YOU'RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK

Last week was looooooooong...

As you know, I am a Student Veterinary Nurse. I spend three days a week in practice working alongside a brilliant team of surgeons and nurses and they are all wonderful!

The reason I chose this career is because I want to help maintain the animal welfare of the pets we see and look after in house. Most days we have an operation or procedure to do that is fairly routine but Tuesday was different to our normal day. Tuesday was very different...

Monday had already been a bit naff as the patients we had in that day were difficult and a bit snappy. It wasn't particularly awful but it could have been better. The bad stuff never stopped coming on Tuesday however, and it felt like the day would never end. There were lots of deaths seen. They were all peaceful passings but despite this, it still had an effect on all the staff.

One of the downsides that comes with the job is the number of PTS (put to sleep) and deaths we see. At first this can be quite a shock to the system but after a while we get used to the process as we see more of them. I am quite an emotional person anyway, so I think I have been doing well by holding it together and not letting them get to me. One of the hardest things I find during a PTS is watching the owners have to say goodbye to their beloved pets. We always try to make it as easy for the owners as possible, even if that means its harder on us.

We had one patient who was due to be seen that morning pass overnight. He looked like he was making progress when I saw him on Monday so it was a shock to us all to hear he had passed away. We also had three PTS, one of which was especially hard. It was the last appointment of the day and a tough decision made by the owners, as always. What broke me was how lovely they were. They were so thankful for everything we did, even though in ours eyes it didn't seem like a lot, maybe because we do it every day as it is our job. They also went on to hug the vet and the RVN who had also cared for their dog that day. I took a step back as, due to a stressful day and an emotional end to it, I was ready to have a little cry. As I came back out of the kitchen they were waiting for me and proceeded to hug me too. This was what did it. As they closed the door behind them, the waterworks started.

I just wanted to document this day as even though at the time it felt like three awful days rolled in to one, there are still some good points to be taken from it. Those clients were very happy with the treatment we gave their beloved dog, even if the outcome wasn't ideal. I also don't think I could have got through such an emotionally and mentally draining day like that if it wasn't for Katie and Tiff. We work really well as a team and Tuesday proved that. I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else.

Source: @positivemindsetdaily

At the end of the day we all got through the day together and came out the other end stronger. We are all human and entitled to a little cry every now and then, it just shows we care about what we do. I love my job and will no matter how many bad days come with it, it's worth it in the end.

And don't forget to smile x

#vet #veterinary #SVN #nurse #life