A day in the life: VCA Veterinary Technician edition!

  

Of all the dedicated and caring people that do their best every day to make sure you and your pet get the best possible care at your VCA hospital, people are most confused about what role Credentialed Veterinary Technicians play in the hospital. Are they nurses? Do they have formal training? Do they get to cuddle cute, fuzzy animals all day? The answer to all these questions is “Yes, but much more!”

Cuddling pets is a huge perk of the job, but Veterinary Technicians have many roles and responsibilities in your VCA hospital that all involve being the champion for great patient care for your pet! 

While specific requirements vary by state, most Veterinary Technicians complete two years of schooling, pass a rigorous examination and complete regular continuing education to become Credentialed Veterinary Technicians. In many ways, they’re similar to nurses in human medicine, but their job requires them to know about all different species of animals instead of just one, and have a wide variety of skills that differ from many human nurses.

Take a peek at what a typical day in the life of a Veterinary Technician looks like to find out just how much these superstars are capable of—and how amazing they truly are!

• Rise and shine. Long before the hospital doors open, Veterinary Technicians arrive to care for and treat all their hospitalized patients, doing anything from gently coaxing a sick pet to eat to expertly administering needed medications and treatments.
• Appointments and drop-offs. Whether for appointments or anesthetic procedures, Veterinary Technicians are often the first point of client and patient contact after our client service representatives. They answer questions, offer client education, draw blood, take x-rays, change bandages, run lab tests, give vaccines and so much more! 
• On to procedure-land! Veterinarians collaborate with Veterinary Technicians on their surgery patients and work together on an anesthetic plan. Focusing on and knowing all we can about our patients helps us to use critical thinking skills to provide the best care during and after the procedure. Sometimes Veterinary Technicians may even be called on to scrub in and assist. For dental cleanings, they can be in charge of scaling, polishing and taking x-rays of the teeth, too.
• Halt—emergency! A critical patient is rushed in straight to the back. Appointments pause, and it’s all hands on deck as the Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants and Veterinarians come together as a team to perform CPR and other lifesaving treatments.
• Lunchtime, lab time. While appointments slow down over lunchtime, the Veterinary Technicians are still going full swing, keeping up with the many lab samples. They may check on fungal cultures and scan ear swabs—Veterinary Technicians are basically microscope geniuses!
• Cuddle break. Hospitalized pets are usually ready for another round of treatments, compassionate care—and cuddles!—around lunchtime. Taking time with our patients helps us to connect with them and reflect on how the day has progressed, and to prepare for the rest of the day.  New patients are settled in and made comfy as well. 
• Lunchtime, take two. Time to eat, rest and breathe.
• Wrapping up. Whew, what a day! But there are still a few remaining things to do. Patients waking up from anesthesia need to be monitored until they are fully recovered and ready to go home. Hospitalized patients need to be settled for the night. One last appointment closes out a fulfilling day of helping pets and saving lives. 

Patient care providers, surgical assistants, anesthetists, dental hygienists, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians, pharmacy technicians and more—Veterinary Technicians wear so many caps, no wonder it’s hard to easily define all the things these amazing animal heroes do!

Find out how VCA inspires, educates and mobilizes the future of veterinary medicine with our Monty Tech partnership! >>