So I took my dog to the vet yesterday morning to be spayed, we (my dog and I) are called into the assessment room by this woman who introduces herself as the "RN" who will be taking care of my dog.
Ofcourse I am skeptical, I question her "You are a Registered Nurse?"
She replies, that yes she is a RN, the training is EXACTLY the same, except that it is for animals, and that she had to pass a board exam. She actually goes on about it for a couple of minutes.
At this point I am so stunned, that I decide not to say anything, as I am already in a highly irritated mood because I am sleep deprived, starving because I am fasting for blood work, and actively fighting with my insurance coverage to get any prescription filled anywhere, and I am afraid of over reacting. I make sure that I sound highly skeptical when I say "Oooookayyy"
I am usually not very political or sensitive to nursing slights. I am comfortable with who I am and happy with what I do. I laugh at slights to nurses on tv more often that not, but this just kept itching at me.
When I left they gave me a addressed envelope and a survey to fill out. I am considering using the envelope to write a letter to the vet to inform her that she has at least one tech that is calling herself a RN and that by allowing this to go on in her practice that she is opening herself up to potential liability.
I'm a CMA. I work in a family practice. A young woman came in last week in scrubs. So I'm asking her about her sx and she says "back pain". I said "are you a nurse" and she says "yes" and she works at the vet hospital (I'm thinking "veterans"). I said something about doing a lot of heavy lifting and she says yes, she does.
Most of our pts are regulars and I said something to one of the girls out front about not knowing this girl was a nurse. They tell me she's a veterinary "nurse"! I'm thinking heavy lifting 200 pound male, not 30 pound bow-wow! LOL...
I didn't even know there WAS such a thing as a veterinary nurse. I thought you were either a vet tech or a vet???
Before someone gives my parents an injection or draws their blood in the Dr's office they always ask what is their title. If they don't get LPN,RN or MA in case of blood draws, they refuse. It makes the assistant angry but someone else comes in. I'm glad my parents, at age 80, are informed and
responsibile concerning their own health matters.
Interesting. So, a phlebotomist is not allowed to draw your parents blood? That's what they are trained to do.
I'm a CMA. I work in a family practice. A young woman came in last week in scrubs. So I'm asking her about her sx and she says "back pain". I said "are you a nurse" and she says "yes" and she works at the vet hospital (I'm thinking "veterans"). I said something about doing a lot of heavy lifting and she says yes, she does.
Most of our pts are regulars and I said something to one of the girls out front about not knowing this girl was a nurse. They tell me she's a veterinary "nurse"! I'm thinking heavy lifting 200 pound male, not 30 pound bow-wow! LOL...
I didn't even know there WAS such a thing as a veterinary nurse. I thought you were either a vet tech or a vet???
Lorraine
There's veterinarian, vet tech, and vet assistant.
I think the point is that title protection has to be enforced at every level, because when you start letting it erode, it's harder to enforce where it really matters.
If a CNA started calling herself a nurse, it could potentially be more difficult to get her to stop if we allowed CVTs or other vet techs to call themselves nurses, because we would have allowed the title to erode to the point where it meant not just an RN, but someone who was LIKE an RN.
It's not like she'd by arrested and thrown in jail for title misuse, but it is something that needs to be brought up and addressed. It's not saying that vet techs are inferior to nurses, but just that they are different.
I completely understand the reasoning of title protection on EVERY level (animal included) based on your post, LilPeanut. Thank you! However, I will never understand title protection enforcement for the sake of fairness.
Interesting. So, a phlebotomist is not allowed to draw your parents blood? That's what they are trained to do.
That's what I thought when I read that post. Most of the phlebotomists I work w/are quite proficient at drawing blood. Better than most licsensed nurses, in fact, because . . . that's their speciality. But I guess I can kind of see the poster's point w/her parents. Better someone w/an accountable title instead of whoever might be handy and want's to "give it a try".:)
I think you might be assuming that is the case everywhere and that's just not true. I see ads all the time for schools offering vet tech/asst. programs, 9 months and you are out the door working your new career. I've lived in five states and none of them required 2 years.
My old vet clinic didn't have trained techs, they were trained on the job. No school, none. That is just not an RN.
If a person attended a program that is not AVMA approved than they are not a Veterinary Technician, they are a Veterinary Assistant(just the same as a CNA is not a LPN/RN). There are no AVMA approved programs that are under 24 months of education and only a graduate from an AVMA approved program should call themselves a Veterinary Technician. The programs you are talking about are veterinary assistant programs, they can try to call themselves anything they want, but they are NOT Veterinary Technicians. People that attend those short programs can not sit for state/national veterinary technician boards, period. :angryfire The NAVTVA and the AVMA are slowly trying to change the state practice acts concerning Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants, to better define their roles in veterinary medicine.
And if your vet clinic/hospital does not have educated and credentialed vet techs, I would find another vet that cares enough about their patients to hire credentialed vet techs.
That's what I thought when I read that post. Most of the phlebotomists I work w/are quite proficient at drawing blood. Better than most licsensed nurses, in fact, because . . . that's their speciality. But I guess I can kind of see the poster's point w/her parents. Better someone w/an accountable title instead of whoever might be handy and want's to "give it a try".:)
Phlebotomists are not "giving it a try"! And it doesn't matter what your title is, drawing blood requires a certain skill and a lot of practice. There are many nurses who would be completely lost and awkward drawing blood because they haven't done it in years. But the previous posters parents would rather have someone with "a title" do it, although she may not be proficient, rather than someone who does it day in and day out and is quite proficient. I'm baffled by this thinking!?!?
Hi, This is my first post. I worked at a animal hospital for three years until I started nursing school in August. We called ourselves vet techs. The only time I heard us referred to as "nurses" was when a parent would explain to their young child that a vet tech is an "animal nurse". There is no such thing as a registered nurse for animal care just registered vet techs. In my state you don't even have to attend classes sit for the exam they just have to be able to pass the test with 70%. If it bothers you then by all means speak your mind but I wouldn't make too big a deal.
In my state you don't even have to attend classes sit for the exam they just have to be able to pass the test with 70%. If it bothers you then by all means speak your mind but I wouldn't make too big a deal.
Georgia does let people with 5 years plus "on the job training" to sit for the exam, and I was shocked and sicken when I first learned of this when I moved here. Things have changed, a tiny amount, after 2010, "OJTs" will not be able to sit for the exam. It makes me glad I sat for the exams in a state that required an education by an AVMA approved school only.
Phlebotomists are not "giving it a try"! And it doesn't matter what your title is, drawing blood requires a certain skill and a lot of practice. There are many nurses who would be completely lost and awkward drawing blood because they haven't done it in years. But the previous posters parents would rather have someone with "a title" do it, although she may not be proficient, rather than someone who does it day in and day out and is quite proficient. I'm baffled by this thinking!?!?
I'm baffled by your response!... My post read that I am aware many phlebotomists are more proficient at blood draws than licensed nurses. I was just trying to see things from the posters POV. I think she prefers her parents ask for someone who answers to a governing body, rather than, say, the clerk that they happen to be training in blood draws this week. No offense meant. Phlebotomists are DA BOMB!
vet tech or animal nurse... same thing... get over it........... someone in here made a comment about vet techs making minimum wage, darn egotistical nurse.. im an rn and thank GOD i don't act like my degree is so up there cuz i know its not... i'm just a nurse and nothing more...
LorraineCNA
113 Posts
I'm a CMA. I work in a family practice. A young woman came in last week in scrubs. So I'm asking her about her sx and she says "back pain". I said "are you a nurse" and she says "yes" and she works at the vet hospital (I'm thinking "veterans"). I said something about doing a lot of heavy lifting and she says yes, she does.
Most of our pts are regulars and I said something to one of the girls out front about not knowing this girl was a nurse. They tell me she's a veterinary "nurse"! I'm thinking heavy lifting 200 pound male, not 30 pound bow-wow! LOL...
I didn't even know there WAS such a thing as a veterinary nurse. I thought you were either a vet tech or a vet???
Lorraine