From bandages to big adventures: what does it take to be a vet nurse?

That’s exactly what vet nurse Sadie does! She’s part of the WVS Vet Nurse Taskforce – a team of amazing vet nurses who travel from clinic to clinic helping animals around the world.

Right now, Sadie is finishing the first part of her journey in Malawi, a country in the heart of Africa, where many animals don’t always have access to the vet care they need to stay healthy. We caught up with her to chat about dung beetles, owls in chimneys, and how she ended up on this incredible adventure!

Well, so much! Probably more than people realise. Vet nurses help with operations, give medicine, answer the phones, and perform small operations ourselves! Some vet nurses even have their own special subject that they are trained in such as animal behaviour, dermatology (skin issues) and emergency care. We look after all kinds of animals and speak up for them when they can’t. No two days are the same!

It’s become a part of who I am. Whether I’m helping on the farm, looking after my pets, or even rescuing an owl from a chimney (true story!), I use my nursing skills every day.

I’ve always loved nature! When I was little, my dad and I would lift logs by the railway, searching for mice and crickets. I started my vet nurse career by studying animal care and volunteering. I worked as a receptionist in a vet clinic and then as a trainee nurse. In some clinics we’re called “auxiliary nurses” until we pass our exams and become “registered nurses”.You can study at university to become a vet nurse, but I took the hands-on route as I learn better by doing! I was given a great opportunity by a clinic who offered to put me through my training, and I learned so much from working directly with all the different specialists. I never would have imagined that I would end up working in Malawi!

There’s no such thing! We check on patients, do surgeries, and handle emergencies. People walk for hours to get here, often children bringing their family pets. It’s amazing how much they care.

You end up spending more time with other people’s animals than your own! But that’s just part of the job – and honestly? You treat every patient like they’re yours anyway.

A pangolin, water buffalo and a bateleur eagle, but the coolest is the dung beetle! They can push the same amount of weight as a human trying to push six double-decker buses. I saw one rolling its ball of poo, totally focused. It had lions and birds all around, but it didn’t care.

Always! I wear a pouch I can quickly put on or take off that holds scissors, pens, a stethoscope, a tourniquet (a special band to help stop heavy bleeding) and even a tiny guide for medicine doses.

Animals pick up on our emotions. If I’m stressed, they feel it too. It’s all about helping them feel safe, using gentle handling, patience, and listening closely to what they’re trying to tell you.

A dog recovering from surgery had some… tummy issues. We could smell it, but couldn’t find it, it was like it had vanished! That was until the nurse who was holding him found it in her pocket! That dog had great aim.

I’d ask mosquitoes why they only bite my left leg. Seriously, what’s that about?

Yes! If you have any questions, I’d love to hear them. Keep learning and stay curious. There are lots of different ways you can work with animals. My vet nursing qualification has given me a steady career that works well alongside other roles, whether they involve animals or not.