Nurse Awareness Month
Outside of the consulting room, most of the attention and medical care your pet receives is at the hands of a veterinary nurse. It is this we celebrate each May, as Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) gives us an opportunity to talk about their role in caring for your pets. In any given day a veterinary nurse may find themselves taking x-rays, medicating patients, doing consultations, maintaining equipment, monitoring anaesthetics, dressing wounds, answering phones, and more!
The title “Veterinary Nurse” is not yet protected in law, but it is advised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that it should be taken to mean only Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs). RVNs have undertaken a rigorous training programme, sat examinations, and are subject to a Code of Conduct, which includes a disciplinary process if required.
They continue to study, and log professional development hours to maintain their Registration throughout their careers. There are several different routes to becoming a veterinary nurse, and we at The Mewes, or the BVNA can provide you advice on the role and studying, if you are interested in pursuing this career.
The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) represents RVNs and promotes Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM). During VNAM the nurses from the Mewes have already run The Cuckoo Fayre Dog Show, as well as all their regular tasks, including specialist weight management clinics, renal clinics, and thyroid clinics. All our RVNs have pets themselves, and love to talk about them just as you do!
The nurses have recently found themselves dealing with some rabbits and even cats that are ‘fly struck’. This is a ghastly situation, where a female fly has laid her eggs on the pet’s fur. These eggs hatch into flesh eating maggots, which can cause a painful death if not quickly stopped. Whilst the nurses painstakingly must pick off each and every maggot, bathing the wounds and supporting the pet’s recovery, the Vet is diagnosing how the pet became weak enough to allow the fly to land and lay her eggs in the first place.
Did you know we have 7 RVN’s at The Mewes, as well as 3 Trainees? Call us now on 01444 456886 to make an appointment.
