A Day In The Life...
Learn what a "typical" day is like working in a veterinary career
Part of a continuing series.
See the archive for more Day in the Life stories.

As the About.com guide to Veterinary Medicine, I frequently get emails from students and those contemplating career changes asking what the veterinary profession is like. There are many aspects to the veterinary profession, and this week, a veterinary technician shares what it is like to care for patients and other common duties of this career.

I am a Certified Veterinary Technician and have been in the profession over 13 years. I work in a 24-hour Emergency and Critical Care hospital in the Phoenix, AZ area. Emergency medicine is truly my niche and I love it. My day may consist of anything from taking care of scooting dogs, to stabilizing hit-by-car trauma patients. Critical patients can be a cat in severe renal failure or a dog with a spontaneous pneumothorax; and, oh--don't forget the toxicoses (dogs who ate owner's medications or rat bait). One must be prepared to switch on instantly to care for any type of emergency in this practice. If I am lucky, I get to sit down for 5 minutes during a shift. If I am super lucky, I actually get to eat a real meal! My usual daily "things to do" are:

• Triage: Checking all emergency patients as they walk in the door. Assessing who needs immediate care and taking them immediately to the treatment area.
• Nursing Care: Ranges from temperature taking, heart rate monitoring, to placing IV catheters--including jugular catheters, obtaining venous and arterial blood samples, administering oxygen by mask, O2 cage, or nasal oxygen, blood pressure monitoring, ECG monitoring, IV fluid therapy, etc...
• Radiology: Performing x-rays in a rapid and timely fashion of the chest, abdomen, spine, or limbs. Particular care must be taken if the patient is severely injured.
• Laboratory: Performing blood tests, urinalysis, blood gases, CBC's, chemistries, fecals, cytologies.
• ICU care: Continued assessment and treatment of critically ill patients.
• Surgical/Anesthetic monitoring: Including inducing anesthesia, placing endotracheal tubes, monitoring patients under anesthesia, or assisting in surgery.
• Assisting the Doctors: Helping them examine and treat the animals, assess the injuries, and even helping to set up a course of treatment in some cases.
  
  I love being a Veterinary Technician. I am currently completing the requirements for testing to become certified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. Additionally, as of June 1st, I will be president of our state's Veterinary Technician Association and am currently active in helping set up the first accredited Veterinary Technology program in the state. There are many opportunities for Veterinary Technicians, and there will be more and more as time goes by. Anyone who wants a career with animals and loves medicine and really wants to live "hands-on" should check into Veterinary Technology!
  
  Angela Randels, CVT

Many thanks to Angela for taking the time to share what a typical vet tech day is like at her clinic!

If you are a veterinarian, veterinary technician or student, please submit your story and share what YOUR day is like -- it not only helps those aspiring to be in a veterinary career, it serves to enlighten pet owners just what goes on behind-the-scenes at a typical (or not-so-typical?) vet clinic.

Text: Copyright © Janet Tobiassen Crosby. All rights reserved.

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