October 22, 2023

Vet Nurse Day 2023: When It Is & How It’s Celebrated

Vet Nurse Day occurs on the second Friday in October. So, what exactly is it? It celebrates veterinary nurses’ work and their critical roles in veterinary care. Celebrations will also run in different months depending on where you are in the world, so let’s take a closer look at Vet Nurse Day and how you can get involved!

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Why Is There a Vet Nurse Day?

We talk a lot about vets when discussing the care of pets, but vet nurses play an equally vital role in ensuring our pets make it home to us when they’re injured or unwell. Vet Nurse Day raises awareness for the men and women who work alongside veterinarians to care for our pets when we can’t.

Their roles can vary, from caring for large animals like horses to handling more delicate creatures like mice. A nurse’s job is to protect, heal, comfort, and care for vulnerable pets, and they’re of vital importance in the care that our pets receive when they’re sick or injured.

veterinarian put bandage to dog with leg injury — Image Credit: didesign021, Shutterstock

What Do Vet Nurses Do?

The role of a vet nurse is varied, and their duties generally involve the following:

Administering medications and fluid therapy
Applying bandages to wounds and fractures
Assisting in emergency situations
Assisting veterinarians in operations
Carrying out consultations
Carrying out diagnostic tests like blood and urine samples in a laboratory
Dispensing medication and showing the owner how to use it
Educating owners on things like basic behavioral advice, nutrition, and preventative care
Observing and recording patient vital signs like pain, respiration, temperature, and pulse
Preparing patients for surgical procedures
Supporting animals and owners before, during, and after procedures and operations
Supporting and managing their teams
Taking radiographs

How to Get Involved in Vet Nurse Day

Being a vet nurse can sometimes be a thankless job, and a simple “thank you” can go a long way. If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital, you know how essential nurses are in human care, which gives you an idea of how integral they are to the smooth running of a veterinary office.

1. Say Thank You

Taking the time to thank them while you’re at the vet’s is a great way to show your appreciation and indicate you’ve noticed their hard work. If you forget, try to phone them later; it will make their day!

man holding cat in vet clinic — Image Credit: VGstockstudio, Shutterstock

2. Get a Token of Appreciation

This doesn’t need to be anything expensive. A homemade card with a paw print on the front, a flower, or a box of chocolates shows how much you care.

3. Use Social Media

Raise awareness about this special day on social media. Share how much you appreciate your local vet and nurses, and tag them if they have a social media account.

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Is This Celebration Restricted to October?

Of course, celebrating someone doesn’t need to be done on a specific date. How organizations celebrate the day will differ depending on where in the world you are. In the UK, the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) celebrates nurses throughout the entire month of May. This means there are opportunities to get involved in celebrating vet nurses at a local level at different times of the year.

veterinarians standing behind a bernese mountain dog on a table — Image Credit: LightField Studios, Shutterstock

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Final Thoughts

Vet Nurse Day occurs on the second Friday in October, and you can celebrate and thank those special vet nurses in your life! When we think about our pet’s care, we tend to think only of our veterinarian, but our nurses put a lot of hard work and love into their jobs, and it’s only right we take a day to appreciate them for everything they do for our beloved pets!

Featured Image Credit: Try_my_best, Shutterstock

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