With veterinary technician week coming upward soon, I thought I would put something together for anyone who is thinking about becoming a veterinarian technician. First off – what IS a veterinarian technician? They hold cute animals for the veterinarian to examine right? Sounds awesome. Well… yes and no. We do go to hold beautiful animals for the veterinary, but it's much deeper than that.

Though the kickoff "Animate being Technician" program was canonical by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1972, the term "Veterinary Technician" has just been approved since 1990. Since that time, our profession has been speedily evolving every year. I personally started in the veterinary field in 2004, and in the last 15 years I am amazed at the educational opportunities, specialty certifications, and continued progress that our profession is making.
Right now, the folks behind the Veterinary Nurse Initiative are fighting for title protection, standardized pedagogy and licensing requirements.

To give you lot an thought of what it's similar to work in the veterinary field, in any position, permit me tell you a bit about my history in the veterinarian field. After applying relentlessly to every veterinarian office in the loftier desert, I was ecstatic to exist offered a job with my family'south veterinarian. The task was for five or ten hours a week I believe, but I was elated to become my foot in the door. I believe I said something during the interview virtually "scrubbing floors, annihilation you want
me to exercise!" Ah, to be 19 once again with countless amounts of energy.

My kickoff 24-hour interval, I was scheduled to start on a weekday afternoon. I walked into the clinic to find what felt like hundreds of impatient people effectually the circular reception desk and two semi-frantic receptionists trying to help all of them simultaneously. It was Wed, the day the clinic offered a discount on both spay and neuter procedures likewise as vaccines. Non sure who thought that was a keen idea, but that meant in that location was twenty+ people there picking up their
pets from surgery, and who knows how many people coming in to get their pets vaccinated.

Within a few minutes of arriving for my kickoff solar day, I was given some quick directions and told to spring in where I could. Despite how massively confused I was, I remember being so proud of myself. I managed to check out a client picking upwardly her dog from a spay procedure. I gave her all the correct paperwork, fabricated the suture removal date and processed the billing correctly. After I was done, I went to help the next client and noticed the lady I only helped was still standing there, looking confused. I smiled politely and asked if she needed anything else. She looked extremely irritated and replied "Yep. My dog." Oops. I had Nigh gotten everything.

I would describe my introduction to veterinary medicine with three words… Trial By Fire, and I loved every infinitesimal of it, well mostly. I went from my original schedule of five-10 hours a week, to spending most of my waking hours at that clinic. We were VERY busy, we didn't have a lot of staff and I had to larn things very speedily. At nineteen years one-time, I was learning drug dosing and pharmacology, administering anesthesia and monitoring surgical procedures,
performing dental cleanings, helping revive c-department puppies and so much more.

That was a lot for a 19yr old to take on in my stance. Luckily, I had some fantastic experienced mentors to teach me all of these things, including how to talk to clients as I was very quiet and reserved. When the practice owner retired, I decided to motility on to a different clinic where I connected to build on my noesis and skills. After a few years of on the task training, I started school to get a RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician). Information technology took me a long time to
complete, every bit I was ever working 1 or ii jobs and I ended up taking a break from school for a few years.

Laura Waller RVT and Stephanie Wintin preparing a patient for surgery at AEC

Hither are some of the typical duties of a veterinarian technician: Radiographs, dentistry, anesthesia, drug calculations, charting, performing laboratory testing, patient care, client communications, venipuncture, intravenous catheters, CPR…. And that's all earlier tiffin!

After about 10 years of working in the veterinary field, I was very burnt out. It's a prevalent problem in the veterinary field. You start out wanting to work with animals, because you like animals more than people right? But guess
what? You DO have to work with people, that includes co-worker drama, angry or emotional clients, demanding bosses – and you lot gotta practise information technology all with a grinning on your face. I had spent so long putting "everything" into my chore that I was beginning to resent the job itself. The hours are difficult, and the pay isn't half of what our human counterparts brand. Information technology's besides a very concrete task, with long hours on your feet. When that Great Dane comes in lateral and unresponsive – information technology's not magic on how he gets into the dispensary. It'due south the veterinarian staff that carries him everywhere he
needs to get.

I had changed jobs to another day practice that offered more work-life balance and less stress, but I was notwithstanding disenchanted with the profession itself and simultaneously broke. I needed to find extra work to get by and that's when I decided to bank check with the local emergency clinic nigh some relief shifts. Information technology was the terminal thing I really wanted to do, I was tired. I needed a holiday. I didn't want to work nights or holidays, just had no choice. What surprised me, is that after a couple years of working relief shifts, I discovered how much I admittedly Dear emergency medicine. I felt alive again, I enjoyed what I did once more. Suddenly I was learning new tricks from fantastic emergency vets. I would lose rails of fourth dimension looking at a blood smear or trying to figure out a complicated medical example.

At present don't get me wrong, I beloved animals. I have a menagerie of dogs and cats that were misfits that needed a home, but what I was missing before was the science of veterinary medicine. I love thinking critically about cases, learning new skills and thinking on my feet. I finally finished my veterinary technician caste and passed the VTNE in 2016. I have never been prouder of any accomplishment. Information technology was a lot of blood, sweat and tears to go to that point. I also
started working as a veterinarian technician educator a few years ago, and discovered some other passion. Educating new technicians is fulfilling, and I find myself trying to pass on every fleck of noesis I know, despite their heart rolls.

Every passionate technician that I know has something different that inspires them. Some thrive on dentistry and become the "go-to" person for those difficult feline extractions, some are excellent at math or patient care, or anesthesia. Regardless of what drives them, some of the near inspiring people I accept met accept been veterinary technicians and assistants. I accept seen multi-tasking that would make most people'south caput spin; technicians work tirelessly through their lunches to make sure the animals are taken care of. I've seen passion – technicians who spend their but 24-hour interval off reading on veterinarian topics or going to continuing education conferences. They are the all-time people I know, full of grit, determination, and compassion.

Accept I scared you off yet? I hope not. I'll tell you what yous will demand to make information technology in this field: perseverance, determination, the ability to be a team player and a desire to learn. Information technology will not be a walk in the park, it will not be easy, just the best things in life don't mostly come easily. There are then many possibilities now: positions in academia, management, specialty hospitals, full general practice, lab animal medicine, teaching and so much more. Veterinary Technicians can now go a VTS (Veterinary Technician Specialist) in 16 unlike fields. It is grueling work, requiring lots of hands on grooming, standing education and passing difficult examinations. I aspire to obtain my VTS in Emergency & Critical Intendance, and still have a long road ahead of me.

While it can exist difficult to get your pes in the door without experience, if y'all want to become a veterinary technician – I would suggest the following. Go started in an AVMA approved Veterinary Technician plan. You volition learn extremely valuable skills on the task, but the education behind it is just equally valuable. Absorb all you can from information technology, stay after class to ask questions and report. Take whatever position y'all can in a veterinarian facility. Near hospitals I've worked at have all staff members cleaning and taking care of those grueling duties. Be humble, and willing to take on whatever piece of work is offered. Never exist "too proficient" for any task. You lot will succeed if y'all put your all into it and show initiative. Once you lot go your RVT license, you are NOT gratis to sit dorsum on your laurels. Your education should not finish after schoolhouse, it's a life long journey.

A dandy human that I know, local Tae Kwon Do instructor, Bruce McGhee says "Anything potent and unbending is a sign of death." Never stop learning, never stop growing. Never exist that technician who has seen information technology all and done it all and can't learn any new tricks. While I may be slightly biased, veterinary medicine is the best field in the whole earth, and it tends to attract people with gumption and heart. So… in summary, yep! Vet techs pretty much just restrain
puppies and kittens all day.

Laura Waller is a Registered Veterinary Technician at Brute Emergency Dispensary in Victorville, Ca. She and her husband share their home with a menagerie of dogs and cats. Her goal is to 1 twenty-four hours obtain her VTS in emergency and disquisitional care.

Laura Waller RVT
RECOVER Certified BLS Rescuer
RECOVER Certified ALS Rescuer