Nurse Mel has worked at Lort Smith for four years. She has always had an affinity with animals, though it took her a little while to find her calling as a vet nurse.
"We put our very special family dog of 16 years, Timbo, down in 2014. It was caring for him in his senior years that inspired me to return to study and become a vet nurse," remembers Mel.
There's never a dull moment!
Nurse Mel
Mel can usually be found in the wards working with inpatients, in theatre or in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Two nurses and one vet are rostered on in the ICU during the day, and one vet and one nurse overnight. It's not a huge workspace, and it can quickly fill up when vets discuss a complex or unusual case, or nurses come in to admit a patient.
"The best thing about working in ICU can also be the worst thing about ICU – it's always busy and intense and you just never know what will come through the door next. Hit by a car? Respiratory distress? Cardiac arrest needing CPR? Seizuring animal? Uncontrolled diabetic? Anaemic puppy/kitten? There's never a dull moment!" says Mel.
Like a human hospital, our on-the-ground vets, nurses and customer service teams are true heroes!
Thank you, Mel, for your hard work and incredible commitment to the animals in our care.