{"id":127529,"date":"2025-03-11T18:33:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T18:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarynurse.com\/?p=127529"},"modified":"2025-08-14T18:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T18:29:28","slug":"a-call-to-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarynurse.com\/personal-professional-development\/a-call-to-action\/","title":{"rendered":"A Call to Action: Lexi Dickens on Mobile Veterinary Care, Mentoring, and Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"L<\/span>exi Dickens, BS, LVT, RVT, VTS (ECC), couldn\u2019t help but feel her emotions build when she saw western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. \u201cI am not normally a very emotional person, and I was in tears driving through what was once a town,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n

Every day, veterinary nurses\/technicians make a positive impact on their clients, patients, coworkers, and greater community. But the stories behind each and every one of these professionals are often overlooked due to the selfless nature of working in veterinary medicine. Today\u2019s Veterinary Nurse<\/em> aims to shine a light on some of these stories with its Clinic Champions series. Each issue, TVN<\/em> will honor a veterinary nurse for their contributions in community service, scholarship, advocacy, or innovation. This series will highlight unsung heroes who make a lasting impact on their patients and community. At the end of the year, 1 of the 4 honorees will be recognized as the Clinic Champion of the Year. To nominate a veterinary nurse\/technician, visit bit.ly\/ClinicChampions<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Dickens\u2014who hails from the Triangle region of North Carolina, further east from the areas that received the brunt of the historic storm\u2014usually provides basic preventive services when volunteering with DEGA Mobile Veterinary Care. But as she headed west to offer her services to those affected by the storm, desperate times called for a different approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith Helene, it was a completely different kind of setup. We still provided the vaccines and things like that, but we went up there and faced totally new situations,\u201d Dickens said. \u201cWe heard, \u2018My dog has this laceration because it got caught in the mudslide,\u2019 or, \u2018All of a sudden, my dog\u2019s having some GI upset, and I can\u2019t get into the vet.\u2019 Or there is no vet or the vet doesn\u2019t have water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A horse lover at heart, Dickens worked toward becoming a licensed veterinary technician with visions of enjoying a long career in equine medicine. But, in a surprise development during her training, she fell in love with small animal care and the fast pace of emergency medicine. She saw her career shift once again into a training role, where she now works as a senior patient care training coordinator for BluePearl Pet Hospital in Cary, North Carolina. Despite the unexpected turns and hard work in the classroom, Dickens wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most amazing veterinarians I\u2019ve ever worked with went to veterinary school in her 50s,\u201d she said. \u201cThat taught me that it\u2019s never too late to try something new or change your career or do something that\u2019s going to make you happier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n