My First Week as a Trainee Veterinary Nurse :)

May 17, 2008 at 1:58 AM
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So, I have just finished my first week of my new job :) I loved it. I did 35 hours over 3.5 days. It did make me rather tired but I am sure I will get used to the hours. Over the week, I was getting back from work and needing to fall straight to sleep. I will adapt though. I seem to have already adapted to the early 6am morning get up. I got up quite easily. I relied on my alarm, but as soon as it went off, I got up :) I just need to get used to the whole thing though, so I am not too tired when I actually get back from work.

So, the cases I remember quite clearly over the week. These are cases I was involved in (there are not too many this week, as I was supposed to be on reception for the week).

A white rabbit (I shall not mention the animals names... just incase the owners come across this page) came in and she was very ill. She had been showing a small amount of blood from 'down bellow' for about a week. It was originally supposed to be cystitis. When the lady arrived home from work that day, there was blood all over the patio in the run, and lots of pools of blood in the hutch. She cleaned her up and drove her straight to us. She arrived just before we closed, so we stayed late, which was fine. The vet decided to take some x rays and open her up to see what was wrong, as she examined her and could not find anything from the outside. A catheter was placed in the ear, and she was knocked out. Before the vet even got to Xray her, she stopped breathing. The vet tried everything to start her breathing and her heart again but she was gone. I had tears in my eyes, it was really sad. Just before we gave her the GA, I was stroking her in her kennel, she came all the way over to me, I stroked her on her nose and head, and she gave her 'rabbit purr noise'. She was lovely but I realised she was getting on, she was very ill and in pain, so actually she was put out of her misery.
A very old and ill cat was sent to us. She could not walk and she was just moaning in pain. The vet took a look at her and the owners were told that the only fair thing to do, would be to have her put to sleep. I held her and stroked her head (she too purred) while my head nurse injected her. She just slowly went while she was being stroked. It seemed almost like she knew what was coming.
Another rabbit was rushed in to us. He was 8 years old, and had been having regular operations under general anaesthetic for his back teeth. It seems that in the end he just gave up. The owner was very upset about it. We tried to give him fluids via catheter but we could not get a proper vein anywhere. Everyone in the surgery loved this rabbit, as he was in so often, so everyone was very upset about it. He had lived a long life and he was very much loved and looked after by his owner. He was a lovely bunny.

Those are my main pet memories from the week. I know they are all sad cases but they were the ones I got to help out with, and subsequently, they were the ones I remembered.

I think I shall always remember them.

We have had a few more interesting animals in, like 'Frank'. A bird that our vet has been hand rearing. He is so funny. He flew at me and landed on my shoulder at one point. It made us laugh. He is not scared of humans at all, which is actually a problem.

We had an ill Hedgehog in too. Unfortunately he was too ill, and passed away, but I think we made his last few hours a lot more comfortable than if he had been left outside to die alone.

I have had a really good week. I have enjoyed all of it. I had tears in my eyes during the sad cases but I managed to hold them back quite well.

I love my new job.

I am really looking forward to going to college too. I should start in September on the 'Animal Nursing Assistant' course. Really looking forward to it :)

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My First Week as a Trainee Veterinary Nurse :)

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