What was your inspiration in starting the Positive Vet Nurse?
Becoming locum was her key to freedom and flexibility
But not before having a mental breakdown first. Elle was in a tricky position and had moved jobs due to stress and burnout, but it didn’t solve the problem in the way she thought it would and didn’t work out as she had intended. She was ready to quit and even start looking for work outside her profession.
One door closed, another door open
Luckily for her, a good friend recommended locum as an option.
Though it works for Elle, she recognizes it’s not for everyone and it’s not about dissuading people from the profession and doesn’t want to give it a negative reputation.
Her advice to individuals thinking about pursuing the veterinary profession and new graduates is that research is key. You need to get as much experience as you can anyway as a vet nurse. Following pages and profiles helped her navigate the landscape too.
When it comes to stress relievers, Elle stresses things like holidays, books, walking – all seems simple. That’s the point though, Elle reminds people that disassociation is key and being able to switch off is a healthy way to cope with stress and should be part of your daily life.
Equality and transparency in the veterinarian industry is key
Vets Panel, an online members-only community for vets and nurses, shares opinions and experiences on different issues. In an article, they cited:
Those who reject the idea of systemic gender inequality in STEM hold up the veterinary industry as an example to prove their point, often accompanied by comments such as:
This view is problematic. Firstly, it assumes that a profession becomes “female dominated” as soon as women outnumber men by count. Secondly, it completely ignores the everyday experience of women in veterinary medicine.
We ask Elle what her thoughts on this are recognising gender bias and misogynistic structures as we feel it’s important to highlight truths in aid of transparency and justice across industry.
In parallel though, Elle wonders if there’s a gap in that there aren’t many male vet nurses. And we don’t know why. Is it that the public perceives that men are the vets and women are the nurses? Because that isn’t true at all.
Or is it that mental has something to do with it?
As we crack conversations wide open, not talking about things is backed up by several studies. Vet Help Direct reference “a study that showed 75% of vet students wouldn’t want anyone to know they were suffering from mental illness and a study interviewing 21 UK vets who experienced suicidal thoughts had not talked to anyone about their problems because they felt ashamed.”
Luckily this paradigm is shifting, through several efforts across the world and in honest conversations like we’ve had with Elle in this podcast. For more advice, check out our first episode with Rory the Vet, where emphasizes the importance of registering your emotions and remembering who you are outside of your profession.
For resources mentioned in this podcast:
@thepositivevetnurse
Vetlife