled to be receiving this award and would like to thank my colleagues who nominated me…

 

"Veterinary nurses are very well placed to improve not only patient experience when they are being treated but also, after the patients leave, through the education of animal owners.

 

"We must never stop caring, never stop learning and never stop trying to make a difference for every animal that comes into our lives. I am very grateful for this honour and would like to thank the RCVS for awarding it to me.”

 

For more information about this award, and the Golden Jubilee please visit the RCVS website.