From vet tech to lpn

Tiffanytlc · Mar 31, 2009

vet teching is such great work however hardly rewarded and no retirement!

pandoraluv2 · Mar 31, 2009

Tiffany-

I wonder if we work at the same animal hospital! haha I started working at a small vet clinic 4 years ago, with the hopes of becoming a CVT. Well that did not happen. CVT are unapprecaited, dont get paid very well and are always getting bit! Some of the vechs I know make $12 an hour! That is crazy! As you can probably tell I am not going to become a CVT but have heard the gods whispering nursing into my ear. One of the girls I work with was bit by a cat, the finger became infected and she spent a week in the hosp. it has been 2 months now and her finger is still infected! NO THANK YOU! Our benefits suck, we get no vacation, overtime, or sick pay. My good CVT friends try to talk everyone out of the field! And some of them are even looking into nursing school. Hope my input has helped! Good Luck!!! :up:

Tiffanytlc · Apr 4, 2009

thank you! even though our situation sucks i am glad i am not alone! :0) yea nursing keeps calling my name, its gonna be a challenge but were smart and we should go for it! ive gotten bit twice and sometimes its so hard to prevent this from occuring, both times it got infected and now i have lovely scars. No FUN! I wonder what my co-workers are gonna say when i tell them im starting nursing school?

Tiffanytlc · Apr 4, 2009

i will gladly clean up patients messes as an lpn for more pay than i am earning right now as a vet tech!

Tiffanytlc · Apr 14, 2009

when i went to massage therapy school back in 03 i didnt have any experience in massage, i didnt work in a place where i could learn about this field, in fact i had only had a couple of massages in my life, i just went because i didnt know what else to do. So right now i am working with cats & dogs, im thinking in the mean time before lpn school starts i should get my cna and start working in the people field...this will make me feel a lot more comfortable when i do get to school and after working as a cna i will know for sure if i want to switch to nursing or continue in my field and get a degree in vet teching! yay! i figured it out now i just gotta do it.

tfleuter, BSN, RN · May 13, 2009

as you know, in vet teching you: pull blood, then run your own bloodwork and do cytologic analyses, install caths, take rads, intubate everything from kitten size to great dane size (often just with a light, a tube and a hemostat!! LOL - no fancy instruments for us!! - - must be harder with people - don't know), you then anesthetize, monitor anesthesia, surgical assist, medicate, etc. etc. - - it's so very sad that the job is not very lucrative - - it's never dull that's for sure!!.

I know this is an older thread, but I just had to say that this was my favorite part of being a vet tech. Depending on the hospital/clinic you worked in, you get to do so many different things in a day and it's all very interesting. Loved the variety that's for sure! Pay on the other hand is down right bad in utah for a large number of techs. Certification is not required in Utah, so many small clinics will hire new people and train them so they can pay them $8 -$9 an hour. Basically vet assistants really. I was fortunate to work at a somewhat large hospital that doubled as an ER at night and felt pretty fortuante to be making $13 per hr there. Not a career that is self supporting, except for certain larger hospitals that have higher payscales, but I have never heard of anyone making more than $20/hr. It never bothered me whether the animals showed any appreciation or not (or the owners for that matter) but after having a cat go to town on my hand/arm and a chow-mix give me a "warning" nip to the face (upper canine to the corner of my eye, lower canine under my jaw) I had to wonder how much of a toll my body was going to take if I stayed, lol!

Tiffanytlc · May 14, 2009

hi tfleuter are you no longer a vet tech?

tfleuter, BSN, RN · May 14, 2009

No, I stopped working as soon as I started pre-reqs for nursing school. I wanted to focus on school and family (have 2 young boys). I feel very fortunate that my husband can support us on his salary for now, but I do miss working sometimes.

Tiffanytlc · May 16, 2009

very lucky! im gonna have to work and attend school i have no choice, im thinking about waitressing at night maybe, instead of my job i have now, busting my butt and just getting by, but if i only waitress a few nights a week, i can go to the day program, get done in less time (15 months) AND last but not least focus on school! i have sum big decisions to make before the fall!

Tiffanytlc · May 16, 2009

im gonna miss working with animals too