VN candidate advocates 'educational culture'
Susan Howarth is programme manager for a range of veterinary nursing courses at Harper Adams University.
Veterinary nurse Susan Howarth hopes to promote an 'educational culture' in which education is built around the busy practising nurse, if she is elected to the VN Council this year.
She is one of two new candidates standing for election to the council. Existing members Andrea Jeffery and Marie Rippingale are also standing for re-election.
Mrs Howarth believes the veterinary nursing profession can be best promoted through the advancement of knowledge and skills. However, while nurses want the opportunity to excel and drive the profession forward, they 'do not want to feel forced to leave the coalface in order to do so,' she writes in her candidate manifesto.
'I strongly believe that we must tailor education to the needs of these nurses if we are to continue the positive development and growth of the veterinary nursing profession.'
Before qualifying as a veterinary nurse in 1997, she trained at a busy first-opinion practice in Manchester where she was inspired to further her knowledge and skills, going on to achieve the DipAVN(Surgical) and the DipAVN(Medical).
She became involved in training student nurses at the practice around this time, going on to lecture at the College of Animal Welfare in 2003. She gained a Certificate in Education in 2005 and a top up Bsc(Hons) in Veterinary Nursing in 2010.
Having worked with Harper Adams University since 2009 she is now employed as the programme manager for a range of veterinary nursing courses. For the past few years she has also been a member of the RCVS veterinary nursing education committee, as a representative of higher education providers.
Voting in the VN Council elections will begin on the week beginning 13 March.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
