4 legged patients

Since coming to the north, I've learnt that my scope of practice,is to say the least, very extensive. In all my training and discussion about my job, I was told that there would be "things outside the realm of nursing" that I would need to do. Some of which would be on a 'voluntary basis'. Someone is going to have to explain to me exactly what the definition of "Voluntary basis" means. Here it means "No-one else to do the job".
I have had 3 students in the past year, up to gain experience of northern nursing. Two of them, for the first patient of the north, have been 4 legged. One was suturing a dog, the other staple removal of a cat. Each student thought that this was some weird warped northern sense of humour, laid on to totally confuse them. But after dealing with their "patients", the smiles and comments where; "That was cool", "Never thought I'll ever do that". "How do you learn to do that?" Sparked their interest in how we work here,in the northern communities.
We do have a Vet, and he is very good at what he does. But he does serve several other communities. He came by to showed how to insert Intravenous catheters into animals if we where interested, which I was. Apart from being hairy and having large sharp teeth, it was easier to place I.V's than their human counterparts. What he didn't show us was how to suture animals. That was something I had to adapt from humans to the animals, which I've had to do many times. The Vet is going to show me several new techniques in suturing, as I've had a few 'challenging' wounds to suture the last few times.
There is a great sense of accomplishment to sedating an animal, after starting the I.V. and sew up sometimes terrible wounds, man and animal inflicted.
The look on the owners face, and sometimes a child's face because you 'fixed' their pet, is well worth any inconvenience of your private life. That's the way it is here, when the Vet is gone, you're the Vet.
This also can be a burden when it comes to "putting down" a pet, especially around Christmas time. The sorrow of loosing a friend at the holiday time spoils the Christmas spirit. It can leave you close to tears, as this family has lost a part of it's family. Even though it is very sad for them, they still offer their hospitality of the season for "calling you out" to do such a deed.
But doing this service for the people of this community, is in it's own way very rewarding. This is what, I hope I've installed in the students that do come here. Northern Nursing is not just the people of that community you nurse, but is also for the pets. The job is one that will push your own boundaries and comfort zones beyond the maximum, but the return on the effect is well worth it.
That's why there are alot of Northern Nurses who stay here because we love what we do and the people of the communities that we nurse.
Happy New Year to you all.