Fiona McDowall

Depending on which rota I am on could be doing any of the following: preparing patients for chemotherapy, preparing and administering chemotherapy agents, discharging patients post chemotherapy, taking patients for radiotherapy treatments, assisting with anaesthesia and recovery and preparing patients for various diagnostic techniques. Some of our radiotherapy patients are inpatients for weeks at a time, as there owners are unable to collect them on a daily basis. Most of these patients require basic nursing cover, however a small majority will need intensive nursing due to toxicities from their treatments. All of these inpatients need stimulation to prevent them getting bored on such long hospital stays. So, with the owner’s permission, these patients are taken on extended afternoon walks out with the hospital grounds, which I believe I enjoy just as much as they do!

How did you get to where you are today? (obligatory question)

On leaving school I pursued a career in veterinary nursing and have been working within the industry for over 20 years. During my career I have held several positions ranging from general nursing, to specialising as an oncology nurse. I have also spent time lecturing on a collaborative veterinary nursing degree programme.

After working as a general nurse for a number of years I decided I would like to specialise in oncology nursing and therefore began studying at an advanced level.  In the third year of my advanced veterinary nursing diploma I chose to focus my integrative project on the health and safety issues surrounding the use of chemotherapeutic drugs in veterinary practice relating to feline patients with lymphoma. During my integrative project my interest in cancer and chemotherapy treatments grew and I became an oncology nurse at Vets Now Referrals in Glasgow when the opportunity arose. When a position became available at The Hospital for Small Animals, I knew I had to apply. Not only did the Vet School offer chemotherapy, but they also had radiation therapy as a treatment option. I had never been involved in radiation therapy as the referral centre I worked in had to refer patients for this treatment.

I have taken several courses at higher education level to allow myself to develop within the field of oncology. I gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Oncology Nursing in 2016 and a Master’s Degree with distinction in Veterinary Nursing in 2018. I applied for a scholarship through Edinburgh University to facilitate my undertaking of these advanced qualifications and thankfully was successful. The support from the University during my advanced studies was incredible, I certainly couldn’t have got through statistics without the help of these wonderful creatures they call statisticians!

How did you land your current role? (obligatory question)

A colleague that I used to work with from Vets Now in Glasgow and was now working at The Hospital for Small Animals, contacted me to see if I would be interested in working at the Vet School if an opportunity arose. I let them know right away that, I would of course be very interested! A position was soon advertised and I was successful at interview. I started as a Grade 5 nurse, but quickly rose to Grade 6 and then on to Grade 7. I believe my enthusiasm to take on extra jobs and my academic achievements were what helped me in my regradings.

Which career skills were the most difficult to learn?

I think for me the most difficult thing to learn and cope with was the emotional support that a lot of clients required. I believe that after 27 years in the profession I have a much better understanding of the human-animal bond and with this has come greater compassion and empathy for not only my patients, but the patient’s owners. I have done a lot of reading in my free time on the grief process and client support mechanisms.

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how has it proven invaluable?

There are a few lessons I have learnt along the way. I think it is important to remember that you yourself were inexperienced at some point in your career and should therefore be prepared to give others the support they require to achieve certain skills. I never ask anyone to do anything that I wouldn’t or haven’t done myself! I have also learnt that not everyone will share your opinion on particular subjects and it therefore important to respect other people’s values and opinions. I believe these traits have gained me respect from my colleagues.