Radio Vet Nurse – Details, episodes & analysis

Hello and welcome to the second episode of “The Cat Walker Hour.”

I recorded this live interview in April 2024 at the VNCA Conference with very special guests Harold Davis, Amy Newfield and Leslie Wereszczak - a powerhouse trio of experience and international fame! The Cat Walker Hour is a light-hearted but serious session that I hope will empower and inspire listeners to navigate the challenges and opportunities we encounter in our careers. In a time where it feels like we’re exposed to a lot of negativity in the world, this is a feel-good celebration of who we are and what we do. 

The VNCA conference is one of my favourite events of the year and it’s always a great crew of people. I should explain that what you’re hearing at the start of this episode is me, dancing my way down the stairs in the main hall, getting the delegates clapping and grooving for some pre-show, end of conference fun. You’ll also hear the superstar trio literally running onto the stage, high tenning everyone in the front row on the way. Once the superstar guests are settled in with a glass of Prosecco and a question from me, I hand the interview over to the audience for an interactive Q&A session. The interview that unfolded was pure magic and such a beautiful high note upon which to end an amazing conference. 

Thank you as always to Trish Farry for envisioning this concept, to the superstar guests for being so candid and generous, and to the amazing VNCA Conference 2024 delegates for driving the interview. I hope you enjoy listening. 

If you want to see The Cat Walker Hour live, make sure you’re following me on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn where I’ll share the details of any upcoming events. If you’re planning a conference or event and are thinking about having The Cat Walker Hour on the program then head over to my website catwalkermediation.com. You can download my speaker kit there and reach out to me directly. 

This episode was brought to you by ⁠⁠Vetoquinol⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Vet Complaints Support⁠⁠. 

Hi and welcome to the 4th and final episode of the “Registered” mini-series. I’m Cat Walker. If this is your first time tuning into the “Registered” series you might want to go back and listen from the start. 

Over the past 3 episodes we’ve taken a deep dive into the topic of registration for veterinary nurses and technicians in Australia and the road to professionalisation. The reason I’ve made an entire mini-series on this topic is because there is no doubt in my mind that a national and mandatory registration framework for vet nurses and technicians in Australia is key to tackling multiple industry challenges. I really think this is the issue that underpins so many.

Thank you to Vetoquinol and Vet Complaints Support for their sponsorship of the “Registered” mini series. Make sure you hit the subscribe button on your podcast app so you don’t miss the next drop on Radio Vet Nurse. Links:

• Ackerman, L., 2024. The future of small animal veterinary practice. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 54(2), pp.223-234.
• AVBC Survey

CW: This episode of Radio Vet Nurse discusses substance use disorder and briefly mentions suicide. If these topics raise any issues you can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au and Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au Hi and welcome to Radio Vet Nurse Interrupted, I'm Cat Walker. For those of you that have listened to my podcast in the past - you may have realised that this episode already sounds a little bit different. In 2020 my life took a dramatic turn. I lived through a traumatic event. My whole family did. I went to ground and just survived. 18 months later, I'm ready to talk about what happened and where it sits in the big picture of our industry at the moment. Not only will I be exploring the vet industry crisis we are currently living in. But I'll also be speaking with some of the brightest brains in the industry to work out how we get through it. We'll look at the big changes that are needed, as well as things we can do as individuals. Thanks for joining me on Radio Vet Nurse Interrupted. This series may be uncomfortable at times - but I really believe the disruption is here and I thank you for joining me on the journey. This episode was sponsored by Vetoquinol Australia.

In this episode I caught up with fellow podcaster Yvonne Brandenburg RVT, VTS (SAIM) from Internal Medicine for Vet Techs. Yvonne is the creator of an online community of like-minded nurses and techs with an interest in the medicine side of vet med. Yvonne is a self-confessed type A person, always expanding her brain, always reaching towards the infinite possibilities. We spoke about the need to look after ourselves, remembering to be in the moment, and finding a renewed passion for our careers through continuing education and niching down. Yvonne has her VTS in small animal internal medicine, as does her partner in crime Jordan from Internal Medicine for Vet Techs. Together they're doing something really special to elevate our profession and to help others reignite a love of what they do. I'll put a link in the show notes to their online RACE approved learning community and their podcast. They're both amazing technicians and lovely people, so be sure to drop by and say hi to them on social media or through their website. Find Internal Medicine for Vet Techs on: - Facebook - Insta - Website Yvonne listens to these podcasts: • Radio Vet Nurse • Vet Tech Café • Anaesthesia Nerds • Cat Disgusted • Amy Porterfield We also discussed the viscoelastigram (VCM) which is a cool machine that measures the clot formation and breakdown. Read more at eClin Path and here is the machine Yvonne uses

In this episode I caught up with someone who always leaves me feeling sparkly and motivated - Vic. Where do we start? Vic is Australia's first VTS Nutrition and she exudes intelligence and self-awareness. She was almost literally born and raised in a vet clinic. Vic has a rare combination of clinical skills teamed with an intimate understanding of the veterinary business. If you're working in a leadership position or someone with an interest in nutrition, you're going to get a lot from this interview. In fact, anyone needing a little oomph to get them across the finish line of crazy old 2020 will get a lot from Vic. That's why I decided not to edit this interview down - even though we went a bit overtime - because it's not every day that I get to pick this wonderful brain. I'm excited to share Vic's strategies and insight about how to not just survive but thrive in our careers. She also reminded me of that simple goal we can sometimes overlook - be your best self. Vic listens to the following podcasts: - The Tony Robbins podcast - Mindset by design by Andy Murphy - Game of Grow - Mindset Mentor - Female Start-up Club - Pretty big deal by Ashley Graham - Veterinary innovation podcast We discussed how to access help and support: - Crampton Consulting COVID-19 Resource Hub - Nadine Hamilton - AVA 24hr hotline - VNCA wellness hub - Lifeline - Beyond Blue Reach out to Vic on Insta @victoriakoksvts or via email victoriakoks@outlook.com

You're listening to Radio Vet Nurse but not as you know it. In this bonus podcast mash up episode I had the pleasure of catching up with my veterinary podcast buddies. We decided to come together to say happy vet nurse day, happy vet tech week, and to check in with each other on vet life in the global pandemic. And - spoiler alert - vet life during covid19 has been crazy busy everywhere. If you listened to our last group episode you'll know my veterinary podcast friends Yvonne and Jordan from Internal Medicine For Vet Techs, Jeff and Dave from Vet Tech Cafe, Tasha from Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds, and Dr Lewis and Dr Robbie from Two Vets Talk Pets. Make sure you check out their shows too, I'll put links in the show notes and on social media. To my fellow Aussie listeners, happy vet nurse day! To all of you in the states, happy veterinary technician week. And to vet nurses, vet techs, veterinary assistants and students everywhere, I hope you're managing OK during these crazy times. Hosts: ● Jordan Porter, RVT, LVT, VTS SAIM and Yvonne Brandenburg, RVT, VTS SAIM from Internal Medicine For Vet Techs ● Cat Robinson, RVN, BA, LLB from Radio Vet Nurse ● Jeff Backus CVT, RVT, VTS (ECC) and Dave Cowan BA, CVT, VTS (ECC) from Vet Tech Café ● Tasha McNerney BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia) from Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds ● Dr Lewis Kirkham BVSc MRCVS MANZCVS (Animal Behaviour) and Dr Robbie Anderton BVSc MANCVS (Small Animal Medicine) from Two Vets Talk Pets

Ever since I started this podcast, people have been asking me to interview today's guest. I wanted to wait until we could meet and record in person, but since we're all grounded by covid19 for who knows how long, I decided that online would have to do for now. You might have heard of my guest, Jane Bindloss. Jane qualified as a veterinary nurse in the UK and eventually owned and managed a practice with her vet husband in Melbourne. She now runs SANE Veterinary Management with Sally Boyle, helping veterinary practices through leadership, coaching, and a push for the positive culture workplace. She's a founding member of the VNCA who has used her Jack Russell Terrier ways as a force for good in our industry. As you will learn from Jane, the unassuming Jack Russell Terrier should be a spirit animal for all of us. And as you call upon this dogged determination and cling to whatever it is you're fighting for in life, remember Jane's mantra "Never give up, never surrender!" We discussed: • SANE Veterinary Management http://sanevetmanagement.com.au/ o Contact Jane on 0418 176 170 or janeb@sanevetmanagement.com.au • Podcasts: o Blunt Dissection with Dr Dave Nicol o The Cone of Shame with Dr Andy Roark https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast/id1483387715 o The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast with Dr Andy Roark https://podcasts.apple.com/bh/podcast/the-uncharted-veterinary-podcast/id1449897688 o Conversations with Richard Fidler https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/ • The 4-eyes drug control system by Dr Andy Roark https://drandyroark.com/what-do-we-do-about-suicide/ • Time management tools such as: o Covey's grid http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2015/stephen-coveys-time-management-matrix-explained/ o Esso's StepBack 5 x 5 https://www.safetyrisk.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2010/12/StepBack_5x5.pdf • AVNAT https://www.vnca.asn.au/avnat/

In this episode I caught up with Jeff Backus, veterinary technician and fellow podcaster. Jeff and his mate Dave host one of my favourite podcasts, the Vet Tech Café, so it was super fun to put him on the on the other side of the mic for a change. We talked about his career path from being a veterinary assistant in a GP practice to VTS in Emergency and Critical Care. He's been quite involved with academia throughout this career too having worked as adjunct professor, and currently working at Tufts University mainly in ICU. If you enjoy this episode, the dulcet tones of Jeff's voice, and his considered insight, then make sure you head over to The Vet Tech Café and have a listen. As always I will put a link in the show notes, or just search The Vet Tech Café in your podcast app. And, you're welcome. We discussed: • The Vet Tech Café • The Vetcorder • The Calm app • The Headspace app • Uprise EAP

In this episode I caught up with Michelle, who has been recommended for the show many times. Michelle coordinates the blood bank at the Animal Hospital at Murdock. This is just one of many interesting phases of Michelle's career including working as a zoo vet nurse and qualified zoo keeper, and volunteering on a bear rescue sanctuary in remote Vietnam. Michelle has some great advice on how to be a career veterinary nurse, including being strategic about career jumps, moves, side steps and even exit plans. And this of course is the secret to staying fresh and motivated in your career. I really enjoyed interviewing Michelle and feel like we only just scratched the surface of what she has to say. Michelle is happy for anyone to reach out to her with questions about blood banking in practice, so I'll put a link to the Animal Hospital at Murdock in the show notes. We also discussed: • Michelle did her fear free training with Fear Free • Serena Dean from a previous episode also has a fear free training platform called Stress Free Pets • Perth Zoo • Free the Bears • Contact Michelle via the Animal Hospital at Murdock

In this episode I had the pleasure of meeting Hannah, Physio RVN. One of Hannah's colleagues reached out to me and recommended her as a guest. I jumped straight onto Hannah's Instagram account @physio.rvn and found myself scrolling through her content with a huge smile on my face. It's this exquisite combination of didactic physio and rehabilitation posts with beautiful photos, and these funny self-deprecating photos of Hannah's vet nurse life. Hannah is the nursing team lead at Pennard Vets in the UK. She's an RVN and is also nearly finished her diploma in animal physiotherapy. She's down to earth, lovely, and has a quirky sense of humour that shines through in her online content. She also makes me want to do my diploma in animal physiotherapy. Maybe one day. If you're in a supervisory role as nursing team lead, team supervisor, practice manager, Hannah has some great things to say about working in these positions. She's had the benefit of training and seems to have found a sound approach that really works for her. I would be happy to be on a team with Hannah holding the reins. We discussed: • Hannah's diploma in animal physiotherapy • Hannah's Insta account • Alan Robinson • Katie Ford