Sophie Furness

Provide nursing care as part of a small team across all small animal patients, assisting veterinary surgeons with surgical procedures and delivering nurse consultations. Support weight management/diabetic care, behavioural advice, puppy socialisation clinics, and health screening programmes for older patients to identify potential underlying disease changes.

Handled pet insurance claims by processing claim requests and gathering relevant information from clients and veterinary practices. Managed client communications by phone/email for complaints and claim issues, investigating missing clinical histories, invoice discrepancies, and policy/data errors.

Provided intensive care and critical nursing support in an emergency and critical care referral setting. Managed complex post-surgical and critical cases, including jugular catheters, active drains, thoracotomy and EHPSS patients, neurological complications, and collaborated with ECC medicine/neurology and soft tissue specialists.

Returned to Clent Hills Veterinary Group for a second period, continuing independent and team-based nursing responsibilities. Served as deputy head nurse, managing day-to-day theatre running and nurse appointments while supporting team coordination alongside the head nurse.

Led head nurse duties across three branches as maternity cover, managing rotas and coordinating day-to-day nursing operations. Oversaw stock ordering and management, supported student veterinary nurses through assessments, and assisted the clinical director with recruitment while helping resolve staffing disputes and conflicts.

Worked in a first-opinion small animal practice as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, increasing scope to manage tasks independently within a team of nurses and vets. Covered out-of-hours rota gaps, supported veterinary surgeons with premedication/analgesia planning, and performed duties including intubation, radiography, scrub nursing assistance, nurse consultations, and inpatient pain scoring under

Completed a two-year voluntary placement at the RSPCA Hospital in Frankley, gaining experience nursing small animals and wildlife. Transitioned into Hospital Assistant weekend/evening cover and later a full-time role performing nights and weekend shifts in out-of-hours and isolation/isolation-adjacent units, including triage submissions.

Studied the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing at Pershore College (part of Warwickshire College) (2013–2015) and qualified in August 2015.

Grade: Distinction

Completed a Level 3 Diploma in Animal Management at Pershore College (part of Warwickshire College) (2012–2013), achieving Distinction.

Grade: C

Completed the Level 3 CACHE Diploma in Early Childhood Studies at Kidderminster College (2008–2010), receiving a grade of C.