Our Nettie awards honour colleagues who display our values

AN RVN who has helped to drive her clinic forward after stepping up to the role of Head Nurse has been rewarded with a Nettie.

Colleagues at Riverview Vets in Kinsale nominated Rebecca Rourke for the award which honours team members who demonstrate our values of being respectful, supportive, dedicated, approachable and working collaboratively.

Every month, VetPartners awards Netties to colleagues across the VetPartners family.

Along with our other May winners, Rebecca receives a £250 Love2shop voucher, a cuddly Nettie mascot and a certificate.

Riverview Vets practice manager Paul Woulfe and vet Fiona McQuaid nominated her for the award.

Paula, pictured above with Rebecca, said: “After stepping up to the role of head nurse in Kinsale, she is working with a new front of house team and quickly gained the trust of our clients which can be tricky in a small town.

"She helped to get our multi parameter anaesthetic monitoring machine which has increased our level of anaesthetic monitoring, resulting in better patients outcomes.”

RVN Sara Sturgess, who helped an 18-year-old cat have a peaceful end to life, while treating his distressed elderly owner with kindness and compassion, has also been rewarded with a VetPartners Nettie.

Sara, pictured left with vet Amy Greentree who nominated her, was working at the Sandhurst branch of Ashworth Vets when an elderly and housebound client called the practice to say her elderly cat was sick and needed help.

The client’s daughter also called to express concerns that the cat was suffering because her mother was sadly in denial about its condition because the treasured pet was a lifeline for the widow.

Sara went to the elderly client’s home and examined the female cat, and gently explained to its owner how it was slipping away and asked if she could take it into the surgery.

The owner agreed but, first, Sara made her a cup of tea and sat talking about her memories of the cat, her late husband and how she used to love dancing. After an hour, she helped settle the cat on the owner’s lap for a final goodbye and, when the client was ready, she took the cat to the practice to be put to sleep.

Amy, who nominated her, said: “The care that Sara showed to a complete stranger and her pet while not expecting anything in return is exactly the kind of qualities we need to value in our profession. Sara went above and beyond to preserve animal welfare while respecting the wishes of the client.”

A vet and an RVN who gave up their Bank Holiday weekend plans to look after a dog with Parvo after receiving an SOS from a charity are also among our latest Nettie winners.

Kelsey Taylor , an RVN, stayed overnight at the practice all weekend caring for the dog, and vet Claire Bastain came in to relieve her and give her medication over the weekend.

Clinical director Julian Platts said: “Kelsey and Claire went far above and beyond what we would expect of them and we are proud to nominate them for a Nettie.”

Congratulations to our May winners:

Bekky Andrews and Dan Holden – Admin and Head Nurse, Armstrong Vets

Lindsay Munton – Clinical support assistant and pharmacy manager, Ash Tree vets

Lucy Craddock – Senior receptionist, Nene Veterinary Group

Laura Eaton – Vet tech, Broughton/Cross Counties Farm Vets

Stacey York – Receptionist, Mimram Vets

Rebecca Rourke – RVN, Riverview Vets

Victoria Samba – RVN, Tameside Vets

Stuart Bartle -  Maintenance, Wilson Vets

Sara Sturgess – RVN, Ashworth Vets

Kelsey Taylor and Claire Bastain – RVN and vet, Palmer & Duncan

If you know of someone who demonstrates all of our values and deserves a Nettie, you can nominate them here on MyVetPartners or email recognition@vetpartners.co.uk

Explain to us how they demonstrated our values and why they deserve an award.