In Profile: Ryan Kavanagh
Ryan Kavanagh graduated from UCD with a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Nursing in 2015. Ryan knew from a young age that he wanted to work with animals, and instantly recognised that Veterinary Nursing was the vocation for him when he first discovered the course in the University College Dublin prospectus. He became the first Veterinary Nursing student representative and committee member of the UCD Veterinary Society during his time at university, where he focused on promoting the relationship between veterinary medicine and nursing students and the wider involvement of the nursing students within the School.
Upon graduation, Ryan was offered a surgical nursing internship in the UCD Veterinary Hospital based on performance during his final year, and on completion, he progressed to a full-time position rotating through the specialist disciplines of the Hospital. Ryan credits his time at the UCDVH as the firm foundation that allowed his career to develop. After two more years in the university, Ryan’s desire to travel took him to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he spent three years nursing within a 24-hour emergency veterinary centre. The challenges of working abroad within a different culture offered invaluable experience, and also helped to grow Ryan’s appreciation and love of exotic species.
Ryan left Dubai in 2020 as the pandemic started to envelop the world, taking a short career break at home in Tipperary before moving to London later that year. He took up a senior nursing position at a busy 24-hour hospital, working through the ongoing obstacles the pandemic provided the veterinary industry. During his time here, Ryan was supported in gaining a certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing of Avian Species and continues to study the nursing of Small Mammal, Wildlife and Reptile species also.
More recently, Ryan has taken up the position of Clinical Nursing Manager at London Vet Specialists, central London’s only multi-disciplinary referral service. He’s enjoying the challenges of managing a team while reigniting his passion for referral nursing. To support his team as much as possible, he gained certification in Mental Health First Aid as the importance of mental health becomes more readily discussed and highlighted within the industry. Throughout his career, Ryan has been involved in the mentoring and teaching of veterinary nursing and medicine students, and volunteered in both the Peer and Alumni Mentoring Programmes at UCD, and he remains close friends with many of his veterinary medicine and nursing peers to this day.