Faith Stanfield – CAFRE Alumni

Faith Stanfield from Holywood, County Down, a former CAFRE, Greenmount Campus student, took some time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her education, career, and passion for animals. 

What course did you study at the College of Agriculture and Rural Enterprise? 

I completed the City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing at Greenmount Campus, CAFRE, graduating in 2019. I attended class two days a week for lectures for the first two years. I also spent a further year compiling an electronic nursing progress log (NPL) which provided a complete record of the clinical skills I had learned throughout my training. My final assessment was OSCE exams which assessed my practical veterinary nursing skills. Whilst studying at CAFRE, I was also required to work full-time in a veterinary clinic as a Student Veterinary Nurse. This provided me with confidence and the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge that I learnt in class into practice. Although this was difficult at times, I found it very beneficial. It meant that everything I learnt was relevant and it helped me to do my job to a higher standard, understanding the reasons behind why I was doing some of my tasks. 

Why did you decide to study at CAFRE and how has it influenced your career? 

I have always had a passion for pets and animals. My cousin is a Veterinary Nurse and from a young age I would have been in her practice at the weekends, if she was on call. I also work shadowed her for one week to see what was involved and this confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career in veterinary nursing. In 2013, I completed the Level 2 Animal Nursing Assistant course at Greenmount Campus, so I was familiar with CAFRE and I had kept in contact with some of the teaching staff over the years. This interest led me to apply to study for the Level 3 Veterinary Nursing qualification at Greenmount Campus in 2016. At graduation, I was delighted to be awarded the prize for the top achievement across the Level 3 Veterinary Nursing Diploma course. 

Tell me a little about your current job? 

Upon successful completion of the qualification, I completed my enrolment with the RCVS so I could practice as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN). I currently work as a Registered Veterinary Nurse at Glenn Veterinary Clinic, Bangor. Being registered means I am on the RCVS list of registered nurses that is recognised in other countries, such as, Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the UK. As a result, I can travel with this qualification and work abroad which was a big positive for me. My job covers a variety of tasks, from caring for sick animals to running my own nursing clinics, taking and running blood samples and monitoring anesthetics. The nursing role is so wide and every day is different. What you do one day could be totally different to the jobs you do the next. This variety of work keeps my job interesting and rewarding. No day is ever the same! 

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in veterinary nursing? 

There are so many opportunities available and I would encourage all students to grasp them when they can. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and go for it! I would recommend someone thinking of going down the veterinary nursing route to do their research – try to get in and work in a veterinary practice for a while, speak to as many nurses as they can and make sure it is the job they want to do.  Working as a veterinary nurse is hard work, but it is also extremely rewarding. It’s a stimulating and challenging job that requires lots of different skills. You need to have a passion for pets, a strong stomach to cope with the unpleasant sights and smells and the stamina to stand on your feet all day. I feel it is important to highlight that most people follow this career path as they have desire to help care for animals and not for the financial rewards or perks of the job.   

Would you recommend studying at CAFRE? 

I enjoyed my time immensely at Greenmount Campus. I would recommend studying this course at CAFRE to anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in veterinary nursing. I gained invaluable skills and experience that has helped me do my job to a higher standard. If you are passionate about the job, then the course will be enjoyable for you and easier to learn. It is always easier to study a subject that you have a genuine interest in. If veterinary nursing sounds like something that interests you, I would encourage you to look at the courses available at CAFRE. CAFRE contact details are: www.cafre.ac.uk Discover CAFRE on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, Freephone: 0800 028 4291; Email: enquiries@cafre.ac.uk