An interview with Tawny Kershaw: Meet the Veterinary Nerd
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Q: Can you share with us the highlights of your career journey leading up to your role as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, as well as a speaker at the BVA Live 2024 event?
A: I’d love to! So, after graduating in 2016 I went on to complete my BSc Top-Up in Veterinary Nursing, followed by an MSc in Endangered Species Recovery and Conservation. Along the way I gained my Diploma in Veterinary Nursing of Zoological and Exotic Species, and plenty of experience working with a wide variety of species from rabbits to sea turtles, to penguins, to jaguarundi.
Q: Reflecting on your career thus far, what achievements or milestones are you most proud of and why?
A: I’m very proud of my achievements academically but also of the community of knowledge sharing I’ve created through my Instagram page “The Veterinary Nerd”. I’m really passionate about sharing knowledge and skills within the profession which is why I enjoy teaching so much.
Q:Your upcoming lecture at BVA Live 2024, titled ‘Boosting confidence in rabbit anaesthesia’ will explore the topic of anaesthesia and exotic patient care. Why do you consider this topic crucial for the veterinary community?
A: As rabbits are the third most common pet in the UK, it’s super important that we move away from seeing them as “exotic” and “unusual” and embrace learning about how to care for them, advocate for them, and treat them properly. I have seen a shift of attitudes in the last decade that is certainly taking us in the right direction but there are still people out there who consider rabbits as “scary” or that treating them is futile and I want to dispel that idea. When treatment caters for the species specific idiosyncrasies that rabbits bring to the table, the standard of care improves, as does the case outcome.
Q: Could you provide a brief summary of your lecture's content and learning outcomes?
A: We will be reviewing considerations for all stages of the rabbit’s hospital stay, from admit to discharge. We will run through the importance for stress reduction, methods to achieve this, and how we can improve anaesthetic safety in bunnies. Delegates will walk away with a better understanding of why rabbits have an increased peri-anaesthetic death risk, how to mitigate this risk, and with an improved confidence in monitoring rabbits under anaesthesia.
Q: Finally, what piece of advice would you like to give individuals that are at the start of their veterinary career?
A: I would pass on the best piece of advice I was ever given which is to follow what you’re passionate about. My journey into the veterinary world wasn’t as smooth sailing as I’d planned it to be but I’m still here enjoying my career and (hopefully) inspiring others to follow their passions too.