How can vets help society?

A veterinary technician is a nurse

(which is why they are referred to as such in the UK and Canada),

with a much broader scope of practice than that of human nurses.

Licensed veterinary technicians earn a 2 or 4 year degree, often as

a second degree, and pass state and national board exams inore to

practice Many go on to specialize in Emergency Medicine, Dentistry,

Internal Medicine, Equine Medicine, Large Animal Medicine, and

numerous other areas. For the average licensed vet tech in a small

animal practice, skills used include phlebotomy, IV insertion,

urinary catheter insertion, vaccine administration, anesthetic

induction/intubation/surgical monitoring and assistance/post

surgical recovery, and infection control. Licensed vet techs are

also trained to administer oral, injectable, and transdermal

medications, apply bandages, take radiographs, perform dental

prophylaxes, work in the pharmacy, provide client education,

collect and prepare samples for parasitology and hematologic

analysis, identify parasites under the microscope, calculate drug

dosages and fluid rates, monitor patients in critical care, triage,

and provide quality husbandry for hospitalized patients. As a

trained and highly skilled nurse, a licensed veterinary technician

plays an important role in the healthcare of animals and the

protection of the public. They work in the same respect as a human

nurse, but at less than half the rate of pay and with little to no

recognition from the public. Licensed veterinary technicians are

often confused with unlicensed veterinary assistants, and the fact

that many small clinics make do with unlicensed and on the job

trained personnel only contributes to the confusion and lack of

respect from both veterinarians an the public in general. Still,

their role as nurses makes them an asset to any practice and the

community in general, as healthcare providers, educators, and

advocates for all animals.