RN & vet tech?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am a student who is planning on getting into an RN program next fall, and to get my BSN after that. I know I love people, but I have a large passion for animals also. Lately I have been tossing around the idea of becoming a vet, until I realized how horrible the student debt is and that I can make just as much money with my BSN without 8 years of school. a vet tech would be perfect for me, but I know they don't bring in the money that a nurse does. I read on another forum someone brought up being a PRN RN and a part time vet tech? or part time both? Anyone done this? Would love some advice. I am just torn because I want the best of both worlds. I love helping people and animals and I just am unsure of what to do. Thanks in advance!

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Veterinary care is actually quite depressing if you love animals. Hit by a car? Stabbed? Eye ball hanging out of the socket? In most cases, nothing can be done about it unless the owner (or person who brought the animal in) has deep pockets. If you have an exceptionally soft-hearted doctor running things, they might be willing to euthanize it free and send the body home with the owner.

There is wide variation in how people view their pets. You will find that you're often much more concerned than they are.

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I would be cautious about trying to juggle two careers. Nursing will be pretty demanding, particularly at first, with likely nights and weekends. Having two jobs sounds exhausting and not sustainable long term.

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Veterinary care is actually quite depressing if you love animals. Hit by a car? Stabbed? Eye ball hanging out of the socket? In most cases, nothing can be done about it unless the owner (or person who brought the animal in) has deep pockets. If you have an exceptionally soft-hearted doctor running things, they might be willing to euthanize it free and send the body home with the owner.

There is wide variation in how people view their pets. You will find that you're often much more concerned than they are.

Thanks for the honest but terribly depressing post :cry:.

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Specializes in LTC.

If you really want to become a vet, become a vet! Like Lemon said though, it can be very depressing and a lot of times there isn't jack s**t that can be done to help the animal.

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If you really want to become a vet, become a vet! Like Lemon said though, it can be very depressing and a lot of times there isn't jack s**t that can be done to help the animal.

Your avatar looks exactly like my sweet cat. :)

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So I've been in the same boat that you're in! My whole life I knew I wanted to do something with animals. However, when I was a junior in high school I realized that being a Vet would require just as much school as basically a MD, that's a ton of money to pay back. Also, like someone else up here said, it would be pretty depressing to be a Vet especially when you LOVE animals as much as we do. If an animal is at the Vet its because it's sick or something awful has happened, OR it is being put down.

The veterinarian world is also extremely competitive from what a past neighbor (who was in vet school at the time) told me. Of course, everything can be competitive, it's just food for thought.

What I plan to do is become a nurse, and either volunteer or find a part time job at dog and cat shelters, rescues, and even farms! I live in an area where there are lots of farms looking for help with horses, livestock, etc. I know I'll do SOMETHING to help animals and I want to also foster one day!

Don't think they're aren't ways to help animals in need even though you are going to school to be a vet. Do what you feel is right at the end of the day!

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Aren't* lol

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I think that if you're passionate about it then you should do it. Otherwise you'll always be thinking "what if".

My major concern would be schooling for both. Most places, at least around here, want an educated and certified vet tech. I have a few family members that achieved this with an associate degree then exam. They were hired while waiting for the exam. So, you would have to get your RN then figure out how to work while completing school for vet tech. Could be complicated.

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It really depends on what your passion is and your life goals.

I have my LVT licence and was an active LVT for 10 years. I loved my job at some hospitals and hated it at others. Which could be try for most careers. I found that I was really happy in a hospital that the vet knew how to utilize a tech. Many DVMs only let me do dental cleanings, rads and check ins. LVTs can do so much more and it was frustrating to be limited by a DVMs misconceptions. The hospital I was utilized the most I was very happy at I did CE with the staff, client education, surgical assisting etc.

I left to stay home with my kids. Now that I have been home for a while I want to help my husband with some of the financial responsibility and am going back for RN. I will not go back for the low pay of being an LVT. In my hcola my pay was maxed out at $20 in a hospital. It has been a few years and I hear the pay is still the same. So the low growth opportunity is a deciding factor for me.

I have found that I miss the medicine and the caring aspect and am excited to get back into health care. I did love working with the animals but I needed to evaluate my long term goals.

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