Veterinary nurse?

[Fluffy n Muffin]

hello im 16 and im at my last yr of college but im going on to further eduction to study animal care in more detail as im doing A levels in a different college and have more of a choise on Veterinary nursing what would i also need to to or learn before i go to a different college next year?

[Cell]

There isn't such a think as a Veterinary Nurse, and for being in college, your grammar is pathetic. Don't you mean high school? Or middle school. -.-

[Fluffy n Muffin]

umm you are pathetic, as you dont evern no then coz there is such thing as a vet nurse as that what my whole college group is wanting to be one! and for your info it not called middle skool or high skool at all you stupid person were i live is ENGLAND and we dont have that or those sort of schools they are called Colleges! ok i just wanted advice on how to become a vet nurse and not be to called pathetic thank you very much! :mad:

[Fluffy n Muffin]

sorry to those who have read this thread! :mad:

[Fluffy n Muffin]

all i wanted was some addvice and not to be called pathetic and im sorry i had a go at you but i was angry at what you said! and all i wanted was some addivce ok! im sorry to all who have read this and its so stupid that people can be so nasty to someone whos just asking for help!

[mr gerbil]

Chill...calm down. Cell, I think that your understanding of different cultures is severely lacking. Take a geography class.
I don't know about qualifications for a vet nurse- although to be a vet you really need GCSEs at A*-B level, and As in A level for Biology, Chemistry, and either Physics or Maths. One sec...

Just found this with a quick search:
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Veterinary Nursing Scheme (VNS) is the nationally-recognised training route. To enrol on this you must:

be at least 17
have five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English, and two science subjects or one science plus maths. (Equivalent qualifications may be accepted - you should contact RCVS for advice on these)
be employed at a RCVS-approved Training Practice (ATP).

Hope it helps...

[Fluffy n Muffin]

aww thanks yer your a gr8 help thanks again!! hehe yer sorry about that hehe anyways i will tell ya how i get on after my animal care course hehe!! thanks again xxxxxxxxxx

[mr gerbil]

Good luck...

[Scabby and Jen]

Try and get as much experiance as you can in different animal fields, unfortunately it counts just as much as having good grades.
I did 8 Months with horses, 1 Month on a Farm, 1 Month in a pet shop 1 Month in a Veterinary Practice, and helped out in "animal clubs" in Collage and School. I also had alot of animal experiance from home (with keeping lots of different species)
It is a very competative field and hard to get into but when you are there, you are made for life.

The job is very demanding and there is alot of hard work and alot of long hours, its not all just playing with puppys and kittens (that maybe about 1% of the work) and if you do see them they are usually very sick and need intensive care.
If you manage to get a "placement" the money isnt great, its minimum wage or training allowence (less than £100 a week as a YTS), and will not increase untill you are qualified which can take 3 years or longer (3 if you pass your exams first time). Once qualified you then have to continually read and train for further qualifications because if you dont keep up with the constantly changing envirnment then you will fall behind and become lost in what is a very competable field.

Good luck anyway and I am sorry if I have put you off in anyway shape or form, but I know what the job is like I have been doing it for 5 years.

Check out
www.rcvs.org.uk - royal collage of veterinary science
www.bvna.org.uk - british veterinary nurse assosiation
www.vetnurse.co.uk - vet nurse site ran by "Novartis Animal Health" a drug company

[mr gerbil]

Should have mentioned that- after doing work experience at vets (and ongoing...).
But it really does vary from practice to practice, in a way. Take somewhere like the pdsa, for example. Playing with cute kitties is almost unheard of, as roadkill and strays are being brought in continuously. But in a quieter practice, you might work all morning but spend the afternoon relaxing.
In the end, though, any veterinary work isn't going to be a piece of cake.

[satine]

i have aquestion on veteneriny (bad day cant spell) nurses. are they the same as vet techs

[mr gerbil]

Vet nurses are called vet techs in the US.
In the uk, vet techs tend to be the people who do cleaning, dispense medcines, etc in larger places. You don't see them very often since vet nurses do that kind of thing usually.

[Scabby and Jen]

We have veterinary auxillary's that help the nurses to feed, walk, clean out the animals, they also help to clean the surgical kits and to answer the phones and help dispence medication. Its also a job that they have for a year before they start there veterinary nurse training. I do work in a large hospital though and there is 80 members of staff and we need the help (especially when we have 30 operations on a quiet day and upto 60 on a busy)

[Fluffy n Muffin]

aww thx you lot hehe ya a gr8 help! nah ya anit put me off hehe im really looking forward to t yr as hopfully im getting to wrk at the PDSA and be trained there! but thats if everythink goes to plan lol!! neways thx again for alot of help!! :D :)

[mr gerbil]

Pdsa? Good luck...it's not exactly an easy ride. Well worth it, though.

[AllAnimalLover]

I know all this was written awhile ago, but I thought I would educate all of you since I am a Registered Veterinary Technician (or Vet Nurse) We do alot more than you think and the vets do alot of than you think. I can take blood, run blood work, run fecal and urinalysis. (you know when the vet tells you that your cat/dog has a bacterial infection in the urine...yeah that was me who looked at the urine and told them what I saw) I can put in IV catheters, help with surgeries, monitor anesthesia, preform Dental prophys (cleanings) sterile assistant, non sterile assitant, wake up the animal after anesthesia, I do laundry, and clean kennels, answer phones, help clients, walk animals, feed animals, give medication in hospital (iv, subcut-under the skin, or intramuscular.) when you dog/cat is in the hospital and it's really sick, and your vet sais that they are going to give them medication and put them on iv fluids and iv antibiotics etc, I do that. I despense medication, I am a nutritionist...I could go on and on and on. My job is VERY demanding, and VERY stressful. I have to have 10 continuing education credits at the end of each year to continue on doing what I am doing. You have to know what your talking about because people (animal owners) depend on you. You are usually the voice between the vet and the owner.
A vet tech is not "just a vet tech" we are working hard at getting our job title known, and not being regarded and someone who answers phones and is a receptionist (that's what a vet assistant does) We are also working hard at not letting just anyone be trained off the street.

I don't want to sound mean with all this. I just wanted to let you know what a vet tech really does. I am very passionate about my job and my title, I worked for 3 years getting about 90% in all my classes to do what I do. IT's not a subject to be taken lightly. I hope you find a course that is demanding and asks alot of it's students. Be a volunteer at an animal hospital. Biology helps in your high school or college days before you take your couses. You will need to know math as well. There are no real "courses" to prepare you before you get into the actual course. They will prepare you for everything. Make sure the course you choose allows you to take another exam after you graduate to become registered, or atleast a recognized school in the Veterinary Medical Association that is near you. Hope this helps.

[mr gerbil]

Not sure where you got the "vet nurses don't do anything idea", but this thread's fairly old.
It's a perfectly worthwhile job.