“Why I’m a Vet Nurse” – Jo Megarity

26 May 2025

May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM), led by the BVNA to recognise and promote the vital work of veterinary nurses. This year’s theme, ‘Progression’, focuses on the skills, development, and achievements of veterinary nurses, showcasing how the profession continues to grow and evolve.

To do this, we spoke to several BSAVA volunteers about why they are a veterinary nurse, what their journey has looked like so far, the most rewarding parts of their career, any challenges they’ve faced and most of all, what inspired them to become a vet nurse.

Our next story comes from Jo Megarity, who has been a BSAVA volunteer on the Education Committee for the past one and a half years. She will join the BSAVA Board of Trustees in June, and is the first vet nurse to do so!

What inspired you to become a Vet Nurse?

Ever since I was very young, I had a passion for animals and nature. My Mum and her family were animal lovers, and she instilled this love into me. I decided early on in my schooling that I wanted to work with animals and after doing some early work experience and volunteering at my local vets, I realised that nursing was the path for me. I wanted to be hands on caring and comforting the patients and reassuring the owners too. Seeing the amount of different things the nurses did behind the scenes was fascinating and I loved the idea of the variety of it all.

How did you get into the profession?

Sadly, due to nursing being minimum wage back then (and even sadder that it’s still often the case now!) I couldn’t afford to train when I left college. So, I had a varied career in retail, human dental nursing, marketing and more, before being financially stable enough to embark on my true passion a bit later in life.

What has your journey as a vet nurse looked like so far?

Having the experience in other industries has really helped my vet nurse journey as it’s given me a wide range of transferable skills that are often lacking in the veterinary sector. My nursing career has been quite wiggly! From working full time in clinics, to locuming, lecturing, working conferences and ultimately setting up my own CPD company, LagoLearn, which provides rabbit specific training to veterinary professionals both in the UK and Internationally.

Alongside this has been a string of voluntary positions with multiple animal charities and welfare focused organisations which have taken me on new journeys such as working closely with MP’s, attending Parliamentary briefings, liaising with government departments both in the UK & Europe, campaigning and more!

What’s been the most rewarding moment of your career?

Thankfully there are many to choose from! I have been very honoured to be bestowed with three different awards over the years for my dedication to veterinary nursing and animal welfare. But I must say that my volunteer roles hold a very special place in my heart. I was the President of the British Veterinary Nursing Association 2019-2020, I’ve been the secretary for the Association of Zoo and Exotic Veterinary Nurses for some years now and most recently, I have been a BSAVA volunteer on the education committee for the past 1.5 years. I am super excited to be extending my role with BSAVA as I will be joining the Board of Trustees in June – the first time an RVN has held this position! This is one of my most rewarding moments to date.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?

My species of choice has always been rabbits! I’ve loved them since a child but was upset at the treatment (or lack of) that they received in the veterinary clinic due to lack of education on them in the vet and nurse training courses. I entered the profession with a high level of general rabbit knowledge and as soon as I got in my training practice I undertook as much CPD and research as possible for the clinical side of rabbit care. This very much became my niche, and I started lecturing at conferences, writing articles and mentoring other professionals. Unfortunately, I had a work place spinal injury that meant my days working in clinic were over. This completely rocked my world as this was my dream job that I had waited so long for! However, I’m not one to be beaten so I looked for a work around. I decided to embrace my niche and LagoLearn was born! This allowed me to recover at my own pace but also teach and hold training events. This was just the best thing for my career, and I have travelled all over the world teaching people about rabbits!

What do you wish more people knew about vet nurses?

The general public? That we exist and no, we are not in training to be a vet 😊
Other veterinary professionals? That we are highly trained people with our own recognised profession. As such, we make up a valuable part of the veterinary team and great things happen when we all work together!

How do you see the role of vet nurses evolving in the future?

I am exceptionally keen to see the RCVS allow the creation of ‘Advanced Practitioner’ roles as soon as possible! There are already some post grad courses that would enable this to be recognised, and I would love to see more in more nuanced areas. I strongly believe that this would enhance both moral and career progression for nurses as well as making our complex and immense skill set more visible.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a vet nurse?

Firstly, be aware of the pros and the cons. It’s a fabulous profession but also a turbulent time in the veterinary industry as a whole at the moment. The hours can be long, and the pay can be low, however the satisfaction from giving exemplary care to your patients is second to none. This doesn’t mean we only do it for the feel-good factor! We still need to be able to thrive and not just survive.

Research your colleges and universities to get the best course to suit you and do the same for your chosen workplaces too. If you are struggling to find a training place or course, then do as much voluntary work as you can to see behind the scenes and get a feel for the type of things the job involves. It’s not all cuddling bunnies – but it is fun when that happens!