Agria awards recognise the best of NI’s veterinary nurses
The very best animal nurses are celebrating after lifting gongs at the Northern Ireland Veterinary Nursing Awards, sponsored by Agria Pet Insurance.
The beautiful grounds at Flatfields House was the venue for an awards picnic which saw vet nurses from across Northern Ireland swap their scrubs for glad rags and the chance to win a bottle of bubbly for best dressed.
However, the big prizes on offer were all about recognising those who has gone above and beyond to make a significant and positive impact on the lives of animals and their owners.
Virtual judging teams from Agria, BVNA, and AVSPNI hailed the exceptional quality of all the nominees but when it came to choosing the NI Veterinary Nurse of the Year, Asli Yavaz from Belfast’s Cedar Grove Clinic came out on top.
In a year marked by challenges posed by the pandemic, her nomination read: “Asli has shown us how important our mental health is. She has developed a series of regular one-to-one sessions with all our nursing team, checking to see each individual is managing and what support is required in a very caring and confidential manner.
“It is this and her expertise that makes us want to nominate Asli for this award. The community around Cedar Grove is a better place for having Asli.”
In the Student Nurse of the Year category Rebekah Hemsworth from Glenburn Veterinary Clinic in Glengormley beat stiff competition from Christine O’Neil of V4P on Boucher Road and Lyn Thompson from Millburn Veterinary Clinic to take the honours, with her nomination noting “nothing’s ever too much, fantastic attitude and loves her job”.
A new award for the event in 2021, organised by Agria Pet Insurance business development manager Susue Hill, with support from the BVA’s Louise Taylor and AVSNI, was for Clinical Coach of the Year.
Taking the inaugural prize was Rebecca McKee from Ashwood Veterinary Centre in Castlreagh, with fellow nominees Anna Kenny, also from Ashwood and Lynne Montgomery of Belfast’s Firmount Clinic.
‘Heart-warming attitudes’
Rebecca was praised as a “battle-hardened clinical coach, who, so far, has coached three nurses to registration and currently has another well on her way”,
Hailing the nominees and winners, Agria’s Susie Hill said: “Veterinary practice has been busier than ever with the increase in pets and the COVID precautions that make the working day ever more complex and demanding for the team.
“The heart-warming attitudes of our nominees were incredible to read, and it is great to be able to recognise such talent.”
Other winners included:
- Special award – Olga Keenan Cedar Grove- Lynne Montgomery – Firmount
- NI Animal Nursing Assistant of the Year – Jazmine Davidson – Rathgael Veterinary Clinic, Bangor
- NI Veterinary Receptionist of the Year – Bridget Murphy -Castle Vets, Castlewellan
- NI Re-homing and Charity Champion of the Year Special Award -Lauren Newell – WillowsSign up to our newsletter here >>>> http://eepurl.com/bD5ouH
