Veterinary nurses

April trained at Okeford Veterinary Centre and qualified in 2008. She spent 10 years at Okeford and then in 2015 she moved to St David's Vets and became Head Nurse enjoying all aspects of a busy hospital and referral centre. April has now returned to Okeford as our Head Nurse. She enjoys all aspects of nursing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and her beautiful border terrier Ted.

Sarah joined the practice in 1985 and qualified as a veterinary nurse from Bicton College in 1996. She is currently our deputy head nurse, and has a keen interest in critical care medicine for small animals.

Ciara started and qualified at Okeford in 2010. In her time here she has formed great friendships with her colleagues and the wonderful clients that she has met. Ciara enjoys nurse clinics as it gives her the opportunity to closely interact with owners and their lovely animals, however her real passion is dermatology. She loves helping Kirstin with referrals and the laboratory is her domain. In her spare time Ciara loves nothing better than taking her dog and toddler for an adventure in the woods.

Gemma started with us in 2008 after qualifying as a veterinary nurse from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2002. She has a special interest in surgical nursing.

Deanna joined the Okeford team in January 2021 having qualified from Bicton College in 2019. She finds caring for the poorly patients on the ward very rewarding. She loves the challenges that working in a Veterinary Practice brings and would love to complete an advanced nursing qualification in the future. Deanna is also a Clinical Coach and enjoys mentoring students through the training process. Outside of work, Deanna spends time riding her horse, Allegra, who she competes in British Dressage competitions, as well as plenty of hacking, especially on Dartmoor. She also has a cat called Twitch, who, in true Veterinary Nurse style, was hand-reared from birth. Away from the animals, Deanna enjoys exploring new places, walking, going to the cinema and watching motorbike racing.

Emily joined us for work experience in 2013, before joining us permanently working as a Saturday assistant for many years. She then progressed to become one of our full-time patient care assistants. Emily has since begun her training as a Student Veterinary Nurse in September 2018.

Kat joined Okeford Veterinary Centre in June 2019. She has always had a passion for animals from a really young age. In 2019, Kat qualified as an Animal Nursing Assistant following two years training at BIcton College, where she also undertook an Animal Management Course. As Kat’s experience increases she would like to further her career in Veterinary Nursing, as long as she can overcome her fear of needles!

Kerri joined Okeford Vets in January 2013. She has a keen interest in canines and since working in the practice has learnt so much about all aspects of patient care. Kerri enjoys interacting with all the patients and their owners and has built up lasting relationships with many clients and their pets. In her spare time she enjoys socialising with friends and family and walking her Golden Retriever, Riley, who is a big part of Kerri’s life.