Nursing

Nursing

Patient Assessment

• Recognize common domestic animal species and breeds*
• Describe and use common animal identification methods*
• Recognize and assess body language and behaviors (including pain assessment scales for various animal species.
• Properly restrain dogs and cats for procedures*
• Encage and remove small animals from cages*
• Apply dog muzzle safely*
• Apply Elizabethan collar*
• Use restraint pole and other restraint aids* [GROUP]
• Halter, tie, and lead horses/ponies/donkeys/mules*
• Restrain pocket pets and exotics
• Restrain cattle, small ruminant, and horses/ponies/donkeys/mules*
• Apply twitch (horses/ponies/donkeys/mules)* [GROUP]
• Apply bovine tail restraint*
• Apply ruminant halter (cow, small ruminant)*
• Restrain pigs
• Load large animals
• Safely operate cattle chute* [GROUP]
• Obtain a thorough patient history*
• Obtain temperature (dog, cat, horse/pony/donkey/mule, cow)*
• Obtain pulse (dog, cat, horse/pony/donkey/mule, cow)*
• Obtain respiration (dog, cat, horse/pony/donkey/mule, cow)*
• Auscultate heart/lungs* (dog, cat, horse/pony/donkey/mule, cow)
• Assess hydration status
• Properly collect diagnostic specimens for analysis (ex: urine, blood, feces, specimens for cytology)
• Perform venipuncture:
• Cephalic (dog, cat)
• Jugular (dog, cat, horse, ruminant)
• Saphenous (dog, cat)
• Sublingual (dog)
• Ear (swine, rabbit)
• Coccygeal (cow)
• Anterior vena cava (pig)
• Collect urine sample:
• Catheterize male dog
• Catheterize female dog
• Catheterize female cat
• Catheterize male cat
• Collect voided urine sample (small animal)
• Perform cystocentesis (small animal)
• Catheterize large animal
• Prepare diagnostic specimens for shipment

Decision-making abilities: Given the characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will safely and efficiently obtain subjective and objective patient data that will allow accurate evaluation of the patient's physical status with minimum stress and maximum safety.

Patient Care

Skill: Understand and demonstrate husbandry, nutrition, therapeutic and dentistry techniques appropriate to various animal species.

Husbandry

• Grooming:
• Demonstrate understanding of therapeutic bathing, basic grooming, and dipping of small animals*
• Trim nails (dogs, cats)*
• Trim hooves (ruminant, horses)
• Apply equine tail and leg wraps*
• Express canine anal sacs*
• Clean and medicate ears (dog, cat)*
• Clean sheath (horse)
• Perform microchip scanning and implantation
• Environmental conditions: implement sanitation procedures for animal holding and housing areas*
• Demonstrate understanding of permanent identification*
• Demonstrate understanding of breeding/reproduction techniques*
• Demonstrate understanding of care of orphan animals
• Demonstrate understanding of the care of newborns*

Decision-making abilities: Given the characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will implement appropriate husbandry techniques to enhance wellness and reduce risk of disease, injury and stress.

Nutrition

• Understand life stage energy and nutrient requirements of well animals (dog, cat, horse, cow)*
• Identify common grains and forages
• Understand key nutritional factors in disease conditions*
• Be familiar with therapeutic foods*
• Understand current developments in nutritional supplements and additives including benefits and potential toxicities*
• Understand and identify substances that when ingested result in toxicity:
• Identify common poisonous plants*
• Be familiar with substances (organic and inorganic) that cause toxicity*
• Develop and communicate hospital nutrition protocols*

Decision-making abilities: Given the characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will understand appropriate and inappropriate dietary components for various life stages and therapeutic regimens (e.g., therapeutic foods) in order to promote optimal health, enhance recovery and manage chronic disease conditions. The veterinary technician will also explain nutritional recommendations to clients and reinforce owner compliance.

Therapeutics

• Administer parenteral medications:
• Subcutaneous (dogs, cats, ruminants)
• Intramuscular (dogs, cats, horses)
• Intradermal (ruminants, dogs)
• Intramammary (mastitis therapy only) (ruminants)
• Intravenous (dogs, cats, ruminants, horses)
• Administer enteral medications:
• Balling gun (ruminant)
• Dose syringe (ruminant, horse)
• Gastric intubation (small animal)
• Hand pilling (dog, cat)
• Gastric lavage (dog)
• Dose syringe (pig)
• Oral speculum and stomach tube (ruminant)
• Nasogastric intubation (small animal, horse)
• Administer topical medications (including eye meds)
• Perform ocular diagnostic tests (including tonometry, fluorescein staining and Schirmer tear test)
• Administer enemas
• Collect/evaluate skin scrapings
• Fluid therapy:
• Administer subcutaneous fluids
• Place intravenous catheters (cephalic, saphenous, jugular)
• Maintain and care for catheters
• Determine/maintain fluid infusion rate
• Monitor patient hydration status
• Develop familiarity with fluid delivery systems
• Apply and remove bandages and splints
• Remove casts
• Develop understanding of abscess care
• Develop understanding of wound management
• Perform physical therapy:
• Hydrotherapy
• Post-operative
• Orthopedic
• Neurological
• Explain care of recumbent patient*
• Perform critical care:
• Maintain chest, tracheostomy, esophagostomy tubes
• Collect and crossmatch blood for transfusion* [GROUP]
• Blood typing
• Perform blood transfusions (autotransfusions may be considered)
• Apply established emergency protocols:
• Maintain emergency medical supplies/crash cart
• Perform first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (simulation acceptable)
• Use resuscitation bag
• Apply emergency splints and bandages

Decision-making abilities: Given the directions of the veterinarian and the characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will carry out appropriate therapeutic techniques in order to achieve maximum health benefits for the patient.

Dentistry

• Perform routine dental prophylaxis (manual and machine)
• Understand client education regarding home care
• Float teeth
• Clip teeth
• Perform routine dental radiographic imaging techniques

Decision-making abilities: Given the characteristics of the patient, the veterinary technician will recognize a patient's dental health status and perform techniques, as prescribed by a veterinarian, appropriate to the species and its condition in order to promote and maintain dental health.