Duties of the Registered Veterinary Technologist


Duties of the Registered Veterinary Technician As part of the veterinary team, Registered Veterinary Technicians (A.S. Degree) perform a wide range of veterinary nursing, imaging, anesthesia, dental hygiene, and diagnostic laboratory procedures in a practice setting. Careers in the credentialed veterinary technician field require maintaining Continuing Education according to State regulations. Continuing Education programs are available to graduates through the Veterinary Technology Program at Purdue University. The curriculum will educate and train veterinary technician students to perform many medical nursing procedures and technical laboratory tasks with companion, food, and laboratory animals. The program provides the educational background necessary to understand and perform the nursing and technical duties that a technician uses in clinical practice or research. Duties of a veterinary technician must be performed under the direction and responsible supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The following list includes some of the clinical procedures that are learned by technician students in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital clinical rotations: Large Animal Medicine
Take temperature, pulse, and respiration on all species Administer oral medication -- balling gun and stomach tube (except equine) Collect blood samples perform bandaging Give injections (IM, IV, subcutaneous) Place and maintain an indwelling catheter perform Twitching and basic restraint perform Tail wraps perform Leg wraps perform Basic handling Tie Knots: quick release, clove hitch, tail tie, bowline Collect lab samples - urine, skin scraping Hobble mare Take history Place mouth speculum Do EKG's perform Hock, eye, and knee wraps Determine age perform Breed identification Restrain and handle all species perform Equipment care and repair perform CMT's Collect sterile milk samples perform Rope work Grooming patients Clean feet
Large Animal Operating Room: Use proper procedure for a surgical scrub, donning a surgery gown aseptically using closed cuff gloving perform surgical site perform Post-surgical clean-up Set up all equipment for surgery (i.e., electrocautery units, suction unit, surgery lights) Function as scrubbed-in assistant and set up a surgery table with instruments perform open gloving with and without surgery gown Bandage wounds perform local/regional anesthetic techniques Organize and keep sterile material on a rotation system keeping a standard sterile shelf life Keep an active inventory of supplies
Large Animal Anesthesia: perform pre-surgical work-up Position and pad surgical patient Pass endotracheal tube in the equine and ruminants Assist with induction of general anesthesia Obtain and interpret blood gases Operate anesthetic machine Monitor parameters of anesthesia Insert arterial catheters and monitor blood pressure Care of anesthesia machine ECG monitoring hook-up Equipment maintenance Respect asepsis Provide intensive aftercare Insert venous catheters Food animal local anesthesia Small Animal Medicine:
Use stomach tubes and enemas perform skin scrapings Prepare, administer or dispense medications, drugs and vaccines (all routes) under vet's supervision Understand importance of cleanliness of person, work area, and equipment maintenance Collect and prepare blood, urine, and feces for submission to lab Appreciate proper labeling and dating of drugs Stock routinely used supplies Obtain perform TPR, weight, vomition, urination, defecation, appetite data Run ECG Identify external parasites Recognize and report emergency conditions Take vaginal smears for estrus determination Venipunctures Make initial general exam Calculate proper rates and administer IV fluids Groom (baths, dips, nail trims) perform Cystocentesis Establish rapport and identify breeds Restrain patients perform First aid for emergencies perform hydrotherapy, physical and inhalation therapy Remove and apply bandages Express anal sacs Place jugular catheters perform Dental prophylaxis perform needle biopsies Calculate IV fluid rates and administration Collect canine semen
Small Animal Operating Room: Set up surgery Set up IV Know instruments Use working knowledge of aseptic techniques Restore cleanliness and order to operating area Organize instruments in operating theater Know safety rules Proper care of used scalpel blade Proper positioning of animal Ground animal when cautery is used Check label 3 times when setting up IV and/or adding meds Dedication to patient care Anticipate needs for surgery perform Surgical scrub, gowning and gloving Function in an emergency situation Inventory supplies Function with minimal supervision Small Animal Anesthesia and Intensive Care:
Make IV Injections perform Endotracheal intubation Induce with barbiturates, thio-barbiturates, and mask induction Place IV catheters Monitor depth of anesthesia Prepare and administer pre-anesthetic medications Use esophageal stethoscope Administer and monitor IV fluids Care and maintain of anesthetic machines and equipment Use of inhalant anesthetic (halothane and isoflurane) Know emergency procedures (CPR) Use muscle relaxants Use EKG and BP monitoring devices Administer adequate ventilation to patients during thoracic surgery Use balanced anesthesia techniques Place arterial catheters Use mechanical respirators Administer oxygen therapy
Central Supply and Sterilization: Know instruments and proper packaging and wrapping techniques Use knowledge of sterilization methods and procedures Properly store of sterile supplies and use knowledge of shelf life Safety: proper disposal of sharp objects Set up an inventory control system, ordering and storage of equipment & supplies Operate autoclave, ETO sterilizer, and H202
Clinical Pathology: Process samples to be run Use dipstick chemistries on urine and perform specific gravity Make and stain blood smears using Wrights and Diff-Quick perform cell counting: RBC's and WBC's using unopette & Platelet counts using unopette perform Hemoglobin (Spencer) Normal differentials perform Abnormal differentials including RBC morphology and platelet estimation perform Micro hematocrit perform Total protein (refractometer) perform Fibrinogens (heat ppt) perform Urine sediment examination perform Reticulocyte counts perform Cell counting using QBC perform Pipetting techniques Use in-office instrument for chemistries Maintain quality control program in hematology and chemistries perform analysis of spinal and other body fluids
Diagnostic Imaging: Position patients for thorax and abdomen radiography Determine exposures (technique) Minimize radiation hazard to operator and patients Recognize technical failures and correct them Maintain equipment perform common contrast media studies, e.g., barium swallow, cystograms Mix processing solution perform hand processing and use automatic processor Use topographical landmarks for positioning Develop a technique chart for practitioner's X-ray machine Develop a film filing system Assist in all radiographic procedures Do special views other than routine Identify and determine contrast media usage and dosage Recognize technical failures and correct them Prepare patient for ultrasound Pharmacy: Make proper interpretation of DVM's written prescription, including commonly used Latin abbreviations Read and interpret of medical labels and dates of administration Prepare medicines for dispensing with proper labeling Know proper prescription composition if intended for submission at a "human" pharmacy Calculate dose levels and make dilutions Have basic familiarity with medications and usage Compound preparations, e.g., ointments, liquids, etc. Set up inventory control, ordering, and receiving system Counsel clients on proper use and administration of medications These detailed lists of performance objectives for employers are revised annually. They are organized by rotation site, with specific tasks and competencies obtained by the end of the program, with identification of those tasks that technicians are not taught to perform, which are inappropriate legally, ethically, economically, and/or professionally (examples are surgery, diagnosis, prescribing therapy, prognosing outcomes, stomach tubing horses, fluoroscopy, and performing large animal rectal exams). May be requested from Program Director.

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