Veterinary Nurse thriving as she turns passion for animals into career

Posted Today

A veterinary nurse who has turned her passion for animal care into a career says her time at university “really allowed me to thrive.”

Ellie Bullen, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was drawn to nursing through her love of animals of all kinds.

She said: “I’ve always wanted a role where I could make a real difference to the lives of animals and their owners. Over the years, I have rescued ferrets and volunteered at a cat shelter, experiences which only strengthened my interest in the profession and confirmed that this was the right career path for me.”

When Ellie was picking universities, she found there was one in particular she was drawn to.

She added: “I chose to study Vet Nursing with Companion Animal Behaviour at Harper Adams University because of its strong reputation, supportive learning environment, and excellent facilities available to students.

“The opportunity to graduate with an honours degree, alongside the course structure and placement year, really stood out to me and made Harper Adams the perfect choice for my future career.”

During her time on placement, Ellie found herself growing increasingly interested in the care and support offered to dogs and their owners after procedures such as neutering. Dogs can be affected by obesity after the procedure, something which Ellie observed over placement  – as well as in her own dogs.

She decided to look at what advice owners were offered about nutrition and obesity prevention as the subject of her final year research project – which she has just completed as she prepares for her final exams.

She said: “I chose this topic because of the high prevalence of obesity in dogs across the UK, as well as the conflicting information available within existing literature surrounding post-neutering weight management. The subject also had personal significance to me, as both of my own dogs gained weight following neutering.

“Through my research, I realised that not all owners may be aware of the increased risk of weight gain after neutering - or the adjustments that may be needed to help prevent it.

“On placement, the knowledge and passion demonstrated by the team - alongside the support and guidance from my supervisor - further inspired my interest in exploring how nutritional advice is currently communicated to owners - and the role it can play in promoting long-term animal health.”

Ellie found nutritional advice and obesity prevention are often absent from protocols and even when guidance is given, it can be inconsistent and even contradictory across veterinary practices.

“Providing more information both before and after neutering could help reduce the number of owners receiving insufficient guidance too - however, the findings also showed that verbal advice alone does not always ensure understanding, emphasising the importance of supplementary resources such as written materials, information packs, and visual aids.

“Overall, the study highlighted the need for more standardised discharge advice to support consistent, high-quality patient care and better long-term health outcomes for dogs.”

Having now handed in her research, Ellie is now looking forward to her graduation in September. She added: “Studying at Harper Adams University has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both academically and personally.

“There is a great balance between student life and study, from nights out at the Students Union to building friendships with the most amazing people.

“I have particularly enjoyed the practical sessions and lectures, which have helped me develop both confidence and hands-on skills throughout the course.

“The supportive environment at Harper Adams has really allowed me to thrive

“During my time here, I successfully passed all 12 of my OSCEs – the clinical exams which we take as vet nurses, achieved my C-SQP qualification, which means I can advise on and supply medicines under guidelines, and received an IVC ‘We Care’ Award.

“Overall, my experience at Harper Adams has played a huge role in helping me build the foundations for my future career in veterinary nursing, and I’m excited to see what opportunities come next - and how the skills and experiences I’ve gained here will continue to support me as I move forward.”