Ashley VanMeter

I have been a large animal nursing supervisor at the VHC for 3 years now.

Along with my husband Jeremy and 2 daughters Brooke (6) and Paisley (4) we also own a small hobby farm which consist of 4 horses, (Cowboy, Chip, Fifty, and Red) 3 goats (Peanut, Butter, and Jelly), and 4 kitties (Bubba, Mosley, Stumpy, and Crackers). Our perfect yellow Labrador retriever (Butters) passed away earlier this year.

I really enjoy helping to teach future veterinarians and getting to work with interesting and complex cases everyday. Kansas State University feels like a second home and family to me and I couldn't imagine not being a part of it.

For anyone who may be interested in being a veterinary nurse I would recommend working in the field for at least a year to make sure it is a right fit for you. There are many different fields/specialties you can go into (small animal, large animal, radiology, exotic medicine, specialty practices, surgery,anesthesia, sports medicine, and the list goes on. ) . I really enjoy working not only with animals but also with people which I why I chose to get a business management degree after my veterinary nursing license.

Cassidy Goering

Anesthesia Nurse

I have been a nurse in the Anesthesiology Department for 2 years and prior to that I completed the year-long Veterinary Technician Internship here at The Veterinary Health Center

What I enjoy most about working in the Anesthesiology Department is the number of technical skills we utilize with every patient. I have learned so much while working in the Anesthesia Department and I continue to learn every day! I also take a lot of pride in the responsibilities our clinicians depend on us nurses to take care of. It is a very challenging job, both physically and mentally, but very, very fulfilling.

Advice I would give to anyone interested in becoming a nurse, is to work very hard in school. This is where your career starts! One of the best aspects of Veterinary Medicine is the learning never stops!

Christine Hackworth

I have been at the Veterinary Health Center for 8 years and the College of Veterinary Medicine for a total of 15 years. I worked in the Exotic Pets and Zooligical Medicine/Dermatology and recently switched services to Radiology.

Along with my husband Jim and 2 children Ryan (15) and Hayden (9) we 4 cats (Louie, Sampson, Rick and Morty). I really enjoy helping to teach future veterinarians and getting to work with interesting cases everyday. Working at the VHC is like a family and a pleasure to come to work everyday.

For anyone who may be interested in being a veterinary nurse I would recommend to follow your dreams and don't be afraid to try something new.

Kailey Berkenmeier

Oncology
Date Employed: July 11, 2017
RVT since 2012

Before transferring to Oncology in September, 2019, I worked in ER & ICU for 2 years.

My favorite part about working in Oncology is how much I have learned and continue to learn every day. We have some of the most amazing clients, and our patients are pretty top notch, too. I really love that I get to play a hand in allowing pet owners to have more precious time with their fur babies, and making sure the patients are happy and comfortable the whole time.

I am also so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such genuinely kind individuals.

My advice to new and upcoming veterinary nurses: Never forget why you became a veterinary nurse. Stay passionate about your love for animals, and always advocate for them. Remember, you can’t save them all, but you sure can try like crazy.

Outside work, I enjoy spending the majority of my time with my partner; Dustin, one year old daughter; Emmalyn, and three dogs; Tequila, Murphy, and Tank. We enjoy reading, watching movies, and being outdoors; camping, fishing, swimming, and walking.

Lisa Bryant, RVT

Director, Surgical Support Services & The Veterinary Nurse Internship Program

Lisa Bryant grew up on a small farm in central Kansas. In 2003 she graduated from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver, Co with an Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology. After graduation she moved back to Kansas, settling in Manhattan. Lisa joined the team at the Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University in 2004, working in the Small Animal ICU for 7 years and then with Oncology for 3 years. In 2014, she took on the role as Director of Surgical Support Services, and the Veterinary Nurse Internship Program.

Lisa's favorite part about her position is she’s able to help veterinary nurses, students, clients, and the animals we love! Lisa’s advice to someone interested in being a veterinary nurse-love to learn, because in this field there’s a new challenge every day! Lisa has two children, Colton, 13, and Cassidy, 8. They enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, and playing with their dogs and cats.

Kirsten Chapman

I have been at VHC for one year

I absolutely love emergency and critical care. It’s always something different, getting to work with all of the clinicians in the hospital and really getting to use every aspect of veterinary medicine.

Jennifer Klingele

I have been at VHC for 3 years.

My favorite part of being a nurse is helping patients be at ease with their eye exam and helping students learn how to do a fundic exam (examining the back of the eye). It is fun when they see the fundus for the first time on their own.

If someone is interested in being a nurse I would advise them to shadow a nurse here at K-State. You are able to see a lot of different aspects of working in the veterinary field.

Macey Strutt

I am a Veterinary Nurse Intern so I rotate through all of the specialties. I have been at VHC since July so almost 3 months, advice I have is to be confident in everything you do and don’t give up if something doesn’t go your way.

Karen Watson

I am currently with the Dentistry Department. I have been with VHC for about 7 years. My favorite part about my role is scaling & polishing our dog & cat patients teeth as well as performing dental X-rays. It is great to see how clean teeth can be after a prophylaxis is performed. And I always find it amazing to see what lies under the gum lines with the X-rays.

My advice to anyone interested in being a veterinary nurse is do your research. Not only are you researching about what a veterinary nurse does, but you also should research the schools that are available, what are the schools graduating success rate & national exam pass rate, are the schools accredited, researching what kind of financial aide/scholarship/grant is available to you, & so on. Going to school to be a veterinary nurse is a huge commitment, but oh so worth it.

Marsha Roblyer

Served in Anesthesia, Ophthalmology, Cardiology and currently Referral Coordinator

26 years

I love being the liason between our hospital doctors and our referring community. I enjoy getting to know some of them and keeping up with ones worked with in other services.

Kelli Millsap

Livestock Services

I have always enjoyed working with large animals. Although I grew up a city girl I had many opportunities to help gather cattle, work and process cattle, train horses, etc. I love being able to help ranchers better their herd whether that be yearly processing of their herd or helping sick animals. My favorite part of the job is client education and student teaching.

If someone is interested in being a nurse, GO FOR IT!! It is very hard work and labor intensive, but seeing those great outcomes of all your hard work and determination are worth it!

Rachel Wright

Small Animal Community Practice

I love animals and I love being a part of helping them feel better when they are sick or injured so it seemed like a good career path for me to take I enjoy seeing healthy pets but also enjoy being a part of helping sick and injured pets get well again. We get to see a good mixture of cases in the SACP.

My favorite part of the job is getting to work with and help teach the 4th year veterinary students and also the variety of cases we see in the SACP.

If you're interested in being a nurse, get a job or volunteer at a veterinary hospital in your area to get experience and learn what a veterinary technician does in a practice every day. I worked at a veterinary clinic for a year before going on to college and it really helped me to decide that this is the career path I wanted to take.

Beth Galligan

Pet Health Center

Animals have always been a major part of my life. It seemed like a natural fit. I like to see a little bit of everything. No day is ever the same in general medicine.

My favorite part about of the job is knowing I've made a difference in a client or pet's life.

If you'd like to be a veterinary nurse, shadow or volunteer in a veterinary setting. Make sure it's really what you want to do. It's physically and emotionally demanding work and people interested in the field should be exposed to the ups and downs of the profession before they devote the time, energy, and financial resources to training.

The profession is very demanding. We give a lot of our time, hearts, and souls. In order to keep that up, members of the profession need to find ways to renew themselves.