Nursing or veterinary?

[mslinzyann]

I need some advice.
My boyfriend's very sweet, wonderful father is a veterinarian. I have been working there for two years, mostly at the front desk- I do have the opportunity to help out with extremely mundane things, occassionally. So far I have enjoyed being a staff member at this clinic so very much. I love working with the animals and the unique challenge of it.
Problems....I am a senior in college this year, and I have only had some classes in biology. I COULD apply to vet school, but I would be about a year late in graduation, around a 5th or 5 1/2 year senior. Right now I have a 3.45 and am not necessarily the best math student around. I do love biology, and I'm a hard worker, but I'm not so sure about chemistry and physics. I love medicine, science, people, psychology, speaking and learning...and so, as an alternate plan, I've thought about becoming a nurse and pursuing advance nursing roles, as a neonatal or pediatric nurse. I think that working with children is somewhat similar to working with animals, in the sense that both are innocent and maybe, to some extent, unruly...or difficult to communicate with. I also feel that maybe it would be wise to go ahead and pursue vet med because I know so much more about that job than I do nursing, and I know a lot about the ups and downs of being a vet, but am still interested in the career.
The challenge of becoming a vet is both awesome and scary! I don't want to be a vet tech, as I've already nearly completed a bachelors degree, so going back for an associates would be sorta silly. I just don't know which path to pursue. How would you decide?
Should I base it on what I want to do, what is the easiest path, what I'm already "in line" to do (I'd have a lot of pre reqs to go back on for vet school) or whhhaaa? I don't know what to do.

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[Serendipity4]

First of all, you should base your decision on whatever is most important to you. How important is it to you to start your career soon as opposed to being in school for awhile longer? Vet school, it sounds like, will take you AT LEAST 5 years longer before you will be a vet whereas a nurse would be less time. Also (and disclaimer: I'm speaking without knowing much about nursing programs!) I would imagine a nursing program would be easier to get into. It's not uncommon to NOT get into vet school the first year you apply. Another thing to keep in mind: would you prefer to be the one making the diagnosis and deciding what treatments need to be carried out, or would you prefer to be the one carrying out the treatment? There are definitely pros and cons to both.

Regardless, I would suggest you definitely get some experience in the nursing field before making a decision one way or another. Unfortunately, to do this I think you might need your CNA so you can have direct patient contact, and from what I undersand it takes 6 months to get your CNA.

I completely understand your desire to work with someone "innocent" -- that's part of why I want to be a vet as well. But there's likely differences between the two career choices that might appeal to you more or be a deal breaker, hence my suggestion for getting experience in the field of nursing. You should also probably shadow the vet; even though you've been working there for 2 years, there's nothing quite like watching EVERYTHING the vet does. The good news is, if you think you really would enjoy either career, you're kinda in a win-win situation here (though I know the actual decision making is hard ). Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[cubs11]

Is your degree in Nursing? If not, wouldn't you have to take all of the nursing classes in order to become an advanced level neonatal nurse? I know it varies, but in my area, you won't get hired at any of the hospitals unless you have a nursing degree. and depending on that degree (associates, bachelors, etc.) determines your qualifications and competitiveness for certain positions.

my point is, if you have to take courses either way...it wouldn't hurt to do the prereqs and apply to vet school, if that's what your passion is.

it all comes down to what you want to do! if either profession would make you happy, then maybe you should try to get a job in a children's hospital or pediatric unit of a general hospital, to get a better feel for the nursing profession...then compare your experiences (vet med vs. nursing).

 

[sofficat]

have you thought about being a PA? My bro just graduated with his PA degree (from marietta OH) and he LOVES his job, makes great money and gets treated like a doc by most of his patients (he introduces himself with his first name and PA title and they still call him doc ). PA's make SO much more money then nurses (and a lot of vets! ) So... think about that.

 

[philomycus]

I would look at all the classes you must take and see if that
is a committment you want to pursue.

You'll need genetics, physics 1 & 2, inorganic 1 & 2, organic 1 & 2 and biochem. Stats for math and somne schools require calc 1 (i think)

 

[PdxYOSHI]

Many nursing programs can also be very competitive to get into as well. I'm not saying that its tougher than vet school but it still can be competitive especially depending on what you would like to do with a nursing degree and if you're talking about the differences between a R.N., N.P. or CNA. Anyway, you'll likely still have to take more science classes to get into nursing as well. I'd say that you had probably better do a bit more research into the nursing field and then make a decision. Also, a physician's assistant (or PA as suggested above) is still a degree that requires years of more school and science classes.

 

[brightness]

Today I went and spent half a day in ICU/Cardiac ICU with the nurses, and I wasn't thrilled with it. I don't like the idea of having to go and ask for 'orders' to everything. But I'm not sure if I want to deal with the long time it takes in order to become a vet or a doctor...because I'm already a senior in my fourth year, and I've had no chemistry. So, it would take me at least 5 semesters to get all the chemistry done...
I have no idea what to do...I don't know if I want to work with people or animals, but so far my stronger leaning is towards animals. At the very least, I'd have to work with children if I was working with people. I love medicine, I'm not too easily grossed out...but unfortunatley, I feel a major pull to be "in charge". Thats just me revealing my stubborn/headstrong side of myself.

 

[brightness]

I have two accounts. Whoops! Hmm....I wonder if the mod squad can delete one of me.

 

[LuluLove2323]

Hello All,
I am only a senior in high school. I have always wanted to become a Vet. since I was little but recently I have come to the realization that I will be in a lot of debt after Vet school- if i choose this path. I was thinking that maybe going the nursing route would be better. Is a nurse at all better or the same as a Veterinarian? Have you ever heard of a nurse going to Vet. School? and Have you ever heard of a nurse/dog team? I am interested in the idea of being a nurse but using therapy animals.
Please tell me your thoughts,
Lulu

 

[dyachei]

Nurse and vet are very different paths.

If you're talking human nurse, you have a very different set of responsibilities. As a veterinarian, the buck stops with you. If a mistake happens or an animal dies, it's your fault even if you told someone to do something and they did something different. You are responsible for diagnosing and figuring out which treatments are appropriate as a veterinarian. As a nurse, you are given orders by a human physician. You can sometimes question those orders or make suggestions, but at the end of the day it's their choice. You're more involved in patient care as a nurse. You're on the front lines taking care of individuals. This means that sometimes you'll have to clean up bodily fluids (you have to do this sometimes as a vet, too) that may be diseased.

If you're talking vet tech/vet nurse, it's mostly the same as above except that you'll be expected to do a lot more and the pay is worse.

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Hello All,
I am only a senior in high school. I have always wanted to become a Vet. since I was little but recently I have come to the realization that I will be in a lot of debt after Vet school- if i choose this path. I was thinking that maybe going the nursing route would be better. Is a nurse at all better or the same as a Veterinarian? Have you ever heard of a nurse going to Vet. School? and Have you ever heard of a nurse/dog team? I am interested in the idea of being a nurse but using therapy animals.
Please tell me your thoughts,
Lulu

1. Better or the same?

These are very different jobs, equally as important if that's what you mean. From my understanding, a nurse is more equivalent to a veterinary technician - they have more hands on contact with the patients and perform more of the technical work. Of course it depends on what kind of nurse you are... a nurse practitioner for example I do not believe there is a veterinary equivalent

2. I cannot think of a reason to go to all of the trouble of nursing school then just to attend veterinary school

3. Nurse/dog team - that'd be a no, for health reasons. There might be some hospital somewhere out there that has resident animals, and as great as that might sound, you should not become a nurse with the idea that it is a realistic job path. Therapy animals are typically handled by owner volunteers. If you're interested in working with therapy animals, you should pursue that separately.

 

[DVMDream]

People pay the bills. You really need to like working with them too.

That's a 12 year old post, just in case you didn't notice.

 

[genny]

People pay the bills. You really need to like working with them too.

That post is 12 years old. Hopefully she has made up her mind by now.

 

[Lupin21]

That post is 12 years old. Hopefully she has made up her mind by now.

Sadly the same misconceptions exist 12 years later and will likely always claim a few souls who didn't realize this fact.

 

[that redhead]

Nursing has a lot of additional job opportunities outside of clinical stuff- teaching, administrative, etc. Or you can pursue something like a nurse practitioner for a little more independence.

 

[Straw Hat Gal]

Hello All,
I am only a senior in high school. I have always wanted to become a Vet. since I was little but recently I have come to the realization that I will be in a lot of debt after Vet school- if i choose this path. I was thinking that maybe going the nursing route would be better. Is a nurse at all better or the same as a Veterinarian? Have you ever heard of a nurse going to Vet. School? and Have you ever heard of a nurse/dog team? I am interested in the idea of being a nurse but using therapy animals.
Please tell me your thoughts,
Lulu

Your thinking seems quite clear. Go ahead with nursing. You'll have a tough job with a lot of responsibility, but you may be able to finish nursing school with much less debt. And nursing offers several levels of opportunity through education. As for your interest in therapy dogs, I see no reason why you could not develop that interest as a hobby.

 

[J.Bed]

Hello All,
I am only a senior in high school. I have always wanted to become a Vet. since I was little but recently I have come to the realization that I will be in a lot of debt after Vet school- if i choose this path. I was thinking that maybe going the nursing route would be better. Is a nurse at all better or the same as a Veterinarian? Have you ever heard of a nurse going to Vet. School? and Have you ever heard of a nurse/dog team? I am interested in the idea of being a nurse but using therapy animals.
Please tell me your thoughts,
Lulu

I love this topic and can speak very well to it. I was a RN for 7 years and am now in my first year of vet school. There is actually a second nurse in my class as well.

You’re young; you have your whole life ahead of you to figure things out. You’ll need a year or two of prerequisites to be eligible to apply to an RN program so you can start taking bio/Chem classes and see what you think. You can also work as an aide (without an education) to get your foot in the door at a hospital, but keep in mind that is grueling work for minimum wage.

With nursing there are many different fields you can go into. Bedside nurses do the daily care of inpatients and tend to burn out quickly. You can also work in doctors offices, schools, medical sales, management, and much more so the options are almost endless. I have not seen opportunities with nursing and therapy animals, but that could be a great program to set up for home visits or hospice or you can even look into social work for those opportunities.

Obviously, nursing school will be much cheaper than vet school. Salaries I would estimate would be relatively close for each after a few years working. I do not expect to make much more in practice than I did as a nurse.

you can always advance your nursing to a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist with most schooling and get a significantly bigger paycheck as well.

Don’t worry about trying to figure everything out now. Get some new experiences, in a hospital, volunteerism, animal hospital, etc and just see where you end up. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination!

 

[LuluLove2323]

I love this topic and can speak very well to it. I was a RN for 7 years and am now in my first year of vet school. There is actually a second nurse in my class as well.

You’re young; you have your whole life ahead of you to figure things out. You’ll need a year or two of prerequisites to be eligible to apply to an RN program so you can start taking bio/Chem classes and see what you think. You can also work as an aide (without an education) to get your foot in the door at a hospital, but keep in mind that is grueling work for minimum wage.

With nursing there are many different fields you can go into. Bedside nurses do the daily care of inpatients and tend to burn out quickly. You can also work in doctors offices, schools, medical sales, management, and much more so the options are almost endless. I have not seen opportunities with nursing and therapy animals, but that could be a great program to set up for home visits or hospice or you can even look into social work for those opportunities.

Obviously, nursing school will be much cheaper than vet school. Salaries I would estimate would be relatively close for each after a few years working. I do not expect to make much more in practice than I did as a nurse.

you can always advance your nursing to a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist with most schooling and get a significantly bigger paycheck as well.

Don’t worry about trying to figure everything out now. Get some new experiences, in a hospital, volunteerism, animal hospital, etc and just see where you end up. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination!

When you decided to attend Vet. School, did you have to take any extra pre-reqs beforehand?

 

[J.Bed]

When you decided to attend Vet. School, did you have to take any extra pre-reqs beforehand?

Oh yeah. Just about every single one. Nursing schools want a few basics and then all your upper division classes are nursing specific. Vet school wants those upper division bio and Chem classes instead. Going to school part time it took me 3 years to complete them.
You can probably glance at your local nursing and vet schools to get a better idea of requirement differences.

 

[gingerbreadcookie1219]

I love this topic and can speak very well to it. I was a RN for 7 years and am now in my first year of vet school. There is actually a second nurse in my class as well.

You’re young; you have your whole life ahead of you to figure things out. You’ll need a year or two of prerequisites to be eligible to apply to an RN program so you can start taking bio/Chem classes and see what you think. You can also work as an aide (without an education) to get your foot in the door at a hospital, but keep in mind that is grueling work for minimum wage.

With nursing there are many different fields you can go into. Bedside nurses do the daily care of inpatients and tend to burn out quickly. You can also work in doctors offices, schools, medical sales, management, and much more so the options are almost endless. I have not seen opportunities with nursing and therapy animals, but that could be a great program to set up for home visits or hospice or you can even look into social work for those opportunities.

Obviously, nursing school will be much cheaper than vet school. Salaries I would estimate would be relatively close for each after a few years working. I do not expect to make much more in practice than I did as a nurse.

you can always advance your nursing to a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist with most schooling and get a significantly bigger paycheck as well.

Don’t worry about trying to figure everything out now. Get some new experiences, in a hospital, volunteerism, animal hospital, etc and just see where you end up. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination!

Hey, I have some questions for you being you’re an RN in vet school, but cannot private message you on here. Is there anyway I could email you or PM you via another route? Thanks in advance.

 

[JaynaAli]

Hey, I have some questions for you being you’re an RN in vet school, but cannot private message you on here. Is there anyway I could email you or PM you via another route? Thanks in advance.

This OP hasn’t logged into SDN for seven years according to their profile, so I wouldn’t expect a response. Hopefully another RN turned vet student (if we have any?) will see this and be able to help you.

 

[gingerbreadcookie1219]

This OP hasn’t logged into SDN for seven years according to their profile, so I wouldn’t expect a response. Hopefully another RN turned vet student (if we have any?) will see this and be able to help you.

Thank you. I was trying to contact J. Bed, who commented in 2019.

 

[JaynaAli]

Thank you. I was trying to contact J. Bed, who commented in 2019.

Whoops, carry on then...didn’t see who you’d quoted. Sorry. Hopefully they can help you!

 

[gingerbreadcookie1219]

Whoops, carry on then...didn’t see who you’d quoted. Sorry. Hopefully they can help you!

Thank you no problem.