RVN: Registered Veterinary Nurse, what do you think?

[AllisonLeighLVT]

I am a Licensed veterinary technician (LVT) in New York, I had to complete a 2 years of a specialized college curriculum and graduate with a B or better average to acquire an AAS: Associate of Applied science in veterinary medicine. that allowed me to sit for my board exam: the VTNE to obtain my state license to practice. I currently have to complete CE credits every year and am audited triennially by the state to make sure I have completed those hours. I am currently working on additional boards to become a VTS: ECC (Veterinary Technician Specialist: Emergency & Critical Care) witch will require 2 years of case studies, additional course work & another exam including a practical. My current job title in the busy 24/7 ER in which I work is ICU Nurse. I do everything that job implicates for a human nurse, but I am also the Radiology Technician, Lab technician, anesthesiologist, phlebotomist, Etc.

I tell you all this because I am aware that in the human nursing field there is little knowledge of who we are and what we do. What is our schooling like? what do we do in practice?

And now NAVTA has initiated conversations with global, national, and state organizations regarding implementing the term Veterinary Nurse for the veterinary technician profession, as well as establishing a national standard for credentialing and using Registered Veterinary Nurse, or RVN, as a unified title...

Among Veterinary technicians there are those for and against the change from Veterinary Technician to Veterinary Nurse, but how do you all feel about it? are you ok with sharing your 'protected' title with your veterinary counterparts?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Honestly, I have no opinion. And if I did, it wouldn't matter because I am not in a position to affect the decision.

How is the veterinary ICU different from the veterinary ED? I'm just wondering, if you work in a vet ED, why do they call you an ICU nurse instead of an ED nurse?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

I've no opinion. Clearly they are advocating to have the V for veterinary included in the title to differentiate between human and animal nurse/technician. Dogs and other animals are not human though many physiological responses are similar enough that the FDA accepts animal testing in early stages of approval of drugs and devices for humans.

It really does not affect the human nursing profession unless a RVN elects to not include their proper credential such as "Im an ICU nurse" when responding to an accident or injury scene but conveniently leaves off "...in a critical care veterinary hospital". (I've met one vet tech that would intentionally "forget" to clarify their credential was for the animal population not human) but this happens with other non-nurse service positions implying they are "in nursing" or "in healthcare" and only admitting they work in environmental services at a hospital when questioned.

Kudos to you it's not a job they want but you might be less likely to get bit than I am with certain pediatric clients.

[emmy27]

As long as the credentialing, training, and licensing to obtain it is comparable to a Registered Nurse, and it is protected in the same manner as "nurse" in general (ie, the industry shouldn't be tolerating informally trained techs in non-certification-mandating states to go by "veterinary nurse") I don't see anything wrong with there being a Registered Veterinary Nurse title.

Prior to becoming a nurse I worked in a veterinary setting (without formal training in a state that allows vets to assign tech duties to anyone and provide in-house training) and I loved the job, but would definitely have been better at it had I had formal training. The tasks required were very similar in scope to what I do now as an ER nurse, and the patients were similarly ill. While I could do most of the tasks I do at work now without having a nursing degree, just as I did many tasks in a veterinary setting without formal training, I would not understand why or pick up on changes and critical information in my patients' condition without my background training. This has made me aware of all the ways I could have been more effective in the veterinary setting with a degree.

I don't see anything wrong with acknowledging that the people who have formal veterinary training and perform nursing-level care for animals *are* veterinary nurses.

[txshorserider]

As an LVT I think the general public would have a better understanding if nurse was included. In texas it is illegal to call yourself a nurse but I work for two corporate places so we are refereed to as Pet Nurses or Vet nurse. I am only 1 of 2 LVT at my main clinic and all the other nurses are technically assistants while we are the technicians. If everyone just understand what a technician does vs. doctor or assistant that would be great.

Unfortunately due to lack of money in the veterinary field I am working toward being an RN.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

No opinion whatsoever.

Not my circus. Not my monkey.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I worked as an unlicensed veterinary technician in an emergency animal hospital when I was younger. The technicians with formal schooling typically worked with research animals instead of companion animals (this probably varies by market). I thought about going to school for it, but I had no desire to work with research animals (too depressing) and definitely no desire to practice decapitating rodents when they outlived their usefulness to a researcher.

I will say that I did some things as a vet tech that I do not do with people as an RN. And while I have a lot of respect and admiration for veterinary technicians, there is one key difference between them and nurses. When I worked as a veterinary technician, the doctor was always available and on the premises. It was illegal for them not to be. In that sense, the job was more like a medical assistant then a nurse.

In a nursing ICU setting, the doctor might show up for a few minutes every 24 hours. The rest of the time, you're on your own. Doctors can be contacted by phone, but they only know what you tell them (so hopefully you tell them what's important and your patient lives). The stakes are also a lot higher with regard to liability. In most veterinary mishaps, the liability is limited to the cost of the animal which is seen as "property".

Should veterinary technicians be called veterinary nurses? I'm not sure I have a strong opinion. I don't think it's necessary, though. People can be educated about what vet techs do without changing the name to something else ....and remember, a lot of people have no idea what nurses do, either.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I think vet "TECH" is appropriate.

[Farawyn]

I think vet "TECH" is appropriate.

Vet TECH works for me as well.

[AlphaM]

[ATTACH]21939[/ATTACH]

[brownbook]

I love my dogs so much, two Pitt Bulls, I'm fine with calling you nurse. Hard to care for a patient that has no way of telling you what hurts, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry etc.

[pattiRVT]

Not really. Considering 80% of what I do is medical/surgical nursing. In addition, I also administer anesthesia and can perform minor surgical procedures. Also, I can also perform dental prophys. Plus I'm trained in clinical pathology and radiography. I started off in nursing (humans) and my scope of practice is much, much wider in vet med. Some of my colleagues prefer Registered Veterinary Technician instead of nurse because they think it somehow negates their extensive training and knowledge. I disagree since it's difficult for people to understand. Most people think of computer technicians or automotive technicians. From your response, it doesn't seem like you understand either. Veterinary Nurse is the legal title in the UK and parts of Europe. The only reason it's not at this time in North America is because the nursing associations literally own the word "nurse" and feel threatened somehow by the term Veterinary Nurse. Not sure why, you don't see MD's freak out because veterinarians are referred to as doctors. The title should actually be "Registered Veterinary Nurse Plus A Lot of Awesomeness"