Do any of you have nurse operating days?

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Sal the 1st — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 23:22:15 GMT

In the litigious society we live in today I am really surprised anybody nurse wise wants to put their head on the block and do any of this stuff anymore? I mean what could possibly go wrong?- the little skin tag that is really a MCT in disguise but you wouldn't know it because nobody has even bothered with a FNA because its so insignificant. You might have noticed it swell up a bit when you prepped it (or maybe not) you might have thought it was a bit slow to heal when you removed the sutures (or maybe not) it may even have come adrift a bit once the sutures were out perhaps the dog scratched at it ? (or maybe not) - but I bet you will notice it in a few weeks/months time when it comes back, except now its not so innocent looking. I have removed quite a few lumps in the past - and now I am older and wiser.

No I am content with what I am doing - it might not be as exciting as that which some of you get up to these days but thats just me - I am happy enough making sure patients are comfortable and cared for, the practice presents a good face and has the confidence of its clients.

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Freckle — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 00:29:04 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

[quote user="Selena "]

[quote user="Freckle"]

I have never come across specific nurse operating days, but I have seen in various practices as an SVN, RVNs doing stitch ups, lumpectomys, cat and dog castrates and aural haematomas, skin scrapes, punch biopsy's, dentals incl extractions...Some of this is obvs before S3 was 'clarified' and restricted to RVNs... I'm talking 15-18 years ago...

[/quote] Nurses used to do all tooth extractions, cat castrates. saw anew do closed dog citrates but this was 15+ yrs ago, but we can no longer do these.. but can do lump removals ... go figure.

[/quote]

ah but thats progress dont ya know

[/quote]

Ha!

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Sal the 1st — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 23:29:44 GMT

[quote user="Selena "]

[quote user="Freckle"]

[/quote] Nurses used to do all tooth extractions, cat castrates. saw anew do closed dog citrates but this was 15+ yrs ago, but we can no longer do these.. but can do lump removals ... go figure.

[/quote]

ah but thats progress dont ya know

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Selena Carnell — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 21:41:30 GMT

[quote user="Freckle"]

[/quote] Nurses used to do all tooth extractions, cat castrates. saw anew do closed dog citrates but this was 15+ yrs ago, but we can no longer do these.. but can do lump removals ... go figure.

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Sal the 1st — Fri, 27 May 2016 19:36:51 GMT

[quote user="enigmaticat-uk"]

I'm beginning to think that I must be really weird as I got in to vet nursing to be a nurse. It feels as though there's more pressure for nurses to take on more traditionally 'vet' roles - surgery, consulting etc. If I had wanted to be a vet, I would have trained to be a vet - am I the only one?

[/quote]

nope you aren't , not at all. I used to hate being given a stitch up as if it was some kind of special 'treat' when I knew there were a million and one actual nursing things that I had to do - and being given a stitch up so the vet on call could bugger off up stairs and watch the footy to me was an absolute pee take. Surgery was never what I came into the job for and I couldn't wait to find a place where I didn't have to do it.

I have stitched up a couple of vets before (running repairs) and have to admit one of those was kind of pleasing

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

enigmaticat-uk — Fri, 27 May 2016 16:46:20 GMT

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

sananbaz — Fri, 27 May 2016 15:19:49 GMT

Lump removals can be quite complicated! For example, the only lumps that RVN' s should consider would be skin masses that are easily demarcated from surrounding tissues. They shouldn't cause concern over the location of the mass being in close proximity to vital structures, or worry over increased skin tension on closure. Additionally, torn skin flaps can be tricky if the direction of the venous skin supply would cause devitilisation to the repair. Although under these conditions, lumpectomies would not be entering a body cavity, you need to consider the removal of epuli would be classed as entering a body cavity (as would other oral masses) and you could potentially have confusion about anal masses too (depending on location).

This is one of the reasons why there can be no standardised list of what can and can't be done!

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

WelshyNurse — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:24:47 GMT

If a vet has assessed and it's just a simple small lump, that's fine. Anything else should be left to the vets

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

molladog — Fri, 27 May 2016 13:01:16 GMT

Hmm can't think of any off hand, I would have expected the vet to have asserted that it was ok for a nurse to do the op in the clinical exam so if in doubt, it would have been booked for a vet to do ?

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

WelshyNurse — Fri, 27 May 2016 12:48:28 GMT

[quote user="molladog"]

Lump removals are not entering a body cavity.

[/quote]

sometimes they do

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

molladog — Fri, 27 May 2016 12:37:39 GMT

Lump removals are not entering a body cavity.

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

WelshyNurse — Fri, 27 May 2016 09:21:34 GMT

As already mentioned, stitch ups etc cannot normally be planned in advance.

The only thing we do regularly is scale and polish.

Think my nurses are happy for the vets to do the rest

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

sananbaz — Fri, 27 May 2016 07:56:49 GMT

In theory it sounds like a good idea, however all bar the lump removals on your list have very little planning in when they will occur! I.e. You couldn't make a stitch up wait a week or two, just so it could be booked in for a RVN op day. That means the op day could be extremely busy, or have nothing at all, which would not be very cost effective for the practice (if they have avoided booking VS only things on those days). If you could include dental descale and polish cases in for the nurse days as well (as you will need a vet there to induce anaesthesia, the same vet could be available for unexpected extractions). These cases are elective and non urgent, so could be used as the buffer for profit making on these days. Then as an added bonus, any of your listed procedures could be added to your list if they present at the right time.

It's worth bearing in mind that you cannot produce a standard list of what the RVN day can include, as each patient needs to be assessed by the vet, in relation to the procedure and the proposed RVN, and then an individual decision to delegate to that patient/procedure/RVN. The RVN's included on the rota will need fairly robust self confidence as the VS may decide that a VS needs to perform the procedure (which potentially could be the entire list!). Before starting this, all Vets and RVN's opinions should be sought or you could be opening a can of worms!

It's good to hear that this is a VS' idea, which makes it likely to mean that, as RVN's, your skills are appreciated at your practice. With planning and careful consideration I could see this working.

Good luck!

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Freckle — Thu, 26 May 2016 20:02:13 GMT

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Sal the 1st — Thu, 26 May 2016 18:58:35 GMT

I have done everything on your list except toes - I have never removed toes and wouldn't want to, I have removed mammary lumps before that have been clearly marked re area but to be real honest I wasn't really happy about it

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

FINNIGAN — Thu, 26 May 2016 18:36:03 GMT

Are lump removals not entering into body cavity? Or am I wrong?

RE: Do any of you have nurse operating days?

Selena Carnell — Thu, 26 May 2016 17:37:35 GMT

Nope in nearly 20yrs I haven't seen nurse operating days in any practice i have worked at. Have done the odd stitch up, Cat castrates (before they changed it) haemtoma, abscess, dental extractions (before they changed it). Lump removals, amputations can have more complications than i would be comfortable with.