Veterinary Nursing AIRC

MY JOURNEY STARTED IN 2009 AND COMPLETED IN 2017. I am Anelyn Banaban Torrecampo form Iloilo – Philippines. In 2000 I joined Taman Tun Dr. Ismail Veterinary Clinic as a veterinary assistant. Dr. Clement Anthony was my boss at that time. Veterinary clinical work was very interesting and being a kampong girl and being brought up with animals, I liked my job. In 2006, Dr. Clement Anthony attended the Singapore Veterinary Association Conference. It was there he met Ms. Tania Small from AIRC Australia. AIRC conducts an on line training for Veterinary Nurses and on his return be asked me to take up the course. We checked the website and the course was recognised around the world. Being an online course it provided me the flexibility that I required. A full time course would not have been possible for me. I registered for the Part 1 of the course.

Registering for Part 1 was mainly for me to get a feel of the course. Part 1 was 8 units and the time frame provided was 6 months. I was excited as I completed the 8 units in less than 2 months. It was a great achievement for me and also my mentor Dr. Clement Anthony. I took a break of about 4 months and then decided to register for Part 2. There were movements mid-way through the course that I almost gave up but it was my mentor that kept me going. He used to stay up after clinical hours and check on my assignments. For my practical evaluation, Mr. Rocky Shaw came from Hong Kong. He was such an inspiration for me. I was also evaluated by Ms. Sue Crampton and Ms. Tania Small in November 2012 when Veterinary Nurses and Clinical Assistance Course was conducted at Veterinary Research Institute – Ipoh, by AIRC.  In May of 2013, I took a trip to Hong Kong to attend the Hong Kong Veterinary Nurses Seminar. Mr. Rocky Shaw took me to the clinics in Hong Kong and also to the Ocean Park and this further inspired me in Veterinary Nursing. I was amazed by the number of things Veterinary Nurses were assigned to do and the respect a Veterinary Nurse was given by Veterinarians in Clinics and even at the Ocean Park. On my return we decided to enrol for the Part 4 the final part of being a Veterinary Nurse.  In 2014, I enrolled for Part 4 which in actual fact is Part 3 and 4 combined. I only completed it in 2017. It was difficult and frustrating, but with god’s help, my perseverance and faith from my mentor, I was able to complete the course and be a qualified Veterinary Nurse.

I was working at a clinic which gave me the added advantage to practice what I had learnt in the AIRC course. I assisted in several workshops conducted by MSAVA such as the Dental, Soft Tissue, Murdoch Advanced Course Workshops, ESAVS Seminars, Dermatology and Endoscopy Workshop, Orthopaedic Workshop and many others. It was during these workshops, where I was responsible to maintain the animals under anaesthesia, prepare the animals for the various procedures and many more. It gave me the confidence that helped me finish the course. My special thanks goes to everyone that inspired me in one way or the other, and especially Dr. Kim Smith, Dr. Matthew Retchford, Dr. David Clarke, Dr, David Twedt, Dr. Christopher Chamness and last but not least my mentor and husband Dr. Clement Anthony. Thank you MSAVA for introducing this course and I hope many more nurses will step on this journey just like how I have succeeded!