Moving into veterinary radiography
I spent 20 years working in radiology within the NHS ( Figure 1 ) – including 3 years as a student and 15 years full time post qualification . In September 2020 , I made the decision to return to the veterinary profession . I had previously considered returning in some capacity in the future , but when a radiology colleague told me about a vacancy for a radiographer at a veterinary referral hospital , the opportunity was too good to miss . The referral hospital was local to me , it had acquired a mobile MRI scanner for its fledgling neurology service , and I was familiar with how this type of scanner worked as I had been trained on a similar model . I would also have the opportunity to use other imaging equipment commonly used in the NHS .
Had I been a radiographer with no veterinary background , the transition from human healthcare to the veterinary profession would have been different . In my case , soon after starting the role , I realised how many skills are transferable between the two professions . Despite having left veterinary practice nearly two decades previously , I felt like I had never been away .
Figure 1 . The author in his role as radiographer in the NHS .
Good communication skills and empathy are vital in the role , as patients can be of any age and may present with comorbidities . There may also be language barriers or other issues that arise during their radiology examination . Communication skills are equally important within the radiology team and multidisciplinary medical teams , to ensure that the correct examination is performed using the correct imaging modality and that findings or concerns are communicated appropriately , accurately and effectively .
Radiographers have to be able to quickly adapt their working practices according to where they are required to perform examinations or procedures . A patient ' s condition may deteriorate rapidly , requiring a ‘ crash call ’ for situations such as cardiac arrest or anaphylaxis . The emergency stroke pre-alert may go off , alerting a radiographer that a patient will be arriving for an urgent CT scan in the next 10 minutes or a trauma case is incoming – all of which require a rapid rethink of the day ' s caseload in order to accommodate a critical case .
In many ways , the radiology work in veterinary and human healthcare is comparable , but there are some key differences . Veterinary patients are a range of species and breeds of differing shapes and sizes , and sedation or anaesthesia is usually required to position them effectively for diagnostic imaging . We also see fewer patients each day in the veterinary profession than in human healthcare . My veterinary nursing background complemented my radiology role and , similarly , I have adapted techniques and approaches I learned in the NHS to my work in the veterinary profession . Using this combined expertise , I have been able to assist my colleagues in providing diagnostic imaging , further develop my own skill set , contribute to the development of the imaging team and support the quality of the service we provide at the referral hospital .
Totting up transferable skills
The Cambridge Dictionary [ 3 ] defines transferable skills as ‘ skills used in one job or career that can also be used in another ’. A blog post on the Veterinary Internal Medicine Nursing website [ 4 ] describes VNs as possessing a ‘ hugely valuable skill set of transferable skills , which sets us up for success in pretty much any industry ’. The author also discusses how pursuing a niche is another way to diversify , by exploring an area of special interest from which others can benefit .
It is therefore no wonder that many VNs , myself included , have taken their professional skills and experience and , with appropriate additional training and qualifications , successfully diversified into roles in the human healthcare sector or pursued specialised career paths in the veterinary profession .
28 Veterinary Nursing Journal