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The role of a veterinary nurse in practice has come a long
way since its beginnings. Many peoples’ perceptions is
of a person that is there for the more “fluffy”
side of things or for answering the phone and cleaning. This
is no longer true as nurses are now fast becoming a very integral
part of practices across the country, being encouraged to use
all their knowledge and skills to best care for their patients.
Veterinary nursing is a very satisfying and
rewarding career and veterinary nurses can have many roles within
a practice. At Valley Farm Animal Hospital we are fortunate
enough to be able to carry out most of them! A day at our surgery
is always busy! We get opportunities to see interesting cases
and to learn something new which I think is vital if we want
to stay up to date with the latest theory and techniques.
Valley Farm is a very busy practice with heavy surgical and
medicine case loads. We have 60 hospital cages and at times
these are at capacity so you can see why we need eleven
nursing sisters to take care of your pets! In fact
we employ the most nurses of any private practice in Pretoria.

Our most important responsibility is to provide
care for our sick and injured patients. Being in hospital can
be a scary experience for some and we are here to minimize that
stress and help reduce recovery times. On a daily basis we are
responsible for feeding, medicating and making sure every patient
is clean, warm, dry and comfortable at all times.
All our nurses are qualified and have completed the two
year course at Onderstepoort. This means that we understand
the theory behind procedures and diseases and can anticipate
what will need to be done for our patients. We have a team of
Kennel men to assist us with our work, by keeping the hospital
clean and tidy, assisting us with procedures and holding the
patients. This allows us to get on with the “nursing”
work.
Client care is another important role of nurses
in practice. Some people may have concerns about a surgical
procedure or just about the progress of their pet in the hospital.
A telephonic update or a simple chat at visiting times can help
calm nerves and reassure clients. We all own pets ourselves
so we know what anxiety and stress can be involved when a family
pet is ill.
Various clinics are available and nurses are
available for puppy, kitten, dental and geriatric clinics. Geriatric
clinics are a vital step in keeping your elderly pet healthy
and to pick up any issues early on. These are consultations
are free of charge and appointments can be made with the reception
staff.
Valley Farm is a very well equipped hospital with equipment
that helps us monitor and care for our patients at a
higher standard. Our theatre, which is run by two theatre
sisters, is equipped with a ventilator if needed for thoracic
surgery or trauma, an apalert that monitors respiration rate
and a pulse oximeter, blood pressure and Oxygen saturation monitor.
This helps us monitor a patients vital signs under anaesthesia
so we can pick up any changes. We also have an Ultrasound machine
and a digital xray machine that helps our Doctors to do rapid
diagnostics and a well equipped laboratory as well.
I am the head nurse here and take responsibility for the nursing
team, the kennel men that assist us and the overall running
of the hospital and in-patient care. It is a very challenging
job with never a dull moment!! I enjoy my job because I never
know what to expect and every day I get to learn something new.

Above, left:
This is me, Sister Rene with a tiny puppy patient
Above, middle:
The nursing staff induce and maintain the patient anaesthetics.
This dog is having a tube placed so he can breath in the anaesthic
gases
Above, right:
As head nurse much of my day is spent doing paperwork to ensure
the hospital runs smoothly
I was trained to care for animals, caring for staff and equipment
is a new role and very often brings with it a completely new
set of problems!! I am here to give the nursing team the training,
the back up and support they need so they can concentrate on
the important job of looking after the patients.
Over the next few months other members of the nursing team will
be introducing themselves and telling you about their roles
at Valley Farm.
So next time you pop into Valley Farm you are welcome to chat
to one of us and tour the hospital to see what we are all about!
See you soon!
Rene Swart
Head Nurse at Valley Farm Animal Hospital
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