Our nursing team consists of 3 qualified nurses and a trainee nurse. The nurses aim to provide the highest standard of care for your pet. They play a key role in theatre, by preparing them for surgery, monitoring anaesthesia and the recovery of the pet post-operatively. They are also hugely involved with our hospitalised pets; medicating them, carrying out routine checks and ensuring they are comfortable at all times, essentially providing them with the TLC that they are used to receiving at home. They are happy to greet you and answer any queries that you may have regarding your pet. Regular post-operative checks, suture removals and laboratory testing are all part of our daily schedule. Our most recent initiative, given the rise of animal obesity in Ireland are our free weight clinics, which to date have been a great success! Continuing professional development (CPD) is very important to the nursing staff. They attend various courses throughout the year ensuring that they are educated on the latest advances in Veterinary Nursing. With their combined experience they are confident in assisting the Veterinary Surgeons in all medical and surgical cases, from the routine procedures to the advanced orthopaedic and spinal surgeries! No matter what the pet or problem, each pet is cared for and nursed according to its individual needs.
Karen started training here at the Animal Care Hospital in 2005 and in 2008 she graduated from UCD with a diploma in Veterinary Nursing. She developed her love of animals from a young age, with her first ‘pet’ being a semi-feral cat!! Having failed to convince her parents that the horse she so wanted could be housed in the glasshouse (she has learned a lot since then!) they settled on a family dog. A temporary oversight brought her to Cork to study in UCC before she applied for Veterinary Nursing in UCD. She took over the role of head nurse in January 2009. She has a special interest in the intensive post-operative care and rehabilitation of our spinal and orthopaedic surgery patients.
Avril has been working at the Animal Care Hospital for almost 2 years and is training to be a veterinary nurse. She is currently studying a distance course for Veterinary Care Assistants and has a particular interest in the post-operative care of the in-patients and enjoys studying Anatomy & Physiology. Avril has the important role of handling all the pet insurance claims within the practice. She grew up on a farm so was always surrounded by animals. After work she enjoyes trekking through the woods with her 3 Elkhounds and 3 Mongrels- no matter what the weather!
Lisa is one of our qualified veterinary nurses. She joined the team here at the Animal Care Hospital in January 2009. Lisa started her training as a Veterinary Nurse in Dublin in 2000 and graduated with a certificate in Veterinary Nursing from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2003. She spent a year in Australia working as a locum Veterinary Nurse and then qualified and worked as a professional dog groomer. She is particularly interested in combating obesity in cats and dogs and runs (along with Karen) our very successful weight clinics for our portly pets. She has a beautiful tabby cat called Angel who she hand reared from a few days old and who according to her young son is “the best cat in the world”.
Maura joined the practice in 2008 and has just recently qualified with a certificate in veterinary nursing from St. John’s Central College. She has a special interest in the comfort and care of all our post-surgery patients. Maura had an interest in working with animals from a young age, which runs in the family, as her parents own a dairy farm. Maura has one dog called Buster who she enjoys taking for walks when she heads back to her home in Kerry. Maura spent a few weeks in France in the summer of 2008 doing work experience in a veterinary clinic, which she thoroughly enjoyed and proved that vet nursing was the career for her!