Speakers - Nursing

Mairead graduated with a Diploma in Veterinary Nursing from University College Dublin in 2007, attained a Diploma in Higher Education Clinical Veterinary Nursing from Myerscough College in 2012 and followed this with an RCVS Advanced Diploma in Veterinary Nursing in 2013. She is a regular lecturer at veterinary conferences, veterinary nursing colleges and was awarded Irish Veterinary Nurse of the Year. 

Mairead joined Veterinary Specialists Ireland in May 2023 and has over twenty years’ experience working in referral practice.

She enjoys all aspects of surgical nursing and has a particular interest in anaesthesia and advanced care of spinal and orthopaedic patients and is the Head Nurse in Veterinary Specialists Cork.

Deirdre qualified from UCD in 2016 and has spent time working in both Ireland and the UK in small animal practice. She has a particular interest in small animal critical care and anaesthesia, gaining her Cert VNECC in 2021.

In 2023, Deirdre moved into Veterinary Nursing education on the BSc in Veterinary Nursing Level 7 and new Level 8 in MTU Kerry. She has a strong interest in combining theory with practical skills for Student Veterinary Nurses as they prepare for their clinical placements.

She is gearing up to study for her MSc in Veterinary Education through the RVC this year and has recently gained her Fellowship status with Advance HE.

Sam is a registered veterinary nurse with a background in teaching, training and supporting nurses within practice. She spent most of her career working in a large referral hospital, North Downs Specialist Referrals, where she held several positions – beginning her journey as a rotating RVN, Wards Supervisor and eventually becoming Clinical Services Manager.
In her time in practice, she loved nursing critical and intensive patients. In the management roles she has overhauled induction programme to support new joiners, developed a supportive onboarding programme and created a CPR training plan.  
She holds her Graduate Diploma, her ECC Certificate, is a trained teacher and RECOVER instructor. Alongside her role for Linnaeus, she owns and runs her own company, the PetMed CPR Education company, which delivers high quality CPR training in practices across the UK. 

Claire graduated from the RDSVS in 2007 and has a broad range of experience in small animal private practice, charity practice, leadership roles and ECC locum work. She diversified into coaching in 2020, and is qualified in multiple modalities, including trauma-informed somatic coaching. She co-founded Vet Empowered in 2020 alongside Katie, and together they have worked with hundreds of individuals, to help them reconnect with themselves, and create a sustainable path within the profession, including supporting multiple corporate graduate programmes.

Outside of the vet space, she is a dating a relationship coach and has spoken at multiple events around her specialist interest in attachment theory, including recent guest expert appearances at a Fringe Festival show in Edinburgh. Her delivery style is described as warm and engaging, and she is well known for her very Scottish sense of humour! Claire still works locum shifts for a couple of her most loved practices and enjoys continuing to have the opportunity to use her clinical skills ‘on the ground’.

Katie is an experienced small animal vet, having graduated from Liverpool in 2012 and gained her RCVS Certificate in Internal Medicine in 2017. She became passionate about opening conversations up around imposter syndrome and self-doubt following her own experiences in the veterinary profession and trained as a coach with further study in a number of areas, as well as publishing a series of books.

Katie grew a following of over 20,000 across social media as @katiefordvet, and is an international and keynote speaker, both in the vet profession and beyond. She co-founded Vet Empowered in 2020 alongside Claire, where they have coached hundreds within the profession, and spoken to thousands, around topics such as confidence, imposter phenomenon and stress management.

In 2023, she was the grateful recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award, and in 2025 was awarded a fellowship, gaining her FRCVS title. Katie has an incredible ability to create new perspectives and insights and is regularly involved in conversations about how we can make the profession a better place for everyone to be part of.