Page 45 - eclipse - Autumn 2018

CLASSNOTES
The Global Vet Nurse
Career
update
by Ali Bee
Ali Bee (nee Ward) updates us on life since Graduation:
“I qualified in 1990 and after working in Kent and then Hong Kong, I moved to Magnetic Island in Australia in 2000. As well as working in companion animal practice I also became involved in wildlife care.
For the past 15 years we have been involved as a family in koala care and we started Magnetic Island Koala Hospital in 2013/14. It is only a small not-for-profit rehabilitation centre, but we try.
We were also incredibly lucky to be chosen to feature in an Animal Planet and The Dodo collaboration documentary that aired in March/ April this year”
By Daina Rawlings
As an RVC student, ticking all the boxes along the way to Graduation, I completed the BSc Nursing 4th year and realised I wasn’t quite ready to settle into that routine work life. I wanted to keep pushing myself and ultimately became an Emergency and Critical Care nurse at the QMHA. As a very green nurse this was a very steep learning curve, but the best career decision I ever made.
At the risk of life becoming too routine, after a few years I decided to spend some time working and travelling abroad. I visited Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Philippines, New Zealand and Singapore ... from this The Global Vet Nurse was born.
The idea of The Global Vet Nurse is to open minds to the opportunities to work and travel abroad and how to use your current contacts to get there.
Have your cake and eat it! Why not?
Veterinary is everywhere, whether its gold standard referral, charity or wildlife work, you’ve just got to get out there.
Yes travelling sounds expensive, but working and travelling is probably what you do at home, it’s just this time it’s in the sunshine and normally with a better work/life balance.
The Global Vet Nurse’s top tips:
Don’t be afraid to ask: If you have worked with someone and made a good impression, they will happily help you with your next move.
Get out of your comfort zone:
Put yourself in an environment that challenges you.
Experience as much as possible:
Once in a lifetime experiences don’t have to be once in a lifetime.
Enjoy the moment: It’s great to have goals, but don’t let your goals hold you back from other things. Be flexible and open to opportunities that come along.
For me the life experience of working with such a variety of cultures and settings has been incredible. I have
done things I never would have thought
I could, like wrestle a cheetah on ketamine, out run a rhino, teach nurses who don’t speak English or pull my friend out of a glacier pool.
Travelling is unpredictable, much
like veterinary, but the feeling of accomplishment and personal growth is what keeps me wanting to do more.
For all future adventures follow @theglobalvetnurse on Instagram.
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