You are more than ‘just a nurse’
Image © Jon Anders Wiken / Adobe Stock
“Are you going on to be a vet, then?” I was asked this question far more times than I thought I would be during my early years as a student and newly qualified nurse.
Each time, I would reply with the gentle rebuttal, “Nah, I’m happy being a nurse”, normally with a huge grin. Why would I want to be anything else?
This was the career I had actively sought out. The one I had spent hours writing and sending out letters to practices about asking for a spot so I could start my diploma. The endless days spent working followed by studying, before I would collapse in my bed, exhausted. The repetitive OSCE tasks, carried out over and over again to make sure that my six minutes displayed what I was capable of as a newly minted nurse. Why, after all of that, would I want to give it up?
Certainly, at the start of my career, it was true. Nursing was my passion, my life, my skill set. My patients, colleagues and practice were everything to me. I lived and breathed veterinary nursing, the CPD, the refinement and honing of my craft. I thought this was it, this would be what I retired from: a fulfilled – even if my back and knees were a little worse for wear – career.
Somewhere along the line, my thoughts became a little less fulfilling; a little less all-consuming. Things began to shift slowly. I became less enamoured with my role, my sense of purpose shifted and the, “why am I doing this?” became just a little bit louder. I eventually realised that I was stuck. I had trained specifically for this. Where and what would I even do if I were to leave veterinary as an industry? I’m not skilled for anything else. This never-ending cycle of constant self-criticism continued.
That was until I was given a not-so gentle nudge and told to look at myself and my unique set of skills (Liam Neeson, eat your heart out) from the perspective of someone else. Transferable skills, as it turned out, was not just a made-up phrase that sounded good on a CV.
As nurses who interact with other patients, other nurses, members of the public and vets, we have a finely honed set of skills that make us excellent at patient care, as well as outstanding candidates for anything else we put our minds to.
Resilience
There is a certain resilience that comes with being a veterinary nurse. Not just about the hard work it takes to become one, or even if the choice to complete additional training or certificates, but in the day-to-day nursing.
The resilience to advocate for a patient who cannot talk or advocate for themselves is possibly one of the hardest things to learn to do well, let alone to carry out daily. But we do it. Resilience from the occasionally harsh words of a client. Resilience from losing those patients we carry with us after an unfavourable outcome.
The ability to communicate with the vet in charge of the case and have open, clinical discussions with respect is often overlooked. It involves navigating different personalities and often negotiating with egos bigger than your own.
How many times have you had to tailor the way you spoke to someone to make sure they heard you? Something that often comes naturally to nurses is the ability to actively listen, to remember drug calculations, the patient’s illness and name, how they interact with others, even down to their favourite food. This is a skill many do without thinking, but it is inherently difficult to most.
As a group of individuals, we are all educated. Veterinary nursing is not an easy option. The understanding of biology and the physiological way in which a body will react with different drugs, as well as the best course of treatment for your patient are all part of the job. Then, there’s the expectation of making sure the surgeons’ drug preference is used, confirming that it aligns with the species you are nursing.
The way in which a lot of our knowledge is carried out “on the job” means that we are constantly learning and continuously evolving. Regardless of the route taken, diploma or degree, everyone learns the most in practice, from student to experienced nurse. As a result of this constant learning, nurses are often skilled in multiple areas.
Going from nursing, administrative duties, reception skills; we are used to chopping and changing from day to day, sometimes even hour to hour.
There is no other career out there that will have you monitoring an anaesthetic one minute and processing laboratory tests the next. Veterinary nurses are uniquely diverse – no exceptions.
There is a base human need for change. It seems inherently programmed in all of us that things need to adjust after a while. Why else is it so beneficial for our mental health to go on holiday? Sometimes, even a change in scenery can be the best SSRI out there.
Labels
However, I digress. Within the veterinary industry, we are all good at attributing labels to a career and steadfastly sticking to it. Commitment aside, one could beg the question as to whether this is actually healthy or if it encourages a lot of people to stick at something that makes them unhappy.
The eagle-eyed among you have probably spotted that throughout this article, there have been some highlighted words that could be applied to any one of the fantastic veterinary nurse community:
- resilience
- ability to communicate
- respect
- navigating and negotiating
- active listening
- educated
- continuously evolving
- skilled in multiple areas
- veterinary nurses are uniquely diverse
- commitment
Just let those resonate for a minute. Let the words marinate, percolate and ruminate. Let them settle. Now, feel their strength. These are not just words; they are a skill set that you possess. Nurses are wonderful, in whatever form that comes in, whichever aspect of nursing.
The value of nursing is not often reflected in monetary value; sometimes, not even enough to have it reflected in the eyes of patients you’ve helped (although, that is always amazing), it is within you.
In this world full of other words and feelings like burnout and compassion fatigue, it is not enough to simply be kind to one another. Realise that these skills can be applied to anything. No one is ever as trapped as their self-criticising mind will tell them they are. Everyone is more than the inaccurate prefix often applied to veterinary nurses. You are so much more than “just” a nurse.
So, whether that’s in practice, clinical or non-clinical, “You can take the person out of the nurse, but you can’t take the nurse out of the person.”
I wouldn’t want to be anything else.
CHARLIE FISHER RVN
Charlie is an RVN with 14 years’ experience in clinical practice, a degree in English literature, and a certificate in emergency and critical care.
She has recently transitioned into a non-clinical role, but remains passionate about promoting vet nurses and their worth.