Fairies perform many crucial tasks, from collecting teeth and slugging around golden coins, to making sure little kids have rainbow filled dreams, but there are some fairies out there that are irreplaceable at a veterinary practice, writes Adri Rossouw, director True Vets.
Although these are real-life people, I group them with the fantasy beings of storybooks as there is no way that they can accomplish everything they do without some form of magic! They are our veterinary nurses.
Being a veterinary nurse is one of those ‘behind the scenes jobs’ where they might not be seen at all, but just like our storybook fairies, they often make or break the spell that saves the day. Over the years, I have seen a nurses’ special touch to calm down a patient and I am convinced that I have caught a glimpse of the golden sparkle of fairy dust on more than one occasion.
The long list of tasks veterinary nurses manage to accomplish, confirms my suspicion that they have a magic wand hidden somewhere in their scrubs. They make sure all our patients are comfortable, warm, and well fed. They take care of our patients’ medical needs. They prepare drip lines, surgical instruments, laboratory tests and snacks (for the Vets, of course) They comfort clients and keep them updated on their pets. They make paw prints and wipe tears.
Becoming a veterinary nurse takes 2-3 years of studying and is the start of a lifelong commitment to your patient’s needs. It is a job that can be messy, scary, and emotionally draining … with thank yous being few and far between. It is also one of the most fulfilling career options out there if you love animals as you get to be rewarded with nose licks and furry cuddles.
So, the next time you visit a veterinary practice, be sure to give the vet nurse a big, warm-hearted smile as without them, there would be no fairytale endings for our pets.
