Kara M. Burns
MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition), VTS-H (Internal Medicine, Dentistry), Editor in Chief
Kara Burns is an LVT with master’s degrees in physiology and counseling psychology. She began her career in human medicine working as an emergency psychologist and a poison specialist for humans and animals. Kara is the founder and president of the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians and has attained her VTS (Nutrition). She is the editor in chief of Today’s Veterinary Nurse. She also works as an independent nutritional consultant, and is the immediate past president of NAVTA. She has authored many articles, textbooks, and textbook chapters and is an internationally invited speaker, focusing on topics of nutrition, leadership, and technician utilization.
Read Articles Written by Kara M. Burns
Welcome to summer 2022! Warmth, sunshine, and outdoor activities—along with life moving “closer to normal”—provide the perfect occasion to pursue positive change. Every member of the veterinary healthcare team needs a break in their routine, especially after a long 2-plus years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic is not behind us, the arrival of summer enables us to seek renewal and seize the day.
We have the chance to rise up, start fresh, and see the opportunity in each new day. Start by reading through this issue of Today’s Veterinary Nurse, where you’ll find articles that will enhance your professional skills and others that focus on your personal health and development—both of which are critical in allowing us to start anew and see bright opportunities.
Summer is a great time to expand our networking opportunities, both professionally and personally. And we need this after 2 years of stress, anxiety, isolation, and long workdays. Do what fills your cup and recharges you—book and journal clubs, time with friends and/or family, education at a veterinary conference (in person or virtual). The list is endless, but it is a list that is personal to you. Turn your face to the sun and let the shadows fall behind you. Seize the opportunities. Invest in you!
Take this time to get up, dress up, show up, and not give up! Summer is a time of growth, so say yes to an opportunity you have been considering. Think of each new day as an awakening and you will never grow old—you will just keep growing.
As the author Napoleon Hill wrote: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” We have seen that firsthand as we maneuvered through the past 2-plus pandemic years. It is time for us to renew and refresh, so let’s not wait for the perfect moment—let’s seize the moment and make it perfect.
Thank you to every member of the veterinary team for all that you do, every single day. Now take a day—or, better yet—seize the day, for you.