Head Nurse Catherine Raw RVN winner of Petplan’s Vet Nurse of the Year 2013, leads the team of thirteen qualified, registered veterinary nurses.  Together they provide dedicated round-the-clock in-patient and out-patient nursing care.   Catherine’s award strengthens the nursing team which is central to the provision of care for patients and clients.   She is the driving force behind much of our charity work.

Catherine Raw RVN
Head Nurse, Bereavement Counsellor and Exotic Species Advisor

Catherine qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1999.  She has worked at Broadleys since 2000 and been Head Nurse since 2001.  She formalised her special interest in bereavement and the care of exotic species by gaining extra qualifications in those areas.  In 2013 she won the coveted award of Petplan Vet Nurse of the Year.  Catherine is an excellent role model for her nurses, both in the quality of her clinical work and her leadership of the team.  Her care and compassion for every living creature endears her to clients, many of whom ask for her by name whenever they are in the practice.

Catherine knew from a very young age that she wanted to work with animals and enjoys every aspect of her job.  She loves ‘little critters’ and has shared her life with many of them over the years.  Her current companions include a rabbit and four guinea pigs and also an adorable black Labrador called Jenny.  In her spare time Catherine enjoys crafts such as card-making and scrapbooking.

Wendy Scott Bsc(Hons) RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse, Pet Insurance Advisor and Pet Behaviour Advisor

Wendy trained at Broadleys and qualified from Napier University in 2005.  She quickly became a valued member of the team, respected for the high standard of her clinical work and her conscientiousness.  In 2011 she decided to return to university and ably balanced part-time nursing with her studies.  Returning to the full-time rota, after four years,she now has an honours degree in bio-medical science.  Wendy's other professional interests are animal behaviour and welfare.  Over the years she has made a huge contribution to owner and animal happiness.

Wendy devotes much of her spare time to supporting local and national animal charities and always plays a lead role in fund-raising events at the practice.  She fosters for Cats Protection, takes obedience and agility classes with her two lurchers, Nevan and Cullen and relaxes by making jewellery. 

Michelle Keith RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse and Diabetes Advisor

Michelle qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2005 and has worked at Broadleys ever since.  She is a very competent and experienced nurse with a great depth of knowledge especially with regard to nursing medical cases.  This led her to complete further training to become a Diabetes Advisor, and her next goal is to complete a course on advanced anesthetic nursing.  Michelle enjoys the variety of the rota at Broadleys which involves work with both frontline and referral cases, including medical and surgical nursing and also radiography. 

In her spare time she is an avid reader with a particular interest in history (in which she is a fount of knowledge!).  In the winter she plays darts.  Her home is shared with Mini the Whippet

Jennifer McFarlane RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse and Student Nurse Clinical Coach

Jennifer qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2009 after gaining practical experience in Paisley and Aldershot.  She came to Broadleys in 2010.  In addition to her nursing duties she makes time to guide and supervise the student nurses who train at the hospital.  She is currently mentoring two students.  Jennifer loves that everyday at work is different.  She particularly enjoys radiography and looking after the in-patient, finding nursing animals back to health truly rewarding.

Most of Jennifer’s spare time is taken up with her two horses in Stirling and four back home on Bute. She also has two cats:  Hercules and three-legged Smudge.

Stephanie Dinning RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse

Stephanie graduated in 2011 from Edinburgh’s Telford College and joined Broadleys the same year.  After maternity leave she returned in 2014 to a new role, which enables her to maintain a happy work/life balance.  She works mainly with the in-patients and in the MRI suite.   Stephanie delights in caring for the in-patients and those recovering from surgery, and being kept on the go from start to finish of every shift.

Outside work she likes to spend time with her family which includes her young son, five dogs and two cats.

Philippa Robinson RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse

Philippa completed her nursing studies in South Africa at the University of Pretoria Small Animal Hospital.  Her DVN qualification is recognised in this country, allowing her to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse in the UK as well.   She has worked in a number of large veterinary hospitals in the UK and brings a great breadth of experience to the Broadleys nursing team.  Philippa enjoys the variety of work available to veterinary nurses at Broadleys, and finds great satisfaction in caring for patients.  Her main interests are orthopaedics and neurology. 

In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and can usually be found up a hill.

Sarah Hamilton RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse and Exotic Spcies Advisor

Sarah qualified in 2003 and spent the next ten years locum nursing across the UK.  During this time she worked with a variety of species, including bears and monkeys.  She also qualified as a marine medic and can be called on to assist with sealife emergencies such as distressed dolphins and beached whales.  In 2012 she added an extra qualification in nursing exotic species and brought all this experience to the nursing team at Broadleys when she joined in 2014.

Outside work she likes to spend time with her characterful, street dog, Mila who was rescued by a veterinary colleague.

Mhairi Eccles RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse

Mhairi joined Broadleys in February 2016 as a second year student veterinary nurse and sat her final exams the following month.  After a short anxious wait she learned that she had passed and would be allowed to apply immediately to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for her RVN status.  Having been supported and encouraged by the rest of the nursing team, Mhairi has moved quickly up to speed on Broadleys' exacting protocols and looks forward to broadening her experience, especially in the care of small exotic species.

Two guinea pigs at home vie with Bear, the rescued dog for Mhairi's love and attention.

Aisling McCarron RVN
Registered Veterinary Nurse

Aisling joined the nursing team in March 2016 and, after only a brief spell as a student, sat her final exams and was qualified almost before she knew it.  Helped by the other nurses, and especially fellow new nurse, Mhairi, she settled quickly into her duties.  With an interest in surgical nursing, Aisling is delighted that her role at Broadleys, working with the vets and specialists, will allow great opportunity to broaden her experience is that area.  She also hopes to expand her knowledge of animal physiotherapy.

Aisling is a tallented horse rider and shares her home life with Kola the cat.

Jamielee
Animal Care Assistant

Jamielee has wanted to work at Broadleys for as long as she can remember.  She is a graduate of the work experience program and succeeded in her ambition after leaving school in 2014.  Her supporting role within the nursing team makes full use of her kind and caring nature.  She looks after the patients individually as if they were her own, takes great pride in keeping the wards clean and tidy and has a smile for everyone.

Looking after animals is Jamielee’s dream job.  She shares her home life with Riley the complicated cat and likes to go out with friends.