part of the reason i took such great offence to some of things written about me is...

i am, in and out, thru and thru, over and over...a nurse.
the animals are gifted with the same kind of training and knowledge and skill sets and standards of practice as my human patients are too.

my father was an anglican priest, my mother was also a nurse..there were parts of both of them that always were there, in everything they ever did...it was just part of who they were.
i think if you are somewhere deep in the service field there are things you can never, ever turn on and off for convenience.

i think a true fireman will always try to rescue, a police officer or someone in the arm forces will strive to serve and protect, a doctor or nurse will work towards healing and finding wellness again and a minister will always try to share a better understanding of god with their fellow man.

anyway...we are instilled with the birth and histories, by the current training and indoctrinations of our chosen professions, with certain key things.

nurses identify problems, they formulate goals, they plan for interventions and evaluate outcomes. AND we above all accurately report and document, the care that we give.
even when we make a mistake. we do not try to hide things or cover stuff up deep to protect ourselves from the consequences of being imperfect human beings.

i saw fellow students kicked out of nursing school for very minor med errors...errors that meant nothing to anyone's wellbeing..like a tylenol given at 4 hours instead of the doctor ordered 6. they got the proverbial boot...not because they misread or assumed the dosing was more frequent...but because they lied about what they did....they were afraid to be percieved as an imperfect nurse.

you absolutely cannot be responsible for the life and well being of another if for whatever reason, you are not truthful about what you have just done.

i have seen nurses lose not only their jobs, but their license to practice simply because their ethics were proven less than acceptable in the care that they give.

nurses make mistakes...it is an absolute given...nurses are also bound by an oath to put their patients needs before their own and accurately report what they did.
and it makes sense, this standard of practice that we have...an error can be treated, a lesson can be learned, so our patients come to no harm in our care because we are imperfect humans.

i do not own my human patients...i do not own the animals at saints...yet both are entrusted into my care to care for the best that i can.

so here is a hint for anyone considering nursing or rescue for a career....above all be honest, above all be aware of the sacred trust that you agreed to accept...to put the needs of those that you care for above your own personal needs....report what you do and see accurately...no need to always be right..no need to always be perfect.....no need to be the sole "savior" of other beings lives...just an unquestionable need to always, no matter what or why, to be truthful and honest...that is what is required of us when we accept the responsibility for someone else's life.