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??
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
i've heard the term "veterinary nurse," and i have no problem with it. there are some places where pets receive the same kind of intensive care that humans do. those vet techs/nurses need to know how to work with all kinds of species, not just one. watch some episodes of "animal planet," and you can get an idea of what they do.
the only thing i have a problem with is mas/cnas calling themselves nurses.
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???
I worked as a kennel attendant for a year and saw/assisted with a lot of the other hospital things. It's honestly probably no harder than getting needles in kids, possibly easier since I imagine parents would throw a fit if they thought their child was being too firmly restrained. Generally, one person holds a front leg and rolls the vein into position while another does the stick. You may have to shave, but doggy front leg veins are very easy to find.
The college I'm attending has a vet tech program and the classes are vet nursing I, II, III, etc. Plus they have to learn radiology, hematology, etc. Their scope of practice in some ways exceeds the scope of an RN. I see no issue with them calling themselves vet nurses. They have very similar duties. The pets need nurses too! :redbeathe
Again, no problem with her calling herself a VET nurse. My issue was with her calling herself simply "nurse."
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
This is why I gave a "limited knowledge on the field" disclaimer... I know a few vet techs and their degrees are vet tech degrees, and they'd never heard of a vet tech degree with nurse in the title. That is my limited citation for this topic. The point I meant to be making is that in my head, a person's professional title results from their degree and qualifying examination/certification, and to my limited knowledge the degree is usually called veterinary technology... Thanks for at least giving your opinion and not assuming things about me or personally attacking me like several others have done. *sigh*
People here will express their feelings strongly, because it's what nurses do.....its who we are. I know Angell Memorial advertises for CCU Vet Nurses. There is a movement in the field to change what they are called as there is an on the job "tech", 2 year Associate degree techs and the 4 year baccalaureate nurses. I do not object to someone who's received a college education in the sciences,passed a state licensing exam and cares for injured and sick animals using the term nurse.
I get annoyed at CNA/MA's and non licensed staff(mostly in the MD office)calling themselves nurses. I have seen job ADs asking for nurses that are "care attendants" or "Activities nurses"and I have reported them and had them removed from job websites because I reported them to the state. Now THAT annoyes me.
I think that the conversation about veterinary science does play apart of this discussion and was not meant as being mean spirited. I don't think the repplies, while passonate, were mean spirited......Sometimes it is hard to "feel" the meaning behind the written words. It is true if you are nit picking that you are not a "Registered" nurse in training because you aren't registered until you take NCLEX and get registered. Technicality I agree....but factual.Take a deep breath......... I also don't think you were putting vet techs down but that you also did not know what their degree entails.
We can all agree to disagree to disagree without being disagreeable. Good Luck in school!
As an aside, I've always hated the title "nurse" due to the historical root of the word, and publicly perceived connotation(s). What say we jettison the term altogether? :)
There has been similar backlash from MD's against the term "Physician Associate" to relplace the title "Physician Assistant." "Physician Assistant" conjures up images of a handmaiden/scribe incapable of autonomous decision making.
That said, a "Vet Tech" is no more qualified to adopt the title "Nurse" anymore than a nurse is entitled to wear the title Vet Tech. So yes, as much as I admire the scope of practice, knowledge and education of Vet Techs...and it's huge...they're not NURSES.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Again, I went on and on about how they have the equivalent knowledge of the animal bodies they work with that nurses have of the human bodies they work with. I'm sorry that you seem to interpret my words of vet tech as downplaying their work; I've made it very clear that they are important and they are very educated in their respective fields. At this point I don't think you're getting the point of the OP so if you could, please address the concept of what you think about vet tech presenthing their selves as nurses to a lay person. Not an animal nurse, but just a nurse. That is what this thread is about. I'm asking what others in the nursing field think of a vet tech referring to herself as being only a nurse, not specifically an animal nurse. Thank you!
I get the same impression "Surrender Dorothy" got. In some areas, their title is "Veterinary Nurse." All of this sturm und drang over a title she may legitimately hold.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
dwhen i say you vet techs don't have degrees in animal nursing, i mean that literally. your degree title is veterinary technology, hence the name vet tech. i used my words selectively; vet tech title comes from veterinary technology degree. no less, no more than nurse, just different title. my degree is associate degree in nursing. not human body healer, but nurse, as is implied by my degree.
i'm sorry, but your manner comes across as very disrespectful. in any case, i was extremely thankful for the skilled, caring veterinary technicians who took such wonderful care of my beloved cat when he was in the process of dying from renal failure. i wouldn't have cared less if they called themselves "vet techs" or "vet nurses." all i knew was they took wonderful care of my cat and they knew what they were doing.
some nurses go to technical colleges for their nursing programs. should we look down our noses at them because they didn't go to a four year program? and omg...i went to a diploma program! where do i fit into the scheme of things? am i still a professional nurse?
just get over it. it was one encounter. focus on studying and getting your license. there are much bigger issues nurses have to wrestle with. ftr, i do have an issue with cnas and mas who call themselves nurses and allow patients to think they are something they are not.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
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.
agreed. it sounds like an rn who is in training for...
i'm sorry, but your manner comes across as very disrespectful. in any case, i was extremely thankful for the skilled, caring veterinary technicians who took such wonderful care of my beloved cat when he was in the process of dying from renal failure. i wouldn't have cared less if they called themselves "vet techs" or "vet nurses." all i knew was they took wonderful care of my cat and they knew what they were doing.some nurses go to technical colleges for their nursing programs. should we look down our noses at them because they didn't go to a four year program? and omg...i went to a diploma program! where do i fit into the scheme of things? am i still a professional nurse?just get over it. it was one encounter. focus on studying and getting your license. there are much bigger issues nurses have to wrestle with. ftr, i do have an issue with cnas and mas who call themselves nurses and allow patients to think they are something they are not.
again, no problem with term vet nurse. just wondering about vet tech calling herself only "nurse."
agreed. it sounds like an rn who is in training for...
again, please feel free to start a thread about how awful and offensive and ironic my user name is. the whole reason i came up with it is because one of my instructors calls us that and i thought it was cute. i'm sorry if you are offended at my username. in a year or so i'll be able to take off the in training part and then hopefully we'll all be happy.
Ah, it's not so bad RN in training, it's just a discussion on a message board. Everyone has an opinion, it's hard to convey tone of voice with the printed word so every word used can get over-analysed, people get side-tracked and bring up side issues, and that's okay too. I think we're all happy.
Ah, it's not so bad RN in training, it's just a discussion on a message board. Everyone has an opinion, it's hard to convey tone of voice with the printed word so every word used can get over-analysed, people get side-tracked and bring up side issues, and that's okay too. I think we're all happy. :)
I know I know... Lol I just really respect the people on AN and I guess when you respect people it's easier to let their words get to you...not to mention sometimes nursing school zaps my sense of humor... Ugh. Maybe I'll just stick to lurking and reading from now on. :-)
OCNRN63, RN
5,979 Posts
i've heard the term "veterinary nurse," and i have no problem with it. there are some places where pets receive the same kind of intensive care that humans do. those vet techs/nurses need to know how to work with all kinds of species, not just one. watch some episodes of "animal planet," and you can get an idea of what they do.
the only thing i have a problem with is mas/cnas calling themselves nurses.