Vet Teching vs. Nursing!

SO far so good. I've finished up my first semester in the LPN program. My clinicals are definitely more interesting. Here are some basic differences I've noticed, (besides the number of legs of my patients) between working in a vet office and in long-term care:

1) Walking, even towel-walking, is far easier than toileting.

2) I never really appreciated how light dogs and cats are, when I needed to move them, until I had to move (two person assist of course) a 250 pound half-paralyzed woman from the bed to her wheelchair.

3) When dogs and cats try to BITE, you can just put a muzzle on them.

4) Humans are easier to get a pulse and get blood pressure from.

5) Oh, if only giving meds to an uncooperative PERSON, was as easy as wrapping the pill in bacon.

6) Years in a kennel, made me immune to the gag-reflex stimulating effects of feces. While my classmates turn green and sprint out of the room, I'm just asking for more wipes.

7) I will never have to shoot another X-ray again.

8) My days of not having to worry about catching a disease from a patient of mine, (besides ringworm or rabies!) are officially over, sadly.

9) Same basic post-op care for patients, only the physicians who are performing them have about 1/10th the hands on experience, 4/5ths of the education, and the procedures cost about 100 times more money.

10) With animals who are injured, 99% of them, I didn't have to think "uh, you should've known better than to : put gasoline on the barbeque/jump off the roof with a cape around your neck / eat McDonalds 4 meals a day every day since you were 20/ be single, unemployable and pregnant /play with their dad's gun/ get hammered and try driving yourself and your prom date back to your dad's house on the wrong side of the interstate....etc

11) If a dog is giving me a hard time, I just could put it in a cage and wait for it to settle down

12) Any coworker of mine who is caught abusing a patient, it's easier to have them fired or even arrested when you're a nurse

13) I was first considering becoming an RN to finance my way through vet school...but the way things are going, I don't think I could afford the cut in pay when the time comes for it, I admit. Med school is easier to get into than vet school anyways!

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

That it so cute! Good luck to you and keep your sense of humour.

[Jules A, MSN]

I've done both and would add:

With human clients its much easier to present their options and walk away satisfied that they can make their own decision even if it wasn't what I would have picked.

With the critters far too often they are dependent on cheap, ignorant or uncaring owners to decide their fate.

[RNMom2010]

HAHA that was great!! Let me tell ya, if working with animals provided me the same income that I will have when I get out of nursing school I would have went the four legged route 100%!!

[screamcat]

Been a Certified Vet Tech at a MAJOR Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia for 11 years!!! I am currently getting ready to start my LAST semester of nursing school (3yr program). I can't tell ya how nice it is to see someone that truly knows how it is!!! And yes! If veterinary nurses could get paid the same as "human" nurses..I'd keep doing it, for sure. I think the vet nurses get the bad end of the deal.... we are by the way taught to deal with MULTI-Species ...different numbers and problems with different animals. Domestics, farm, and exotics! You'd think we'd get paid more! The only REAL similarity is 'a nurse is a nurse is a nurse'...we end up either way doing all the $#%* work for the doctors (human and animal). All in all I am excited for my NEW career. I figure...two legs, four...skin, fur..what does it matter, when your SAVING LIVES!!!!

:trout:

[Jules A, MSN]

Been a Certified Vet Tech at a MAJOR Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia for 11 years!!! I am currently getting ready to start my LAST semester of nursing school (3yr program). I can't tell ya how nice it is to see someone that truly knows how it is!!! And yes! If veterinary nurses could get paid the same as "human" nurses..I'd keep doing it, for sure. I think the vet nurses get the bad end of the deal.... we are by the way taught to deal with MULTI-Species ...different numbers and problems with different animals. Domestics, farm, and exotics! You'd think we'd get paid more! The only REAL similarity is 'a nurse is a nurse is a nurse'...we end up either way doing all the $#%* work for the doctors (human and animal). All in all I am excited for my NEW career. I figure...two legs, four...skin, fur..what does it matter, when your SAVING LIVES!!!!

:trout:

Welcome to the other side, lol. I agree 100% and think that in years to come things will get better but I'm to old to wait.

[VetTechingWasEasier]

Oooh I forgot this bonus one...

14) Anyone who thinks C.diff is the end of the world has NEVER known Canine Parvovirus.

[Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP]

I worked in a feline only hospital for 3.5 years and while I'm only a pre-nursing student right now, I totally get what you're saying!