I'm a nurse...for animals?

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Hey esteemed nurses! Please firgive typos, I'm using AN on my phone...So I would like y'all's thoughts on this... Long story short, the other day I managed to leave a bunch of my class notes in my favorite little neighborhood shoe shop (because who doesn't need a little shoe oogling fun after an afternoon of studying??)... I didn't realize I left them til almost home, so I called and they told me they were closing soon but they'd wait if I could hurry back (gotta l love small business!). So I got back there and they were finishing ringing up their last customer... They asked me when I came back "what in the he!! Are you in school for? You gone be a surgeon or something?" (they always tease me when i come in :-).) I said "no, I'm studying to be an RN." So the lady at the counter starts commiserating and saying "oh man, I know all about that, it's so hard! But good luck I'm sure you'll do great." We walked out to our cars together and I said "thanks! So you're a nurse, I take it?" She said "Yep," with no hesitation. Me: "oh neat, what is your specialty?"Her: "Oh, I'm a nurse for animals!"Silence...Ummmmmm does anyone else see a problem with this? I don't know her and I don't know about veterinary medicine... I thought there were vets and vet techs...and vet techs are like CNA+MA+RN+LPN, but I didn't think there was an actual term for vet nurses...I think what vet techs do is really important (Lord knows I don't mess around when it comes to getting good healthcare for my sweet pets!!) and I'm sure it's suuuuuper hard to start an IV on a squirmy puppy, but when I'm carrying a set of notes about interventions for PEs, aortic dissection, MIs, and unstable angina, it's really irks me that a vet tech called herself a nurse. I get how if you're explaining your job to a kid as a vet tech you might use a comparison of "nurse to people patients is the same as tech to animal patients"... But I'm not a kid, and I'm clearly not your average non-healthcare aware bear since I just said I'm in school to be an RN...I don't know. I didn't say anything because really, why bother with someone I'll probably never see again. But it really rubbed me the wrong way. What are your thoughts on this??

How about we start in on how students claim to be RNs or LPNs in training? They are student nurses who fail to realize that the "R" or "L" in their designation only comes upon completeion of their education and final certification exam.

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I am with the I could care less group, I have enough going on in my life that bugs the pee out of me.

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I don't care what people call themselves. I could call myself an astronaut but that wouldn't make it so. There are serious problems in the world, and if I'm going spend a single moment worrying about something I can't control, it would be something that means more than a hill of beans.

On some forum out there is an astronaut who read this and thought "dang it, now nurses are calling themselves astronauts! Do they know how much work I put in to use the title "astronaut!!" And he/she then went on allastronauts.com to rant.

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Veterinary nurse is the official term here in Australia and even if it wasn't, I wouldn't have a problem with it. The original post with the comment about the OP's notes on cardiac conditions seemed to be suggesting that a vet tech/vet nurse has less knowledge than an RN/LPN which is a bit condescending and I doubt it's true anyway. Imagine having to know your disease processes, common problems, interventions, usual medication dosages, reactions to anaesthesia, and a million other things, not just for one species, but for the cat, the dog, the horse, the cow, the guinea pig, the bird, the goat, the rabbit, the lizard, the bat, the kangaroo, yikes it never ends.

This was a casual conversation in a shop.... I'm finding it hard to see the problem.

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All this back & forth arguing aside, you know what I was thinking? How in the world does a vet tech (animal nurse, etc, etc) start an IV on a furry animal??? Seeing how hard it is to start IVs on some people, can you imagine having to find a decent vein an a being covered in fur???

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I get what the OP is saying. Students work so hard to get through school. They live and breathe nursing. They dream about it. Everything is focused on earning the letters at the end of the game. All of a sudden someone calls themselves a nurse who is not an RN or LVN? It's frustrating. I remember a thread in the student forum (maybe it was posted up thread, didn't click on that post) about students doing pre-reqs for nursing school calling themselves nursing students, with similar outrage and indifference.

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snooki was a vet tech o.0

BAHAHAHAHAHA!! I just spit out my coffee a little........

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I don't see anything wrong with this. i know "animal nurse" is not the *technical* name for a vet tech, but, she pretty much does the same thing for animals, that nurses do for people. why is that insulting? i think it's wonderful. animals are precious creatures. god bless the animal nurses who take care of them. and god bless the nurses who take care of people as well. :)

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

Oh Lord! You owe me a cup of coffee, PTP...I just spit mine out all over the table! Allastronauts.com!!! Priceless!!!

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
All this back & forth arguing aside, you know what I was thinking? How in the world does a vet tech (animal nurse, etc, etc) start an IV on a furry animal??? Seeing how hard it is to start IVs on some people, can you imagine having to find a decent vein an a being covered in fur???

My experience was that it is EXCEEDINGLY difficult, esp when the animal is in shock. Sometimes you gotta shave the site, and the sound of the clippers alone scares them even more.

Which reminds me of a funny story...I had to actually clip a man's hair on his arm to start an IV! He was related to Big Foot.

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Oh Lord! You owe me a cup of coffee, PTP...I just spit mine out all over the table! Allastronauts.com!!! Priceless!!!

I have ALWAYS wanted to be an astronaut. Seriously. Either than or an astronomer. Might just head on over to allastrounauts.com because, you know, maybe it's not too late for me. :D

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
veterinarians receive doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine, no, it does not bother me. vet techs are very important, but they do not receive degrees in animal nursing. my point has to do with the professional title obtained by completing an education program and passing a standardized certifying exam. so no, it does not "irk" me.

Actually they do........there are two year and four year degrees in veterinary medicine/techmology. Many states have laws that protect the term Nurse and vet techs are included.

Veterinary Technology

The Veterinary Technology program at Mount Ida College prepares you to assist with diagnostic, medical, surgical and clinical laboratory procedures, usually under the supervision of a veterinarian.

The bachelor degree and associate degree curriculum stresses a hands-on approach to learning clinical and laboratory skills, and coursework includes the basic sciences, as well as research methodology, animal pathology, surgical nursing, livestock management, radiography, anesthesia, pharmacology, laboratory animal technology and animal behavior. In your senior year, a series of off-site internships will provide you with an even higher level of practical learning. Associate degree students will participate in a single internship in their final semester.

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