A VETERINARY nurse from Monmouth has been nominated for the Petplan Nurse of the Year award.

Rachael Harris, of Elms Vets in Monmouth, was nominated by vet Kate Dixon for her "smile, dedication and pride in her profession and our practice".

Kate also praised Rachael's work ethic and clinical expertise.

"Being a sole charge vet can be clinically isolating and so Rachael's clinical knowledge, expertise and support has been invaluable," she said.

"We discuss all cases – sharing our impressions at assessment, developing treatment and care plans that take into account best clinical practice as well as social and financial factors.

"We are a very small practice, on most occasions there are only the two of us in the building so her clinical skills save lives."

Rachael said the best thing about her job is the variety.

She said: "No two days are ever the same and our unofficial motto as a small developing practice is 'there's been a change of plan'.

"Coping with the unexpected and getting a great outcome is a fabulous feeling and gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.

"My boss tells me I am the Queen of multi-tasking."

Asked for memorable stories about working as a veterinary nurse, Rachael remembers standing for 90 minutes holding up a spleen that weighed 3.5kg, while a vet removed it.

"Or being called to a sheep caesarian on New Year's Eve when I'd first qualified – my hotpants never quite looked the same again," she adds.

"The whole experience of being fundamentally involved in the start up of a new practice has really been the most rewarding 'case' I have ever worked on.