Vet nurse says shifts provide variety and keep her motivated and enthusiastic
Tanya Burrough is one of a growing number of vets and vet nurses choosing to work weekend-only shifts at Vets Now.
The 44-year-old, who grew up on a farm in South Africa but now lives in the south of England with her husband Richard and their terriers Bobbi and Djenga, already holds down a part-time job as an internal verifier.
This four-day-a-week role involves supporting students while they complete their training to become RVNs.
But at the weekends Tanya keeps her hand in at a clinical level by doing day shifts in our busy Reading clinic.
She says she enjoys the variety this work provides.
Make your weekends work
For you. Your life. Your career. Working when you want, for the life you want.
Weekend vacanciesTanya explains: “Having left private practice five years ago, I started to miss the hands-on clinical work and looked to get back into it.
“Taking on this role has allowed me to maintain my clinical skills, but it also keeps me motivated and enthusiastic about constantly learning new things. The flexible shift pattern at Vets Now works really well for me, too.”
Our weekend-only roles tend to suit ambitious clinicians keen to experience the cut-and-thrust of emergency practice, working parents who need time off during the week for childcare or perhaps locums looking for a little more stability.
One of the main reasons they’re attractive is they provide an enhanced rate of pay and a full package of benefits no matter how many shifts people commit to.
Tanya, who studied for a diploma in vet nursing at the University of Pretoria before moving to the UK and spending 10 years as a head nurse, says she’s been made to feel like a valued part of the team in Reading despite not working many hours a month.
“I work one in four-weekend day shifts and the flexibility of the annualised hours works well for me,” she says. “It’s great working with and learning from veterinary surgeons and nurses that are dedicated to their roles and often very knowledgeable in ECC.
“The induction programmes and CPD access are also very comprehensive. I’ve enjoyed and learned from all of the CPD I’ve completed since joining Vets Now as well as the clinical governance forums that are open to vets and vet nurses.”
At Vets Now, we’re single-minded in our quest to support vets and vet nurses who want to pursue their passion – and our aim is to help staff build their career around their lifestyle, not their lifestyle around their career.
Our weekend vet and vet nurse shifts are ideal for those looking to gain new skills and career progression without committing to a full-time role.
There are shifts available for vets and vet nurses across our clinic and hospital network and we are happy to work with candidates to agree on a shift pattern that works for them.
This might involve working every weekend, every second or third weekend, or perhaps just one weekend a month. For more information, call our recruitment team on 01383 841181 or contact us here.
