The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) awarded honorary membership to three deserving individuals during the recent awards ceremony held at the BVNA Congress on Friday 11th October. BVNA President Louisa Baker (pictured right) joined by Chief Veterinary Officer of the RSPCA James Yeates (pictured left) awarded Sue Badger, Anne McBride and Julian Hoad lifetime Honorary Membership for their years of dedicated work and continued support of the veterinary nursing profession.
Sue Badger MEd CertEd VN
Sue Badger has been a prominent figure in the veterinary nursing profession for many years. Sue served two separate terms as a BVNA Council member and was the association’s President during 2010/2011.
Sue has worked extremely hard in developing the BVNA members’ publication, the VNJ, into a more professional source of information/education and continues with this work as its current Editor in Chief. She also represents the BVNA and veterinary nurses on the RCVS VN Legislative Working Party, offering her insight, experience and knowledge to this important area of nursing.
Julian Hoad BVetMed BSc(Hons) MRCVS
Julian began lecturing for Margaret Moore from 1997 on her veterinary nursing course. This led to other day courses and practice CPD events for other VN education suppliers. Julian was invited onto the BVNA Congress Committee a couple of years ago and helps with selecting topics and sourcing lecturers for the scientific programme.
Julian was asked to write the Handbook of Surgical Nursing for Veterinary Nurses in 2006 and he hopes it has been useful to veterinary nurses. This year, he was asked to speak at the BVNA Roadshow, presenting a series of anaesthetic lectures around the country.
Since the time he has qualified, Julian says he has seen the profession rise in stature to a level that can now be truly measured against its peers in the veterinary profession.
Dr Anne McBride BSc PhD FRSA
Anne’s involvement with the veterinary nursing profession came when she was almost 14 years of age and went to work for her local vet at weekends and evenings, which she continued to do for the next 6 years. Anne found it fascinating but also realised that a career as a vet or veterinary nurse was not for her, she was more interested in animal and human behaviour so undertook a psychology degree and then a PhD in rabbit behaviour.
It was some 15 years later that Anne’s path was to cross that of the veterinary nursing profession again when she started working as a behaviour counsellor and setting up puppy classes.
Anne was instrumental in setting up the first course in animal behaviour counselling at Southampton University along with Sarah Heath and John Fisher. She has been a speaker on the BVNA’s Companion Animal Behaviour Course since its inception and has been asked to speak at BVNA Congress on many occasions. Anne joined the BVNA Congress committee in 2010 where she assists BVNA in putting together their scientific programme.