Thomas Gwynne

Hi, I’m Tom and I’m studying Veterinary Nursing, a career I have no doubt will be fulfilling, rewarding, challenging and filled with opportunity.

I chose Veterinary Nursing because I love animals

Developing my medical knowledge of a variety of species, and being able to use this to make a difference to their lives, gives me a sense of purpose.

Hartpury University stood out to me for the high quality of its facilities, unique campus and handling opportunities with the animals and farm on campus.

I’ve already seen a huge development in my emotional and academic maturity. I challenge myself to take advantage of every opportunity, academic and social, and feel more outgoing and confident.

My first year as a Vet Nursing student

A typical day would start at 8am, brewing a flask of coffee to take to my morning lectures! I would meet my friends on the way and walk down to the lecture theatre. In between lessons, I’d grab a full breakfast from the cafeteria or a coffee and flapjack from Red & Black, the campus café. After lectures, I’d head to the gym or go for a walk around the beautiful country campus.

I met most of my friends during Freshers’ Week. It’s easy to meet people when you’re all in the same boat. I enjoy living with my friends in an adult environment – making memories with good company.

My favourite lecture was Anatomy and Physiology. I’m a sucker for biology and love learning about muscles and how things work. This has been a great foundation for my other modules. For practical sessions, I enjoyed learning the basics of snake and reptile handling.

My Clinical Placement is a journey of self-improvement

Now I’m in my second year, I’m working in a local small animal practice. I enjoy being able to learn from likeminded professionals, exercise theory in practice and gain practical experience. I’m able to get hands on and can see my progress when I’m trusted with more responsibility. I started with the basics; handling and hygiene, and moved on to dispense requests, taking bloods and nurse consults.

The most rewarding feeling

It goes without saying that making a difference to an animal’s health – when they come in with a severe complication and leave to live a longer, happier life – is the most rewarding feeling.

It’s important to know what to expect from your career. It’ll be challenging and you need to know you have the strength to deal with this. I feel that personal strength and development is something I’ve gained from this placement – as well as clinical knowledge. I’m on a journey of self-improvement and that’s something I take pride in. The placement is unrivalled in preparing you for the future.

One of the things I love about veterinary nursing is the opportunity to travel. Once I graduate, my career could take me anywhere in the world, and that’s very exciting.

My advice to you
Go into your placement with an open mind, a good work ethic, a sense of duty, the acceptance that you’re a novice and will make mistakes, and a willingness to learn from those mistakes and from your experienced colleagues. This will set you up for success in your career as a Veterinary Nurse.