Our Nurses.
At BVECCS, our experienced vet nurses are available for you 24 hours a day. Our Vet nurses are the first friendly faces you will see when you arrive at BVECCS. They will greet you and make a preliminary assessment of your pet’s condition.
Our team of emergency vet nurses seamlessly support our veterinarians to make sure your pet is well looked after during this challenging time.
Our nurses ensure that pets are closely monitored, kept clean and comfortable. We are proud of our experienced vet nurses – we know they make a huge impact on the quality of care and on the recovery of injured or unwell pets.
BVECCS, experienced vet nurses 24 hours a day
Our vets and nurses are our biggest assets and you can trust them to care for your pets with both skill and empathy.
Maryanne Searchfield (Nurse Manager) VN Cert IV
Maryanne started out as a junior nurse at a small animal specialist centre before starting at BVECCS full time in 2008. Maryanne continued working in a small yet busy animal general practice as well and successfully completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2011. With a special interest in management and team building Maryanne became the Nurse Coordinator in 2012. She has also maintained her emergency nursing shifts.
Alinya Cross (Nurse Manager) BSc (AES) VN Cert IVAlinya commenced her career in Veterinary nursing in 2004 and has never looked back. Her dedication and interest in all things nursing saw her become Head Nurse at her general practice within 2 years. She was awarded the AIRC QLD Student VN of the year in 2010. She has over 10 years of experience and has completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Alinya joined the team at BVECCS and is planning to undertake her Diploma of Emergency and Critical care.
Alison Gibson VN Cert IV
Following a background in specialist surgical nursing, Ali moved into emergency and critical care nursing and began working part-time for BVECCS in 2006.
As one of the original nursing staff members Ali continues to work full time at BVECCS and has developed into an excellent emergency vet nurse.
Ali enjoys all aspects of veterinary nursing with a keen interest in diagnostic imaging, including radiology and ultrasound.
Allisha Mundkowski VN Cert IV
Allisha has been working in the veterinary profession since she was 16, with half of her now 12 year career as a specialist nurse in referral hospitals. She enjoys teaching as well as cardiology and the challenge of anaesthesia and recovery in ICU for critical patients. She has her AVNAT registration which she maintains with continuing education surrounding anaesthesia and analgesia.
During the week, she will be a familiar face at BVSC as one of their senior nurses where she cares for the patients referred for oncology or other diseases requiring specialist care.
She has a soft spot for the fast pace of ECC work and feels fortunate to also work with the amazing BVECCS team.
Amanda Midgelow VN Cert IV
Amanda started her career as a kennel hand at a busy boarding kennel in 2003. After completing her Cert 4 in vet nursing she
worked in general practice in Canberra and then Townsville.
Moving to Brisbane, she took on the role of primary surgical nurse at a busy specialist centre (BVSC) where she completed a diploma in surgical nursing through AIRC.
Working as a medic in the army reserve, she has been able to use her veterinary nursing skills for military working dogs and aboriginal community pets as part of the Army’s aboriginal community assistance program. She joined the emergency team in 2010 & enjoys the fast pace of emergency and the challenge of surgical and anaesthesia nursing.
Bryll Gibson VN Cert IV
Bryll’s career began with the humble yet noble role of an animal attendant at a cat welfare shelter in Melbourne in 2006. She became a Cert IV qualified veterinary nurse in 2011 and continued to build her skills working in both a greyhound general practice and an emergency centre in Melbourne. She relocated to Brisbane in 2013 working as the Primary Radiation Therapy Nurse and Dental Nurse in a busy specialist centre.
She joined the BVECCS team in 2015 to pursue emergency medicine which is one of her passions. Her other passion is wildlife conservation which led her to volunteer in South Africa in 2012 raising cheetah cubs.
Callum Taylor BAppSc VN
The seeds of Callum’s veterinary journey were sown back in 2012 at the Brisbane North Institute of TAFE Grovely campus, where he achieved a Certificate II in Animal Studies. This was followed by a Bachelor of Applied Science from UQ Gatton in 2018 with electives in the wildlife sciences and Exotic husbandry, underscoring a commitment to animal welfare and the environment.
He has aspired to work in emergency veterinary medicine since encountering his first challenging case at UQ and joined our team in 2018.
Carole Harvey-Stevenson VN. Dip ECC. VTS (ECC)
Carole qualified as a veterinary nurse in the U.K, before coming to Australia to pursue her passion – Emergency nursing. She has her Australian Diploma in Emergency and Critical Care and achieved her specialist qualification in Emergency and Critical care from the United States (the first person in Australia) in 2000.
Carole has been with BVECCS since our doors opened in 2006.
Eilis Booth DVN
Eilis started her career in emergency in New Zealand, graduating from Otago Polytechnic with a Diploma of Veterinary Nursing in 2019, working between emergency and GP. She decided to make the moved to Australia in 2022, bringing her cat and dog over as well. She worked in general practice then moved to specialty, but her passion remained for emergency and she joined the BVECCS team in April 2023.
Hannah Cassell VN Cert IV
Hannah started her nursing journey in 2017 as a volunteer surgical nurse with the RSPCA, then transitioned into a trainee nurse position with a small family-owned vet practice, slowly working towards her Cert IV in vet nursing. She quickly realised her interest in emergency nursing once commencing her studies, and joined the BVECCS nursing team in 2021. She still maintains a keen interest in surgical nursing and anaesthesia, as well as learning the complex ins and outs of critical care.
Jade Davies CVN, AVN, RVN
Jade began her career as a veterinary nurse in 2008. She has worked in a variety of clinics including small animal and mixed practice, in both urban and rural settings. She has been working in Emergency and Critical Care since 2012, where she has been able to employ her passion in medicine and develop high standards of patient care. Jade joined the BVECCS team in February 2022.
Jade gained her Accreditation in Veterinary Nursing in 2013 and became a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2019.
Jade has been a volunteer with the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia since 2012 and is the current Chairperson for the Queensland Division. She is a devoted mother to a Cavalier named Brianna, and in her spare time she gets down and dirty as a co-driver in Rally cars.
Karina Rowe VN Cert IV
Karina decided to settle down after travelling around contract mustering and has been working as a vet nurse since 2006, obtaining her Cert IV in 2008. She started her career in a rural referral hospital and enjoyed the variety of surgery and anaesthesia performed on both small and large animals. After moving up to Brisbane and spending some time with a holistic practice, Karina moved into Ophthalmology nursing at a Specialist Centre. Shortly afterwards, while Karina continued her career in Ophthalmology nursing she also began her career in ECC with BVECCS and then for a period of time nursed for UQ during the early days of their set up of their emergency clinic in Gatton. Karina has now retired from Ophthalmology nursing and enjoys combining her skills from her previous positions to nurse the patients at BVECCS. Karina has a particular interest in triage but in general enjoys most aspects of emergency nursing.
Kelly Pattison VN Cert IV BAppSc (VT)
Kelly started working as a veterinary nurse in 2006 in a small animal general practice in Brisbane. Kelly graduated Bachelor of Applied Science – Veterinary Technology and Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing in 2013. She joined the BVECCS team in 2013 after completing ECC placement with us for her studies. Kelly really enjoys triage and imaging (radiology and ultrasonography).
Kristie Carter VN Cert IV
Starting her career as a veterinary nurse in 2003, Kristie worked initially as a kennel hand in general practice before completing her Certificate II in Veterinary Nursing in 2004. Kristie began working as part of our team of veterinary nurses at BVECCS in 2010. Based in North Brisbane, she successfully completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2012 and has an interest in intensive care medicine.
Marty Saldais VN Cert IV
Martin first started working in general practice in 2017 after completing his Certificate IV in vet nursing. He first started at BVECCS in 2018 to pursue his passion of emergency & critical care nursing. In addition to this, he has a keen interest in surgery and all aspects of anaesthesia.
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Melissa Singleton VN Cert IV
Mel’s wealth of veterinary nursing experience started 20 years ago when she began her career in the picturesque Tweed Valley in Murwillumbah working in a mixed large and small animal practice. After moving from Brisbane to Sydney she started doing weekend work in an emergency centre. Mel then moved on from general practice to work as a senior surgery nurse at The Animal Referral Hospital in Sydney and Veterinary Specialist Services, while continuing with emergency work on the weekends.
Mel then moved back to Brisbane and worked in Emergency Centres before beginning work at the Australian Wildlife Hospital. Now in her 20th year in the Vet Nursing industry, Mel has used her skills and experience in all departments. She has been a Surgery nurse, Medicine nurse, Oncology nurse, Radiation Therapy nurse, Ophthalmology nurse and ICU nurse, while still doing emergency nursing.
Miriam Boksem BVT
Miriam grew up in Brisbane and has always been drawn to the world of animal care and rehabilitation. Her journey began with hands-on volunteering at the RSPCA and various wildlife rescue organisations, cultivating a deep-rooted passion for animal welfare from a young age.
In early 2022, after graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor Degree in Veterinary Technology, Miriam joined the BVECCS team.
With a newfound passion for ECC, she now looks forward to expanding her knowledge and experience with the goal of one day taking her skills overseas to assist with conservation and wildlife rehabilitation. For now, she spends her time exploring Brisbane and doting on her pets, with Border Collies holding an extra special place in her heart.
Monique Hornsby VN Cert IV
Monique grew up in country Victoria, where she developed a love for animals and nature. Here in a small rural clinic, she found her love for nursing. After gaining her Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing in 2019, she moved to Brisbane where she gained valuable experience in a busy general practice vet and more exposure to emergency cases.
Eager to learn new skills and expand her knowledge of veterinary medicine, Monique took the leap into emergency critical care and joined BVECCS in August 2022. Here she continues to pursue her passion for helping animals in need and enjoys the fast-paced and challenging environment that emergency brings.
When not in the clinic, Monique enjoys taking nature hikes, where she can relax and appreciate the beauty of the natural world. She also loves spending time spoiling her two cats Snowbelle and Shrimp, and her snake named Soda.
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Stephanie Harris VN Cert IV
Steph began her vet nursing career in 2009 in a small general practice while she studied her Certificate IV in vet nursing. After graduating in 2012, she then moved to a larger scale small and large animal hospital. In 2014 she found herself working in a specialist veterinary hospital as the Primary ICU nurse. After 9 years in specialty (and 2 kids later) she decided to try her hand in emergency. She immediately found a love for the fast-paced, unpredictable nature that is emergency and has been with us since 2023.
Tameka Harden VN Cert IV
Officially graduating in the year 2015 as a qualified Veterinary Nurse, Tameka was already working in a general practice across three clinics on the Northside of Brisbane.
After finding a passion in anaesthesia and oncology she made the big leap to a large Specialist Animal Hospital, where she became second in charge of the Surgical Department for over 5 years.
Tameka then dived deep into emergency work, joining our team in the year 2021. With continued learning and growth of all things ECC, Tameka can’t see herself doing anything else.
Living on the Sunshine Coast, you can be assured she will always be at the beach in her spare time with her scruffy Wolfhound, Warner and her Fiancé Joey.
Nurses Assistants.
Aimee Taylor
As a Nurse Assistant at the Brisbane Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Services, I’m dedicated to the well-being of our animal patients. My daily tasks include maintaining a clean, safe environment, assisting with infection control, handling patients with care, setting up equipment, managing patient data, and aiding our nursing staff with their daily tasks. I play a vital role in ensuring our hospital runs smoothly, preparing for each day’s critical care needs.
Outside of work, I find joy in rock climbing and spending quality time with my two dogs, Elliot and Oliver. These activities help me recharge and stay connected with my love for animals and the outdoors. I’m committed to merging my passion for animals with my professional acumen, providing peace of mind to pet owners while pursuing my own passions.
Belinda Grigg Cert III Animal studies
Belinda began delving into the world of animal science by volunteering on field research projects involving seals, sea turtles and humpback whales as a means of periodic escape while working in the corporate sector. Family life later presented her with an opportunity to change direction professionally, beginning with native wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Belinda has since completed her Certificate III in Animal Studies and is currently studying Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Following 2 years as a volunteer at RSPCA Wildlife Hospital, Belinda has found her calling working as a Nursing Assistant in Emergency and Critical Care with BVECCS since April 2023. She is dedicated to assisting our team in providing gold standard care and is heartened in her role by the loving bond that exists between patients and their families.
Ellie Shanks BVT
Ellie joined the BVECCS team in 2021 and achieved her degree as a Vet Tech in 2023. She is fuelled by a love for animals and helping their devoted owners.
Every day, she is dedicated to providing compassionate care and support, making a positive difference in the lives of both pets and their loving families.
Georgia Dux BVT
Georgia graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology in 2022. She found her passion for emergency during her placement at BVECCS and joined the team soon after graduation.
She also has a special interest in exotics and adores avian nursing. Georgia spends her weekends volunteering at an exotic vet clinic and is the proud mother of two spoilt budgies who can be seen accompanying her on some of her shifts.
Kya Low
Kya embarked on her animal care journey in 2021, starting as a volunteer with the RSPCA, an experience that sparked her passion for veterinary work while she completed her certificate II in Animal Studies. She joined the BVECCS team in September 2021 as a Nurse Assistant and finds she loves the excitement of a fast-paced emergency environment. She is currently pursuing her Certificate IV in Veterinary nursing and away from work enjoys spending time with her guinea pigs and dog “Bear”.
When you come into our after hours vet clinic, our experienced vet nurses will be ready for you 24 hours a day.
BVECCS, Emergency Vet Brisbane, 53 Old Northern Road, Albany Creek, phone (07) 3264 9400.
