Veterinary Nursing
A veterinary technician (also called a vet tech), is a person trained and licensed to assist veterinarians. Their job is similar to that of a nurse.
Common tasks performed by a veterinary technician include taking histories, providing treatment to routine problems, and giving counseling to clients. Technical skills include drawing blood, collecting urine, performing skin scrapings, performing routine lab procedures and tests in hematology, chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis, and serology. They assist the veterinarian with physical examinations that help determine the nature of the illness or injury. Veterinary technicians also administer medications, anesthesia, and blood products to the animals as prescribed by the veterinarian. Tasks in patient care include recording temperature, pulse and respiration, dressing wounds, applying splints and other protective devices, and cleaning teeth. They perform catheterizations, both urinary and venous, earflushes, intravenous feedings, and tube feedings. Equipment use includes operating electrocardiographic and radiographic equipment. Veterinary technicians commonly assist veterinarians in surgery by providing correct equipment and instruments and by assuring that monitoring and support equipment such as anesthetic machines, cardiac monitors, scopes and breathing apparatus are in good working condition. They also maintain treatment records and inventory of all pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies.
Veterinary technicians are very different from veterinary assistants, because veterinary assistants have not been properly trained to perform many of the tasks that veterinary technicians can nor do they have specfic education in this field. Assistants typically have only a high school diploma or GED, but some may have limited college experience or be in school studying to become a board certified technician.
