Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

Celine — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:48:13 GMT

That was meant to be "a new ERA for the practice ", sorry! :-)

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

Celine — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:46:26 GMT

That all sounds excellent and like it would be an exciting challenging role, I think there would certainly be nurses who would jump at the chance to work in a situation like this, and think it's fantastic that you are open to offering a degree of autonomy with sending them out to drip calves and do condition scoring etc. A shame (and I hope you won't get to much flak on her for admitting it) that you've had to use unqualified people to monitor GAs up til now so it would be nice to make much of the nurse and the new role within the practice when they start working with you - it's very dispiriting to be referred to as the receptionist by clients, especially iif you're desperately trying to carve out a new niche for yourself! I don't know if you have a website or email you send out or just regular mailshots but it would be nice to make much of it as a new email for the practice.

I'd advertise in the veterinary times (not the vet record, nurses never see those but there's always a vet times kicking around instaffrooms) and you can advertise the job on here! It is notoriously hard to find QVNs at the moment but I think the unique role here will work in your favour (but I don't know if your location might make things harder)

Very best of luck!

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

apache — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 00:00:19 GMT

Thanks for the replies. We are in North Yorkshire.

Looking at a surgery move that would include hospitalisation facilities for large animals (sheep, cows, horses). I envisaged general nursing with some husbandry (feeding, cleaning out) of inpatients. If they were happy to go out and drip a calf then we could offer that at a lower price and increase uptake. I think there would be a role to send them out dehorning, possibly vaccinating groups of animals. I would like them to do some lameness scoring, teat end scoring and body condition scoring on dairy farms. If I could send them out to blood sample some calves to ensure adequate colostrum intake and even blood sample some cows to check energy status (we measure ketones on our glucometer).

I would quite like to take them out as as assistant on ceasarians, bull fertility tests etc.

They would have to either be a SQP or willing to train for all areas - I want them confident to talk about cattle and sheep POM-VPS. Obviously full support from the vets in any extra training they needed.

There would be some kits to clean and autoclave too - sorry!

We don't have any qualified nurses at the moment and use lay staff trained in house to do a receptionist role and monitor anaesthetics etc. We would like a nurse for the small animal side, but there would not be enough work to justify one just for that role. If we could utilise them on the large animal side then that changes things.

We are a 3 vet practice, but 75% large animal work.

I think I am anon on here - when we move the practice we are going to be very aspirational. We want to join the PSS and want someone who will grasp the nursing side and run with it. I just wasn't sure if this would be something people wanted to do!

Where is the best place to advertise?

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

Celine — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 19:35:33 GMT

Perhaps we should turn the question around and ask what roles /tasks you would envisage your nurse doing once he or she was fully "up and running " on the job? I'm sure a lot of nurses would be interested in a position like this but would want reassurance that it wasn't just going to end up with them spending all their time filling out testing forms and sscrubbing caesar kits/ vet's wellies!

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

Alison Hague — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:36:44 GMT

I used to do large animal/equine/small animal nursing when we had a large animal VS at the practice - I loved it & really miss it since he retired and the practice became small animal only

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

PSA-David — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:32:36 GMT

hi following my previous post.

my rolls included alot

fluids adminstration, intensive care, full operations nurse (including surgical prap and hands on) x-rays, lunging calving, foaling lambing. provisions of medications, basically everything a small animal nurse does but on a large animal scale.

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

PSA-David — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:26:59 GMT

Hi, working in a mixed practice is a great position for any nurse, I was very lucky as it was like water off a ducks back with myself due to previous employment and study before taking my nursing training. However I did notice some of the small animal nurses that i worked with were very nervous with specific animals, especially that of horses.

However as long as you give them the support, such as a vet guidance at all times until they are confident im sure you will find the right candidate.

PS where are you based?? ;)

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

sheree smith — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 07:32:34 GMT

When i wanted to become a vet nurse, the main aim was to be a large animal nurse. Growing up on a farm i was used to them all. However there was not a huge demand for large animal nurses, so most of my career i have been a small animal VN. Would love to get out and about though. I reckon you would be surprised by the amount of RVNs wanting to do both.

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

Ems — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 00:21:06 GMT

I was always keen to work in a mixed practice and I was lucky enough to work in one during my training. I think unfortunately, when I did my portfolio we didn't get to do anything to do with large animals but from what I've heard, they now include it?

I always found it super interesting, we just don't have many mixed surgeries near me!

RE: Vet Nurses and Large Animal Work

TammK64 — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 22:54:57 GMT

I work at a SA practice but would love to work with large animals, as I used to work on a farm. I think a lot of nurses would like to do more variation! I have a friend in mixed practice who does a fair amount of large animal work, tb testing, assisting with ceasars etc. Would be nice to see more largie work for RVNs :-)