Veterinary Nurse Training

I thought, as this is early days on the blog l would do an early days training story. I shall call the vet who owned the practice Mr Orange or O after Agent Orange as to my mind they have a lot in common.
I would also like to say that this is just one story faced daily by us his staff, it made no difference if clients, or other visitors were present or not.

I had been at the practice about 3 weeks to a month. This was spent out the front on reception learning the computer. In this practice nurses and trainees manned reception as part of their shifts, alongside reception staff.
I would zip into the back at every opportunity to try and learn that side as well. I tend to learn computer systems fairly fast so l was in the back about 3 weeks quicker than normal.

In Tenerife, running the K9 rescue kennels l had a lot of vet type work to do, that is not done here. I decided on treatment (antibiotics and what sort, set up and placed drips, PTS etc) when l needed help Tony Boardman a UK vet was only a phone call away and l trusted his veterinary skills not the local vets. I had heard and seen to much. Things have changed a lot over the years though and now there is good vets there.
Tony would come out every so often and do all the surgical work we and other rescue groups needed doing.
He finally moved out to Tenerife and set up permanently. Unfortunately for the animals of Tenerife he passed on within a few years.

My maths has never been great and l had worked out my own system to calculate drug doses. So long as l had a calculator l was ok. Tony had always confirmed whenever l asked him on doses that l was right so l had no worries about it working.

Back to the present. Mr Orange told me to give a premed to a patient. Bear in mind l had not been there long, and although it was called a training practice, none was given, we had to rely on other qualified or student nurses, or the one other vet who was a gem to help us if they had time. I walked off and began to work out the drug dose. It had been made clear by him, with biting sarcasm when l asked about such things, that we were expected to know how to do this.

Suddenly the calculator was grabbed out of my hand and smashed against the wall.
I was under a barrage of screaming and abuse and dragged into the autoclave room where the screaming abuse continued for about 45minuites on how useless l was, l was a disgrace to the nursing let alone the veterinary profession.....on and on it went.
My sin was using a calculator.

After this l was so shattered the head nurse sent me home. I decided to go on training at the practice.
1) Because no *&$$%^&* was going to ruin my life.
2) VN training places are like hens teeth, and l was not going to run as l probably would not get another.

The net result was that it totally destroyed my confidence in working out anything maths wise. I was able to do it for the exam but even now l still worry if told to give so and so a drug, l double check with the vet on amounts.
I used to try and hide the worry as l was ashamed at my myself. Not now, now l tell any vet l work with at the start and things are always fine. In fact vet's are always using calculators, and more than one has asked how did Agent O know he wasn't under or overdosing?.

I will never allow anyone to treat me like that again. After that Agent Orange and l used to tear into each other but he never sacked me, l don't knows why. I told him to often enough, l wasn't for running away. One day l may learn to turn the other cheek.

Because of what l witnessed and went through under "Agent O" l did my NLP training (Neuro Linguistic Programming)with Andy Smith at Coaching Leaders (see links) NLP is used for helping people with psychological problems. I think it is a lot better than CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) but l guess l am biased.

I now help adults who have been abused in the workplace , usually only via email, but some face to face. The statistics on abuse in the workplace worldwide are frightening and are the hidden side of the adult workplace.
A couple of years ago l was invited on the open forum panel held on bullying at the BVNA VN congress. Unfortunatly Mr Orange is not an isolated case.

So in the end l guess l have a lot to thank Mr Orange for. Despite all. I qualified as a veterinary nurse. I have done NLP and am able to help others, and l have walked a path l would never have dreamed of.