There is no such thing as a typical day as a Vet Nurse. 

A hospital shift might start at 7am with inpatient observations, feeding, exercise and administering medication under the case vets guidance. Nurses are responsible for admitting day patients for surgery, collecting blood samples and performing pre-anaesthetic blood tests.

In theatre  the nurses' primary role is to monitor the patients status during the anaesthetic. Our responsibilities also include clipping and prepping the surgical site, opening sterilised instruments, swabs and anything else the vet requires. It may also be necessary for us to scrub in and assist the surgeon. Post-operative care is followed by cleaning and sterilising of all equipment and instruments, as well as the operating theatre and prep room.

While all this is happening behind the scenes, other vet nurses are assisting the vets with consultations, performing minor procedures such as nail clips and bandage changes, cleaning kennels and carrying out general reception duties. . .

Along with patient care, customer service is the most important aspect of our day. This may involve providing healthcare advice, recommending specific products and running specialist nurse clinics such as pet slimmer and puppy preschool.

The hours can be long and the monetary rewards are not that great. However, being a veterinary nurse is a hugely rewarding carrer, always interesting and will always be more than just a job.