Veterinary Nurse

[enc123]

Hello allnurses I have a question for you all. What do you think about the term Veterinary nurse. I came across a user on social media using that term and stating that she was a veterinary nurse and it was told to her that the title of "nurse" was a protected term and the correct term was actually veterinary technician.

The nurse told the OP that she wasn't trying to be disrespectful but wanted to clarify due to there being so many myths and a great deal of miscommunication about the nursing profession. The person gave an excerpt of the nurse practice act where it states pretty much what the nurse stated and it discussed being licensed to use the title.

So what do you all think? Do you think it is okay for Veterinary technicians to call themselves vet nurses. I think it minimizes what we do and how hard we worked in school and for this profession. I actually went and looked up the definition of nurse and the definition falls under promotion and wellness of the human kind and I am paraphrasing. I agree with the OP that vet techs care mimics that of a nurse but only to animals but I disagree with her using the title nurse and I agree with the poster that corrected her.

The original poster stated that some states are going to start changing vet tech in its postings to vet nurse and I wonder how the ANA will feel about that. Will they actually stand up for us as the AMA would? I know that the AMA is a powerful organization but at the same time considering the majority of the US has nursing listed as protected in their practice act, it may not come to fruition.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Amen. As well as having doctorates, they function as doctors, unlike certain DNPs who want to be addressed as such.

A DNP is also a doctor. So is someone who has a PhD, or a PharmD, or a doctorate in library sciences. If you hold a doctorate, you are a doctor. Period, end.

[djh123]

And five...four...three...

No entiende.

[Paws2people]

Vets are doctors of Veterinary Medicine. They are PCP's and surgeons as well. When I worked for one, I addressed him as "Doc," because he IS A DOCTOR.

Vet Techs assist in those surgeries, do treatments, give meds, do phlebotomy, dentistries, IV's, etc etc. In other countries they call them Vet nurses, like Australia for example.

Most Vet Techs have an associates degree. My Doc would only hire those that did because in NY you have to have that license to act as a Vet Tech.

Vet Assistants are different, they are like a "CNA" is to a nurse/dr/pt/etc.

[klone, MSN, RN]

No entiende.

What don't I understand? Or did you mean "no intiendo" that YOU don't understand?

[Buyer beware, BSN]

I think it's OK. It's the term I use because they start IVs, monitor their patient, give meds, give teaching, but for animals. It's fine with me.

What the ANA thinks is irrelevant to me. They are constantly sending annoying emails about their political agenda, so I've learned to ignore them.

Yes, exactly, indubitably.

Two allusions come to mind here.

1. "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." will shakespeare

2. "a rose is a rose is a rose." gertrude stein

Historical case-in-point: Radiology technicians now call themselves Radiology technologists.

Although a bit high-falutin to me, I suppose they have the right.

*Should I stoop so low as to say "just don't call me late to supper!"

This is why my matter-of-fact older brother used to tell me: "why don't you just shut the hell up, idiot!"

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I'm going against the grain and say I don't think a vet tech should be a vet nurse. I have come across many different professions calling themselves nurses and saying they are actually better than nurses. One profession being a vet tech. A nurse is just not about starting an iv and giving meds, I'm sorry.

Medical Assistants are also a big one. Anybody can be trained to start an iv. There are also QMAs that can administer meds. That's a trainable skill.

Nurses assess. We assess abd critically think for our patients. It's more than fundamental skills. We have to assess and see early on what is going on with our patient. We report our assessments to the physicians. Physicians rely on us to see the big picture.

I don't want to take away from what vet techs do. I don't know anything about caring for animals. Just like they don't know anything about my job.

But, if it happens, I won't lose sleep over it.