I have the best interests of all RVNS, small animal and equine, at heart.”

Marie Rippingale believes communication is the key to minimising conflict

“It would be really nice to see the veterinary nursing profession getting involved with issues raised and dealt with by the VN council,” says Marie Rippingale, who is standing in the 2015 VN Council election. “I think communication is the key to minimising conflict, however this has to come from both sides.”

Marie, a head nurse and clinical coach at Scarsdale Vets, is one of three nurses standing for election. As a qualified REVN, she firmly believes that communication between the RCVS and members of the profession could be improved.

“I think better communication is the key. Also, I think the more members of the profession that get involved, the stronger the relationship will be.

“One of the first steps to getting involved is to vote in the VN Council elections. Make sure that you pick a candidate that you can trust and will uphold your values.

“There is a lot of scope for communication, from plain old fashioned phone calls, to emails and the RCVS Facebook page.”

If elected to council, Marie would like to help further the progression of the profession and increase public awareness of veterinary nurses in general.

“I’m very excited at the prospect of being involved with the VN Council [now that] the Charter [has come] into force and we are rightly recognised as a profession.

“As a DipAVN (Equine) I am very aware of the importance of high standards of patient and client care. I am very keen to make evidence-based medicine more widely used and recognised within the profession to keep us up to date and moving forward.”

The election results will be published in early May and the successful candidates will begin their terms of office at the RCVS Annual General Meeting, held in July.

No stranger to fitting extra duties in and around her normal working life, Marie already provides CPD for BVNA, XL Vets and BEVA on a regular basis. As a lecturer on the Level Three Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, she has a real passion for teaching and creating useful and informative CPD – something which she feels would be a useful addition to the VN Council.

“Please do not discount me because I am an equine nurse,” she said. “I have the best interests of all RVNS, small animal and equine, at heart.”

To read our full interview with Marie, visit www.vetcommunity.com. Log in or sign up for a free account to discuss the elections in the VetCommunity chatter zone.