Vet Tech Duties
What does a vet tech do?
A veterinary technician can perform a very wide variety of tasks, depending on the setting in which they work. Vet techs can do very similar tasks as veterinarians, except those that are prohibited by law: "A registered veterinary technician may not diagnose, prognose, prescribe medical or surgical treatment, or perform as a surgeon." IC 15-5-1.1-26
The following list includes some of the clinical procedures that veterinary technicians perform in large and small animal veterinary practices:
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
This information was collected from the Purdue Veterinary Technology Program.