So you have finally qualified after all that hard work and those stressful exams.
So after a few years of hard work as a Vet. Nurse what are your plans long-term?
Can you see yourself in the same position in 10 years time?
Most Vet Nurses are young from what I have noticed. Usually under 30 I would say – so where do they all go after a few years?
Here are the options:
Sales Rep.
Yes, I admit it sounds tempting – an expensive company car to drive, office hours and a nice salary increase. Realistically though would you really want to learn all about nutrition, dental equipment, the latest antibiotic, fleas products which kill the egg, the larvae, the adult (the host) etc etc – with claims that it is a miraculous and harmless drug etc. etc
Also most vets keep the reps waiting for as long as they can get away with and then proceed to ask awkward, irrelevant questions to aim to embarrass them by proving their lack of product knowledge.
Plus it wouldn’t be good for the waistline, sitting around all day, driving all day and handing out cakes, greasy rolls etc as a bride for 15 minutes of the vet’s time. Anyway most companies use those with degrees nowadays – that the impression I get when asking reps how to become a rep. I wonder how many Vet Nurses are reps.
Head Nurse.
So you finally make it up the stepladder of success. Starting at the bottom and gradually working your way up to such dizzy heights. Yea right. Great so all the responsibility is yours. The buck stops with you – whenever anything goes wrong. You also have the pleasure of filling in to cover when people call in sick (or with hangovers)
Also you have the right to discipline other nurses, or befriend favourites and let them get away with murder or just become bossy and self-righteous – (speaking from my observations you understand not from my personal experiences)
Although I should not be too cynical some Vet. Nurses really enjoy being head nurse and generally the salary offered if quite good.
Of course it can be rewarding training new nurses as well.
So, a good career move for some.
Becoming a Locum.
Working in new surroundings regularly can be a real eye-opener. It can be good for increasing your confidence and will make you more experienced. You do get to work in some awful places though but the money is very good. I think locuming is good for the short-term. Long-term locuming ca be a bit soul destroying as you don’t belong anywhere, don’t have any colleagues, and get a bit fed up with being the new person all the time. You feel as if you spend much of the day looking for things.
Although, I do know nurses who love the freedom of locuming. You do not have any ties and can work where and when it suits you. It is good if you are single and have no ties as you can travel with your work.
Education.
Some nurses choose to leap into the education sector – either training new nurses or students on an animal care course or working for a Veterinary School in some way.
The pay is very good and it can be rewarding so definitely a good move.
Tell Us.
Could you vet nurses tell us about your experiences – what are you doing now?
How has Veterinary Nursing taken you into different directions? Do you ever wish you had made a different career choice?
Veterinary Nursing is generally little recognised, low paid, long hours, physically and emotionally hard work. It is also rewarding and enjoyable at times.
It would be great for nurses to post their comments in the forums. If you have left the profession why? How long did you nurse before making changes?
We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Wednesday, February 13 @ 16:58:02 GMT (145 reads)
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Reptile Anaesthesia - article for VN's
jenvetnurse writes "Reptiles have a very slow metabolic rate; because of this they often have slow inductions and even slower recoveries from anaesthesia.
Weighing the reptile prior to the procedure is crucial so that drugs are given accurately. Pre-meds are rarely given although some people use Butorphanol at a dose rate of 0.2-0.4mg/kg i/m. For the induction the 3 most commonly used drugs are:
Ketamine 50mg/kg
Propofol 10mg/kg i/v
Saffan 6-9mg/kg iv
Intubation is essential during GA’s of reptiles to maintain an airway at all times. Remember the anatomy is quite different from that of mammals. Snakes have no left lung.
Also there is no diaphragm present but reptiles do have a membrane-like separation between the thorax and the abdomen. After the initial induction you do expect some apnoea or very slow respiration at the least. This is due to the relaxation of the muscles used for respiration as a direct result of the drugs used for anaesthesia.
Ventilating the patient using Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation throughout the procedure may be required – the respiration rate should mimic that of the patients normal pattern – generally 3 or 4 breathes a minute.
Isoflo is thought to be the safest agent to use for inhalation anaesthesia to maintain – depending on the length of the procedure – it may not be required for quick procedures as the induction agent may be sufficient.
Oesophageal stethoscopes and Pulse Oximeters will be useful to assist monitoring of the patient. Warmth and fluids as required also are essential as with any small species anaesthesia.
Close observation is advised particularly upon recovery which can take a long time – using Dopram Injection may speed recovery and stimulate respiration – the rate of 0.25ml/kg iv should be sufficient.
Please upload your exotic case histories/photos to share with us and discuss any interesting cases with other vets and nurses in the exotics forums.
"
Posted by jenvetadmin on Wednesday, February 13 @ 16:54:17 GMT (148 reads)
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A Gift To Treasure
jenvetnurse writes "If you are interested in having a pet painting done for yourself or someone special here is the info you will need:
http://www pet-paintings.co.uk
How much does it cost?
A single head portrait of your favourite pet can cost as little as £35 including postage and packing! What are you waiting for? Check out my prices page for a full run down.
How long will it take?
A unique pet painting will typically take between 1-4 weeks to complete, this depends of course on how busy I am. I will try to let each individual know of the timescale.
Will my photos be good enough?
For all you budding David Baileys, I have compiled a series of photographic tips. Click here to view.
How do I pay?
You can either pay securely online using your credit/debit card through PayPal. Or I will accept cheques made payable to Michael Ahearne. Cheques will have to clear before the painting will be despatched.
Can I view the portrait before I pay for it?
Yes! Once the painting is complete I will host it online and email you the url.
How will the artwork be sent?
Unframed artwork will be sent flat packed, unmounted and unframed by Royal Mail Special or Registerd Delivery.
Can I have the portrait framed?
Yes I can frame my paintings in a variety of mouldings and also provide cut mounts to compliment the frame. Click here to see an example of a framed portrait with a mount.
All framed pictures are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery which will incure a postal charge of between £5-£20 depending on weight.
So what's the next step?
Once you have decided to have a painting commissioned drop me an email with the following information, or fill in my online enquiry form
Your name, postal address and telephone number.
Animals name and breed.
Size of painting required. Look here for a list of sizes and prices.
Photos can be sent to me digitally by email: info@pet-paintings.co.uk "
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, November 05 @ 11:25:08 GMT (257 reads)
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LACRIMAL SAC FULL OF PUS: DACROCYSTITIS
Dacrocystitis is the inflammation of lacrimal sac. The condition may be primary or secondary to some other problems of the eye, sinuses, bones, etc.
In some cases it may occur secondary to dental problems too. In this condition a foul smelling discharge consisting of mucus and pus may be seen coming out of eye, nose etc. inviting flies and irritating the animal.
Although generally unilateral but may occur bilaterally too. The congenital problems with patency of lacrimal puncta, nasolacrimal ducts or nasal puncta may also lead to dacrocystitis.
So when an animal comes with dripping out pus and mucus from the eye and/or nose, along with other parts of eyes, nasolacrimal apparatus should also be kept in mind. Along with eye, the dental and nasal examination also becomes necessary to further look into the etiology.
Radiograph of the skull may be helpful in diagnosing the fracture, if any to be behind the acquired infections.
Similarly there may be other culprits like tumors, foreign bodies etc. that must be treated for achieving the complete healing. Systemic antibiotics, flushing of nasolacrimal apparatus, anti-inflammatories along with removal of primary cause will help in treatment of this problem.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, November 05 @ 11:19:15 GMT (260 reads)
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Vetpro Guide
Here is a list of all the facilties Vetpro has to offer:
1.OPEN FORUMS
If you start a new topic you must fill in all fields including a title. You can preview your message to check how it will look and then press submit.
To post a photo with your message in the forums, simply right click the photo and go to ‘properties’ copy that entire address and click ‘img’ paste the address and then ‘img’ again. Preview the page and if it is ok submit it.
Above the welcome message on the home page there are 6 boxes with titles:
Home, Recruitment, News, Classifieds, Photos, Services
These are navigation boxes. If you hover over the boxes with the mouse you will see that each box offers different options leading to other areas of the site.
This is the easiest was to navigate the site.
2. RECRUITMENT
The 2nd box Recruitment has two fields. The first ‘Find a Vet Job’ takes you to the recruitment database where all job info is located.
Use the dropdown boxes to help locate jobs to suit you quickly. For example – view last 3 jobs – locum vet.
Click on the underlined job title if you are interested and wish to read all details.
We are re-developing this area of the site – it will soon be much easier to use.
If you are interested in any jobs in the database the person to contact will be noted within the job specifications.
If you are interested in a job or wish to leave CV information should a suitable position arise you can contact:
Rig Veterinary Recruitment: Ivor Somerville Tel. 01392 332 858 or email ivor.somerville@rigvets.co.uk
3. NEWS.
In the 3rd navigation box ‘News’ you can submit an article which will be presented on the homepage.
4. CLASSIFIEDS.
The classifieds are located in fourth navigation box. The sub – headings are Miscellaneous, Veterinary Uniforms, Veterinary Practices, Surgical Items, Vet Books and DVD’s.
To advertise items for sale/request items wanted go into classifieds and click ‘ads main’ to view adverts and ‘post ad’s’ to sell your items. You can search the database and use this facility free of charge.
5. PHOTOS.
The photo galleries are located in the 4th navigation box above the welcome message on the home page. Click ‘view albums’ this takes you to the impressive gallery where all photos can be hosted foc and viewed at any time.
You can upload your photos quickly and use them in the forums by right clicking photo, copying address and pasting it into the forums surrounded by an ‘img tag’
If you have difficulty up-loading photos (some members do) simply email them to us
webmaster@vetpro.co.uk we will upload them for you. This section will be upgraded soon to make it simpler to upload your photos.
6. SERVICES.
The final navigation box contains 3 information databases – please feel free to add information to these if you have time. We will be adding to the information in the future.
· Reviews – of drugs and products
· Veterinary Dictionary
· Lost and found animals (This will be improved to include a to be re-homed section)
· Cattery and Kennel database
The final section is ‘Print our Flyer’ this is an A5 poster which can be quickly downloaded and printed and displayed in your staff room to inform your colleagues about Vetpro.
7. INTERNET RADIO.
This feature can be found on the bottom left of the site. Simply click to choose a station and it will connect and play. Ensure you have your speakers turned on!
8. SURVEY.
We always have a poll running on the right hand side of the site. If you wish to run a poll please post your idea into the forum and we can run it for you. All members can vote.
We inform member of the poll results by posting into the forums.
9. NEWSLETTER.
Every month we send a newsletter informing of all site news and reveal the winners of the competitions.
10. COMPETITION.
There is always a competition running on Vetpro. All prizes are kindly provided by Rig Vet Recruitment. If you wish to donate a prize or have an idea for a competition please lat us know.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY VETPRO - PLEASE EMAIL webmaster@vetpro.co.uk FOR FURTHER INFO
FINALLY - PLEASE USE THE FORUMS AND DO NOT BE AFRAID TO POST!!
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, November 05 @ 11:13:08 GMT (304 reads)
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Excellent news
Tests of cosmetic products on rabbits and mice will soon be banned after European scientists announced that most experiments can now be carried out using non-animal alternatives.
The switch will spare almost 20,000 rabbits a year and 240,000 mice from a life of misery in the laboratory.
Scientists say the new tests will actually provide a more reliable way of checking the safety of chemicals in everyday products such as makeup and washing-up liquid.
Yesterday, the scientific advisory committee of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods approved five new tests which make the use of live rabbits and mice unnecessary.
A full ban is subject to approval by all 27 member states, but this could happen by the end of the summer.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Wednesday, February 13 @ 16:55:55 GMT (101 reads)
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vet nurses pay
Veterinary Nurses do get a raw deal when it comes to pay and general working conditions. Have you compared your annual salary with other nurses?
In a recent survey carried out by the BVNA the average salary for full-time VN’s is £16,635.
For equine VNs, the highest average salary is £22,500 is in the Midlands, followed by Scotland £18,750. As expected London has the highest average salary £20,202 followed by south-east England £17,672.
Head nurses tend to earn around £20,000.
Student VN’s are generally on salaries between £11,706 for the first year and second year £13,561.
How does your salary compare to these figures? Please post your replies in the forums now.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, January 21 @ 10:00:28 GMT (174 reads)
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Rimadyl
We use Rimadyl commonly in practice but how safe is it? Do you warn you clients about possible side affects? We know about the dangers of using rimadyl long term for cats but there is allegedly also a large problem with dosing Labrador Retrievers.
New scientific information shows that Rimadyl can cause clotting conditions such as thrombosis, ischaemia and infarctions.
There is risk of liver failure with all NSAIDs. Liver necrosis in Labrador Retrievers caused by Rimadyl have been reported in the largest numbers. The manufacturer of Rimadyl alleges these reactions are attributed to the fact that Labs are the most common breed, and Rimadyl was the first and most commonly prescribed NSAID.
All NSAIDs have the potential to cause liver failure. Blood tests before administration of NSAIDs cannot predict this liver reaction. The risk of this reaction is small (1:10,000 with Rimadyl).
NSAIDs are relatively new to veterinary medicine. Veterinarians have little clinical experience with these drugs. Although every manufacturer has data that alleges their drug is safer than the others, no credible non-manufacturer-sponsored data exists which accurately compares these drugs.
LIST OF DOS AND DONT'S WHEN USING NSAIDS:
Do Monitor kidney and liver function if patients are using NSAID over a prolonged period.
Do Give Zantac or other antacid medication daily to prevent duodenal ulcers, a common side effect of all NSAIDs. Unfortunately this will not prevent gastric ulcers.
Do Give polysulfated glucosamines (PSGAs -- Adequan, Glycoflex, or Cosequin) with prolonged use of NSAIDs for arthritis and degenerative joint disease. NSAIDs relieve pain, but unfortunately over a long period of time NSAIDs can contribute to cartilage degeneration. PSGAs help cartilage to heal. NSAIDs can cause G.I. ulceration. PSGAs are part of the protectant lining of the G.I. tract. NSAIDs are better tolerated with PSGAs. PSGAs also protect the kidney.
Do Stop the medication at the first signs of gastric upset, nausea, lack of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea.
Never combine NSAIDs.
Do not give NSAIDs with steroids like dexamethazone, prednisolone, Vetalog or Depomedrol. Gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding can result. A 3-to-5 day withdrawal period is necessary if you switch from one drug to another.
Do not give NSAIDs in patients with known impaired gastrointestinal, kidney, cardiovascular, or coagulation functions. If liver enzymes are elevated, use only at a lowered dose, and with liver treatment medication (i.e., SAM - E)
Do not give NSAIDs with Enalapril or other ACE inhibitors, Lasix, or with nephrotoxic drugs like aminoglycoside antibiotics or psychotropic drugs (Prozac, Clomiclam).
Do not give NSAIDs in dogs with Cushing's disease or other diseases where the patient is predisposed to thromboembolisms.
Do not use NSAIDs in trauma patients or critical care patients due to potential clotting problems and nephrotoxicity.
Relief from pain by NSAIDs is an individual response. If your patient does not get adequate relief from pain and return to normal function with one NSAID, it is worth trying a different NSAID.
Reactions to NSAIDs are comparable. If your patient has an adverse reaction to one NSAID, another NSAID should not be used. Another Class of pain reliever drugs should be used.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, November 05 @ 11:20:36 GMT (255 reads)
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A Unique Agency
RIG Vet Recruitment is a specialist veterinary recruitment agency focusing solely in the provision of locum and permanent veterinary staff throughout the UK.
The team at RIG Vet Recruitment has over 25 years specialist recruitment experience as well as the in-house services of qualified and practising veterinary staff. We consistently provide a friendly, professional, efficient, and personal service to veterinary staff looking for locum positions or permanent roles, and to veterinary practices searching for new employees. With an extensive database of veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, and other veterinary staff we are able to quickly and efficiently screen the right person for your veterinary practice.
Why are we unique?
At RIG Vet Recruitment we handle every part of the recruitment process.
Extensive screening (including referencing, background checks) and interviewing of locums by our in-house qualified Vet before a candidates details are submitted to the hiring practice. This will reduce the amount of time you spend recruiting because we will find the right locum first time.
Negotiation of rates will be carried out by RIG Vet Recruitment, and not by the locum and practice. This will ensure that both parties are happy, without the difficulty of negotiating with each other.
Contracts of employment will be drawn up by RIG Vet Recruitment before the locum commences the contract.
Once you have decided on the locum we will generate all the necessary legal paperwork saving you time to concentrate on running the practice, and ensure that both parties are legally covered throughout the duration of the contract.
All invoice payments to the locum will be made by RIG Vet Recruitment and we will invoice the practice. This ensures that the locum is paid regularly and that the invoices you receive are correct each and every time.
We will be in regular contact with the locum and practice throughout the duration of the contract to make sure everything is running smoothly and to sort out any issues or contract extensions.
Once you become a registered applicant or client of RIG Vet Recruitment you will be given an out of hours contact number where a member of the RIG Vet Recruitment team will be available to assist you up until 10pm 7 days a week.
Posted by jenvetadmin on Monday, November 05 @ 11:14:11 GMT (243 reads)
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Cat charity promotes modern image with new ‘pin-up’ Review
Cats Protection has developed a ‘pin-up’ poster for its new Annual Review in a continued effort to position itself as a modern and forward-thinking charity.
Produced by Cats Protection’s in-house design and communications teams, the A2-size poster is a fresh alternative to the more conventional booklets or leaflets. Printed on recycled paper, it includes facts and figures about the UK’s leading cat welfare charity in a colourful and easy-to-read format.
One side of the poster highlights Cats Protection’s key achievements in 2006 through photos and illustrations, while the reverse provides a succinct analysis of the charity’s performance along with the views of Cats Protection’s Chief Executive, Peter Hepburn.
The Review is another example of the innovative approach that Cats Protection takes towards its communications and is designed to reflect the changing nature of the charity, which helps 142,000 cats and kittens each year through a national network of 252 volunteer-run branches and 29 centres . click read more for the rest of this article
RIG Vet Recruitment is the trading name of RIG Veterinary Recruit Limited. Registered in England and Wales number 5452945. Registered Office: The White Cottage, 19 West Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 7BS
RIG Vet Recruitment is the trading name of RIG Veterinary Recruit Limited. Registered in England and Wales number 5452945. Registered Office: The White Cottage, 19 West Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 7BS
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