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5 Reasons Why a Veterinary Nurse is the Best Job

Which category do you fall into: are you more a people person, or an animal person?  If you are confused, you are probably not an animal person. Most animal lovers know that they fall into the category of being an animal person.  If you are a nurse, and have decided your love of animals is just too strong to deny, perhaps it's time you consider being a veterinary nurse.  A veterinary nurse generally works in an animal clinic, with and for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM.  There are obviously some significant differences between a nurse for human patients, and a nurse for animals; however both are very important, and in both case you have some important patients depending on your expertise and compassion. 

Good with Animals

Do you consider yourself to be good with animals? If you are walking down a sidewalk and pass a stranger, do you stop, engage them in interaction and converse with them because you want to get to know them?  Or if you are walking down the sidewalk and encounter a dog being walked on a leash, do you stop the person, and ask if you can pet their dog, then you get lost in puppy world?  If your answer to the second question is “yes”, without a doubt, you’ve got it, you are good with animals.  You can’t resist the loving and trusting face of an animal, regardless of the species, they make your heart melt.  Maybe you have a hard time watching a show or a movie where the animal is depicted as being injured, or lost.  That feeling you get when you see sad animal stories is real, heartbreaking, and sad.  It is also a representation of your love of animals.  Many people base their opinions, when meeting a new person, on whether or not their dog accepts and likes the person, in other words, “if my dog does not trust you, neither do I”. 

Offering Comfort to Pet Owners

You may be a true animal lover, and consider yourself an animal person, but to work in a veterinary clinic, you need to have the talent of working with the pet owners as well.  You must be able to relate to people, and more often than not, people that love their pets and consider them a member of their family.  You will need to maintain a certain level of professionalism, even though that may be a challenge as you are getting big sloppy wet kisses, that remind you why you chose this profession.  Trust me, a pet owner will overlook your professionalism if they in fact see that you love their pet, that is truly what matters to them.  Not unlike a nurse working in a human hospital, you will see, and be expected to deal with some pretty distressing situations, it's just part of your job.  Unlike a nurse in a medical center, there are many situations that a pet owner must make the heart wrenching decision that the pet has reached the point of needing to be euthanized.  When a dog reaches a certain age, or when a medical condition makes life unbearably painful or uncomfortable for a pet, most veterinarians and pet owners agree, euthanasia is most likely the best gift one can offer a suffering pet.  As a veterinary nurse, your job will be to show extreme compassion to both the pet and to the owner.  You would be expected to convey your sympathy to the owner, while offering assurance that they are making the best decision they can, considering the situation.  It really is true, you must love a pet enough to let go when the time comes.  It really takes a unique person to remain strong for the owner, when they are in an emotional state over their pet; however a good veterinary nurse is able to do just that. 

Putting Fears Aside

Let’s face it, everyone has fears of certain things, many including animals.  You may consider yourself to be primarily a dog person, however, as a veterinary nurse, you will certainly be expected to handle cats with the same level of compassion and care that you handle dogs.  Some people have a pre-determined mind that small animals such as ferrets are rodents, and may display a fear when handling them.  If your intention is to work in alongside a veterinarian, you will have to learn to get over your fear, or at the very least hide it.  Of course, animal patients, unlike human patients can sense your fear, and you may not have the upper hand when working with them.  Consider slowly familiarizing yourself with any animal species that is likely to visit an animal hospital.  Some veterinarians may be willing to have a nurse working with them that has some apprehension of birds; however, most are not going to tolerate a profound fear of their regular clientele. 

Dealing with Unexpected Accidents

It’s a pretty safe bet, that working in an animal clinic; you are more likely to deal with a terrified patient that may have an accident.  Unlike a human hospital, if an animal has an accident while you are taking their temperature, you probably cannot call on someone else to perform the cleanup.  In other words, as a veterinarian nurse, you really can't' have a weak stomach in the area of potty accidents.  You may not be squeamish at all when it comes to blood, and even operations, but when dealing with animals you cannot afford to be squeamish with anybody excretions, it's not a matter of if it will happen, it's more like when it will happen, and it will.  You may be expected to clean kennel runs and cages as part of your job, which really is all part of working with an animals, regardless of your position within the clinic. 

Related:  International Nurses Association - Certified Registered Nurses Anesthetists (CRNA)


Animal Devotion

There is a true meaning behind “there being a calling to work with and protect animals”.  Dogs and cats in particular, just like kids can try your patience at times.  In the worse case scenario a dog snaps at you or a cat claws you, it is unacceptable to retaliate.  It may hurt your feelings or hurt you physically, however, as an animal lover, and especially as a veterinary nurse, you are expected to continue working with the animal and provide the best of care.  You need training far beyond that of that of a nurse.  You will need to familiarize yourself with how to handle aggressive animals without causing harm to yourself in the process.  A certain amount of animal behavior knowledge should be acquired as well, so you will have an idea what to expect and how best to deal with it.  If you have valuable nursing skills, and have a genuine love of animals then it may be worth your time to check into becoming a veterinary nurse.  You may be expected to take a veterinarian technician course, which would be in addition to your nursing education.  This would prepare you for dealing with your four legged patients, and teaches you the differences in human patient care versus animal care.

Training as a veterinary nurse can open doors for working with animals in many capacities, and you are not necessarily destined to work in an animal clinic if your interest lay elsewhere.  Veterinary nurses are in demand at animal shelters, and animal training institutes.  Some grooming facilities and even pet shops may employ veterinary nurses; it can actually be a quite versatile field with numerous opportunities.  The main factor for working as a veterinary nurse is number one, your love of animals, and your desire to help them.  If you have that quality, you are already a good candidate to work in the field of veterinarian care.  Providing your clinical nursing expertise and the knowledge you will obtain to work in animal care, can make you a valuable asset when working in an animal hospital practice.  Do some research online regarding short courses that may provide an insight to working with animals, many classes are available online, and you can volunteer at an animal shelter to obtain hands on experience.  Once you have determined a veterinary nurse is the job for you, search out local animal hospitals and send resumes based on your findings. 



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