The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry

'Just a Veterinary Nurse' who likes to tell people about the things we experience in practice sometimes in the hope you may understand why we all look tired.

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

Yesterday was the 1st time in 20 yrs I genuinely started to wonder if I should leave the profession.

It's such a difficult time at the moment, and everyone is struggling, so please be nice to those around you - you never know what they're going through
#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

Had a client ring up to make an appointment today as she had received a reminder for her pet's "annual erection" 😳😳
Didn't have the heart to correct her to "annual injection"
#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

NEWS JUST IN!
Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and cats, please don't let them eat it.

What? This is not new information??
Then why do we see so many that have eaten it?

(Disclaimer: I know it can be completely by accident, but come on)

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

One of my "favourite" lines:

"He's limping quite badly, but he's not in any pain"

🙄 Well I know I love to just limp all the time just for fun too!

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

Apparently it was our fault that Google told them to pull at the foreign body in the eye with tweezers - only to pull out the entire eyeball!! 🤢
#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

ADayInVeterinaryPractice
When clients have hung on to their very ill/injured pets without any care because the emergency practice is "ripping them off"
Yes, that validates leaving your pet when you put surgical spirit in it's eye!
Also - how many urgent flea treatment requests?!

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

@RachelSJohnson @spectator https://t.co/x3qMY1zuRu

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
If we're "only in it for the money", then why am I using my whole weekend off to nurse a patient so it has a chance of survival because the owner can't afford the out of hours provider?
Oh, and doing this for no extra pay.

Because we care, that's why.

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
When your new client demands (after the procedure) to have a direct claim with their insurance, but offers no information on who they're insured with, proof of insurance or policy number. Then get angry because we decline and ask for payment as agreed.

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

And here is someone who, rather than thanking the vets who cared for her pet during unsociable hours, decided to insult them and their need for payment for treatment (at a very reasonable rate!)
This is why suicide rates amongst the veterinary industry is so high!

[Rachel Johnson @RachelSJohnson]

Pupdate! My shaggy dog about the real price of lockdown puppies, director's cut https://t.co/QpNGUL3LsS via @spectator

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
Finished early today!!
An unknown phenomenon in the veterinary world, especially at the moment!
Remembered I have a family at home, actually saw them before bed time

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
When your boss is amazing and orders pizza for everyone for lunch because we've had "one of those weeks"

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
We're all getting the same abuse across the field, treat us with the same respect you'd expect to receive from us. We're humans and have feelings, treating us this way does way more damage to us than you think

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
When your vet advises you that your extremely sick (insured) pet needs to go to a referral hospital for specialist care, don't belittle the vet until they cry, then say that you didn't feel that it was convenient to go elsewhere so "we'll do".

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

When we give a written prescription for medications that allows repeated usage for up to 6 months - don't blame us when the six months is up and you've not had your "money's worth" of it because you've been using a friend's medication instead
#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

A wonderful example of common misconceptions from @VetEdX

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
The time I took a 4 week old puppy home and nursed it 24/7 for 4 days straight for the grand total of £200, but because it didn't make it I was a "murderer" and "a shit nurse" and "clearly didn't care".

I did care
I cried

A lot

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
When a client tries to leave without paying for non urgent treatments/fees - we don't get to go to tescos and tell them we'll pay for the shopping next week! We really don't make the amount of money you all think we do

[The Underappreciated Veterinary Industry @TiredRVN]

#ADayInAVeterinaryPractice
The inevitable phone call 1hr before closing on a Friday evening with a pet who after being ill all week is now an emergency, usually because they realise that they'd have to pay out of hours fees otherwise. And we stay because we care