Profession veterinary technician

Veterinary technicians provide the technical and administrative support to the veterinarian in accordance with national legislation.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Investigative
• Realistic / Social

Knowledge

• Environmental enrichment for animals

  Types, methods and use of enrichment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, including the provision of environmental stimuli, feeding activities, puzzles, items for manipulation, social and training activities.

• Physiology of animals

  The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.

• Signs of animal illness

  Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.

• Animal welfare

  Universally recognized animal welfare needs as applied to species, situation and occupation. These are: need for a suitable environment need for a suitable diet need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

• Safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and working environment.

• Animal behaviour

  The natural behavioural patterns of animals, i.e. how normal and abnormal behaviour might be expressed according to species, environment, human-animal interaction and occupation.

• Biosecurity related to animals

  Awareness of hygiene and bio-security measures when working with animals, including causes, transmission and prevention of diseases and use of policies, materials and equipment.

• Anatomy of animals

  The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.

Skills

• Manage infection control in the facility

  Implement a set of measures to prevent and control infections, formulating and establishing health and safety procedures and policies.

• Prepare animals for anaesthesia

  Prepare animals for anaesthesia, including performing pre-anaesthetic checks and procedures and reporting findings.

• Control animal movement

  Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.

• Assist in general veterinary medical procedures

  Assist veterinarians by preparing both the animal and the equipment for medical procedures, and providing care and support to the animal undergoing a medical procedure.

• Monitor condition of hospitalised animals

  Monitor hospitalised animals and make appropriate adjustments in areas such as nutrition, hygiene, and pain management.

• Manage personal professional development

  Take responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional development based on reflection about own practice and through contact with peers and stakeholders.

• Assist in administering veterinary anaesthetics

  Assist the veterinary surgeon in administering anaesthetics to animals including the maintenance and monitoring of anaesthesia during veterinary procedures.

• Assist the veterinary surgeon as a scrub nurse

  Provide assistance in the handling of equipment and materials in a sterile manner during surgical procedures in operating theatre.'

• Prepare environment for veterinary surgery

  Prepare the surgical environment, including preparation rooms, operating theatres, equipment and materials. prior to surgery.

• Handle veterinary emergencies

  Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.

• Prepare veterinary anaesthetic equipment

  Prepare the equipment and materials required for animal anaesthesia.'

• Assist in the administration of fluids to animals

  Prepare the equipment for administering fluids to animals, observe the animal during the treatment, and keep fluid balance records.

• Manage animal biosecurity

  Plan and use appropriate biosafety measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure effective overall biosecurity. Maintain and follow biosecurity procedures and infection control when working with animals, including recognising potential health issues and taking appropriate action, communicating site hygiene control measures and biosecurity procedures, as well as reporting to others.

• Monitor the welfare of animals

  Monitor animals’ physical condition and behaviour and report any concerns or unexpected changes, including signs of health or ill-health, appearance, condition of the animals' accommodation, intake of food and water and environmental conditions.

• Assist in veterinary surgery

  Assist the veterinary surgeon during surgical procedures by carrying out the duties of a general theatre assistant.

• Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and work environments.

• Deal with challenging people

  Work safely and communicate effectively with individuals and groups of people who are in challenging circumstances. This would include recognition of signs of aggression, distress, threatening and how to address them to promote personal safety and that of others.

• Maintain work environments in a veterinary practice

  Prepare and maintain work environments for use, including equipment and materials, ensuring that equipment and materials are available.

• Support veterinary diagnostic imaging procedures

  Prepare the equipment and animal for diagnostic imaging. Conduct or support diagnostic imaging procedures. Provide care for the animal undergoing diagnostic imaging.

• Support veterinary diagnostic procedures

  Prepare equipment and animals for veterinary diagnostic tests. Conduct or support sample collection. Preserve samples from animals for analysis and communicate the results. Provide care for the animal undergoing examination.

• Provide first aid to animals

  Administer emergency treatment to prevent deterioration of the condition, suffering and pain until veterinary assistance can be sought. Basic emergency treatment needs to be done by non-veterinarians prior to first-aid provided by a veterinarian. Non-veterinarians providing emergency treatment are expected to seek treatment by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

• Prepare animals for veterinary surgery

  Prepare animals for minor and major surgical procedures and carry out the correct positioning and use of aseptic skin preparation.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB