The winners of the BVNA Northern Ireland Veterinary Nursing Awards 2014 have now been announced. The event, now in its seventh year was initiated to help veterinary nurses receive wider recognition of their work. Again the quality of the nominations reflects the growing appreciation of the tremendous efforts veterinary nurses put into caring for their patients and animals in the wider community.
The winners are:
*NI Vet Nurse of the Year*
Helen Gourley from Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.
The BVNA NI Regional-Coordinator Paula Quinn RVN MBVNA says ‘Helen is the embodiment of what the veterinary nursing profession is all about. Her caring and compassionate nature is a shining example to the general public. She is dedicated to animal care and everyone at BVNA NI is proud to name her Veterinary Nurse of the Year.’
*NI Charity Vet Nurse of the Year*
Emma Addy from the PDSA in Belfast.
When it came to choosing the NICharity Veterinary Nurse of the Year there was one nominee that really stood out. The judges described Emma’s nomination as ‘very moving’ and someone who is ‘clearly dedicated to animal welfare’. She was nominated by many colleagues, clients and pet owners for her efforts to help stray and feral animals.
*NI Student Vet Nurse of the Year*
Leanne McLeod from Earlswood Veterinary Hospital in Belfast.
Leanne was nominated by many of her colleagues who describe her as someone who ‘eats, sleeps and breathes animals’ and is always ‘fast, observant and attentive to the patients in her care’. She is the worthy recipient of the Student Veterinary Nurse of the Year Award which colleagues say will give Leanne the ‘confidence to continue her studies and achieve her goal of becoming a Qualified Veterinary Nurse’.
*NI Animal Nursing Assistant of the Year*
Ciara Wilson from St Elmo Veterinary Clinic in Londonderry.
Colleagues described Ciara as a ‘very loyal and sincere member of the team’ and someone all staff feel they can rely on when things get busy. Putting her hand to any task given her, Ciara is a ‘dedicated and hard working woman’ who always does her utmost to help anyone out. Ciara is involved in all aspects of the clinic, from providing assistance to the vets performing surgery, to reception duties and caring for inpatients; her breadth of experience and ability to adapt is second to none.
The winners will receive gift vouchers and trophies to recognise their outstanding contributions to the veterinary nursing profession.
Speaking on behalf of the event sponsors, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Hill’s NI & CI VN Territory Manager Susie Hill thanked everyone involved with the event and congratulated the winners, ‘Once again, I’ve been humbled by the efforts of veterinary nurses who care so passionately for their patients and animals across the community. Everyone at Hill’s is proud to be associated with this event and to support the veterinary community in Northern Ireland.’
Left to right: Hill’s NI & CI VN Territory Manager Susie Hill, Leanne McLeod, Emma Addy, Helen Gourley, President of the BVNA Kirstie Shield, Regional Co-ordinator NI VN awards Diane Young.