the term "animal nurse"

Ortho_RN · Apr 24, 2004

The only best way to resolve the issues of Vet Techs re: their title and status is to address it to the people who can pass a bill and commence any change at all. ( The last time I checked....human nurses are not one of them:p

Well actually I think they did try to get a bill passed or whatever, but the ANA through a fit, b/c the feel the need to protect the word "nurse"... So its not like they haven't tried..

Ortho_RN · Apr 24, 2004

The only best way to resolve the issues of Vet Techs re: their title and status is to address it to the people who can pass a bill and commence any change at all. ( The last time I checked....human nurses are not one of them:p

Well actually I think they did try to get a bill passed or whatever, but the ANA through a fit, b/c the feel the need to protect the word "nurse"... So its not like they haven't tried..

newgrad2004 · Apr 24, 2004

I think techs do a lot but in no way have to know the sorts of things nurses do. How many disease processes and drugs interactions and animal codes have they worked? How long would you code "fido". I dont think the laws and rights are the same for an animal as a person. How many court cases are argued over "wrongful death" of fido? We dont draw blood most times because in this field our expertise is needed else where. We can draw it. Its just the hospital employs people at a lower pay to do so, therefore freeing up the RN to do more difficult tasks like monitoring a hep drip or a cardiac drug. How many animals stay in ICU for months? These are animals, and therefore there are different laws. We as nurses have to know if an order isnt right, and know that if we give it our butts are on the line. Is it the same for a vet tech? Then you have the whole psyc issues and dealing with PEOPLE who are angry, sad, helpless and families of the patients.

I do not care what you call yourselves but to say you know more (as a tech, or a vet tech) or that you do more is crazy.

I have heard people even in the hospital stating someone being a "nurse" in the patients family, and yes it is hard because they do know a lot of what is going on. I have also heard of people "claiming" their family memeber is a nurse only to find out they are a tech, housekeeping, or work in Admin or some other aspect of the hospital

newgrad2004 · Apr 24, 2004

I think techs do a lot but in no way have to know the sorts of things nurses do. How many disease processes and drugs interactions and animal codes have they worked? How long would you code "fido". I dont think the laws and rights are the same for an animal as a person. How many court cases are argued over "wrongful death" of fido? We dont draw blood most times because in this field our expertise is needed else where. We can draw it. Its just the hospital employs people at a lower pay to do so, therefore freeing up the RN to do more difficult tasks like monitoring a hep drip or a cardiac drug. How many animals stay in ICU for months? These are animals, and therefore there are different laws. We as nurses have to know if an order isnt right, and know that if we give it our butts are on the line. Is it the same for a vet tech? Then you have the whole psyc issues and dealing with PEOPLE who are angry, sad, helpless and families of the patients.

I do not care what you call yourselves but to say you know more (as a tech, or a vet tech) or that you do more is crazy.

I have heard people even in the hospital stating someone being a "nurse" in the patients family, and yes it is hard because they do know a lot of what is going on. I have also heard of people "claiming" their family memeber is a nurse only to find out they are a tech, housekeeping, or work in Admin or some other aspect of the hospital

Ortho_RN · Apr 24, 2004

I think techs do a lot but in no way have to know the sorts of things nurses do. How many disease processes and drugs interactions and animal codes have they worked? How long would you code "fido". I dont think the laws and rights are the same for an animal as a person. How many court cases are argued over "wrongful death" of fido? We dont draw blood most times because in this field our expertise is needed else where. We can draw it. Its just the hospital employs people at a lower pay to do so, therefore freeing up the RN to do more difficult tasks like monitoring a hep drip or a cardiac drug. How many animals stay in ICU for months? These are animals, and therefore there are different laws. We as nurses have to know if an order isnt right, and know that if we give it our butts are on the line. Is it the same for a vet tech? Then you have the whole psyc issues and dealing with PEOPLE who are angry, sad, helpless and families of the patients.
I do not care what you call yourselves but to say you know more (as a tech, or a vet tech) or that you do more is crazy.
I have heard people even in the hospital stating someone being a "nurse" in the patients family, and yes it is hard because they do know a lot of what is going on. I have also heard of people "claiming" their family memeber is a nurse only to find out they are a tech, housekeeping, or work in Admin or some other aspect of the hospital

Oh wow.. You have NO idea about a Vet Techs job..... Guess what every disease that humans get, animals can get 90% of them also.. So they do need to know disease processes... And yeah animals do code.. I have done CPR on many animals in my days as a Vet Tech... We get a Parvo puppy, they are in isolation for weeks!!! Being a vet tech and a nurse are pretty comparable if you look at it... Being a Vet Tech harder, nah... You do have a harder time finding out what is wrong with your patient, b/c they can't talk.. So you depend on your assessment skills and lab work to help you...

Just wanted to clear things up for you..

Ortho_RN · Apr 24, 2004

I think techs do a lot but in no way have to know the sorts of things nurses do. How many disease processes and drugs interactions and animal codes have they worked? How long would you code "fido". I dont think the laws and rights are the same for an animal as a person. How many court cases are argued over "wrongful death" of fido? We dont draw blood most times because in this field our expertise is needed else where. We can draw it. Its just the hospital employs people at a lower pay to do so, therefore freeing up the RN to do more difficult tasks like monitoring a hep drip or a cardiac drug. How many animals stay in ICU for months? These are animals, and therefore there are different laws. We as nurses have to know if an order isnt right, and know that if we give it our butts are on the line. Is it the same for a vet tech? Then you have the whole psyc issues and dealing with PEOPLE who are angry, sad, helpless and families of the patients.
I do not care what you call yourselves but to say you know more (as a tech, or a vet tech) or that you do more is crazy.
I have heard people even in the hospital stating someone being a "nurse" in the patients family, and yes it is hard because they do know a lot of what is going on. I have also heard of people "claiming" their family memeber is a nurse only to find out they are a tech, housekeeping, or work in Admin or some other aspect of the hospital

Oh wow.. You have NO idea about a Vet Techs job..... Guess what every disease that humans get, animals can get 90% of them also.. So they do need to know disease processes... And yeah animals do code.. I have done CPR on many animals in my days as a Vet Tech... We get a Parvo puppy, they are in isolation for weeks!!! Being a vet tech and a nurse are pretty comparable if you look at it... Being a Vet Tech harder, nah... You do have a harder time finding out what is wrong with your patient, b/c they can't talk.. So you depend on your assessment skills and lab work to help you...

Just wanted to clear things up for you..

BabyChainus · Apr 24, 2004

Well actually I think they did try to get a bill passed or whatever, but the ANA through a fit, b/c the feel the need to protect the word "nurse"... So its not like they haven't tried..

You cannot always expect an immediate YES to all of the demands in our own profession. :) Politicians change, man's perception change and that includes decisions on various issues. ANA might even have a strike if they want to just to protect the "nurse" definition. But hey!! this is a free country and if you have a point and you think it is right, I don't see any obstacle too impossible to overcome!! :imbar Difficulties?? YES but not an excuse to sulk and displace their resentment to other professionals. Perhaps, doing something about it AGAIN will be much more productive.:rotfl:

BabyChainus · Apr 24, 2004

Well actually I think they did try to get a bill passed or whatever, but the ANA through a fit, b/c the feel the need to protect the word "nurse"... So its not like they haven't tried..

You cannot always expect an immediate YES to all of the demands in our own profession. :) Politicians change, man's perception change and that includes decisions on various issues. ANA might even have a strike if they want to just to protect the "nurse" definition. But hey!! this is a free country and if you have a point and you think it is right, I don't see any obstacle too impossible to overcome!! :imbar Difficulties?? YES but not an excuse to sulk and displace their resentment to other professionals. Perhaps, doing something about it AGAIN will be much more productive.:rotfl:

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

Oh wow.. You have NO idea about a Vet Techs job..... Guess what every disease that humans get, animals can get 90% of them also.. So they do need to know disease processes... And yeah animals do code.. I have done CPR on many animals in my days as a Vet Tech... We get a Parvo puppy, they are in isolation for weeks!!! Being a vet tech and a nurse are pretty comparable if you look at it... Being a Vet Tech harder, nah... You do have a harder time finding out what is wrong with your patient, b/c they can't talk.. So you depend on your assessment skills and lab work to help you...
Just wanted to clear things up for you..

I have had many pts who can't speak english, and there is no translator, and pts who are unable to speak. So I, as most other nurses, rely heavily on my assessment skills. There is nothing anyone could say to make me believe that being a vet tech is comparable to being a nurse.

Being under the stress of saving a puppy and saving someones baby can't even be compared.

If vet techs want to be nurses, then they should go to nursing school.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

Oh wow.. You have NO idea about a Vet Techs job..... Guess what every disease that humans get, animals can get 90% of them also.. So they do need to know disease processes... And yeah animals do code.. I have done CPR on many animals in my days as a Vet Tech... We get a Parvo puppy, they are in isolation for weeks!!! Being a vet tech and a nurse are pretty comparable if you look at it... Being a Vet Tech harder, nah... You do have a harder time finding out what is wrong with your patient, b/c they can't talk.. So you depend on your assessment skills and lab work to help you...
Just wanted to clear things up for you..

I have had many pts who can't speak english, and there is no translator, and pts who are unable to speak. So I, as most other nurses, rely heavily on my assessment skills. There is nothing anyone could say to make me believe that being a vet tech is comparable to being a nurse.

Being under the stress of saving a puppy and saving someones baby can't even be compared.

If vet techs want to be nurses, then they should go to nursing school.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

In some areas LPN programs are only 10 months.

Including prereqs, my LPN program was three years long. My RN program was also three years, with prereqs. So here I am, a simple ADN RN, with 127 credit hours.

And where do these vet techs get the idea that others do blood draws for us? I work in an all RN dept, and we do all our own blood draws. In fact, we do everything- from assesssing pts and determining their tx and Rx, to emtying the trash.

These vet techs are really coming off as nurse wannabes.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

In some areas LPN programs are only 10 months.

Including prereqs, my LPN program was three years long. My RN program was also three years, with prereqs. So here I am, a simple ADN RN, with 127 credit hours.

And where do these vet techs get the idea that others do blood draws for us? I work in an all RN dept, and we do all our own blood draws. In fact, we do everything- from assesssing pts and determining their tx and Rx, to emtying the trash.

These vet techs are really coming off as nurse wannabes.