I qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2018 and continued working at my local referral hospital, where I had trained during my qualification. I developed a keen interest in travelling, whilst I studied both animal care and veterinary nursing; I did Erasmus with my college in Estonia and went on a conservation trip to South Africa the year after, which I absolutely loved.
So, when I saw a job opening to be an Elf in Lapland, Finland, I immediately applied. I got offered the job, but unfortunately, my hospital were unable to provide me with a sabbatical as the time period, being over Christmas, was incredibly busy due to staff shortages in both veterinary practices, as well as Elf’s in Lapland. This left me in a sticky position; was I going to turn down an experience of a lifetime, or was I going to quit my ‘proper’ full time job that I had studied and worked so hard to achieve?
I had a few days to think about it and began researching how I could work as a Locum Veterinary Nurse, which would provide me with the flexibility to arrange my own working pattern and time off.
After much deliberation, I decided to follow my heart and quit my full time job at a hospital I adored, to yes, be an elf.
However, being an elf was just the start of it – when I returned from Lapland in January, I had my first Locum experience at referral hospital that I loved. I met some amazing people and experienced a new hospital environment with different specialists. The experience of being a locum worker has boosted my confidence as a Veterinary Nurse and, as a result, has encouraged me to continue working in a way that is better suited to my lifestyle.
I remained in this post for a few weeks initially, and once my assignment had ended, I started working as a seasonal Foal Nurse for the summer.
(Something I probably wouldn’t have been able to do if I were in a full time employment).
This allowed me to further my knowledge and experience into Equine referral Vet Nursing and expand my skills further while again boosting my confidence; with the job, but also personally, working with a brand new team, making new friends and living in a different area of the country.
I am now very lucky to be welcomed back as a Locum Veterinary Nurse at my local referral hospital again whenever I’m back in the UK, which is perfect for me!
Since becoming a Locum RVN, I have been able to participate in multiple volunteer projects around the world, including; Spain, Sardinia, Morocco, as well as spending last summer working in Barcelona at the Veterinary Hospital of Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and returning to Lapland for two more seasons as an Elf Team Leader!
The moral of my story is that I’m so glad I made the daunting decision to become a Locum Veterinary Nurse. I followed my heart, and it has allowed me to travel, remain doing the work I LOVE and volunteer abroad, all while becoming a better Veterinary Nurse for it. The last three years (despite the pandemic) have really been the best of my life.
I’ve had incredible experiences, and it was because I was able to take every opportunity that came my way!
Whilst it is not for everyone, my advice, which is formed from my positive experiences, would be; make the hard decision because nothing good ever came easy 😊
Written by Lucy Taylor
