Hannah Smith

Hannah studied FdSc Veterinary Nursing at Hartpury and is now a Referral Small Animal Nurse at Vale Vets.

“I love animals and wanted a career where I could make a difference. Every day brings a different animal and a new challenge. If you’re passionate and driven, the profession can take you anywhere and that's the best part. Learning about anatomy and physiology at Hartpury was super interesting and having hands on experience so early on was great. You don’t think you’ll be doing that in your first year. It was mind blowing, but also amazing that we had those opportunities straight away.

I came to Hartpury because I wanted to learn face-to-face. I prefer to learn and then trouble shoot. Hartpury is good at tailoring that and giving you a balance of practical and learning years. The Veterinary Nursing Centre on campus was great. We had practical sessions and learned the correct manner of things as in practice you get bad habits. The lecturers were really helpful, you could talk to them after lectures and email at any point. They were really approachable and happy to answer questions. It was a great experience.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the placement year. I put the skills I’d learned in Hartpury’s Veterinary Nursing Centre into practice and gained a full-time job. I used to find anaesthetics challenging, but now I support with open chest surgery. It’s a great feeling when you see the animal get better and go home, but there's always room to improve and that's what keeps the role interesting. I’ve been working at the same practice for almost 10 years. Because the career and profession offer so much. Whether it’s veterinary nursing, pharmaceuticals, or lecturing, you’ll find an area you love. You can pick and choose where you work. You need a passion for it, as long as you have that, you can’t go wrong.”