Transcript Introduction to the Profession of Veterinary Technology

Future RVT ???
Introduction to the Profession
of Veterinary Technology
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VETERINARY
TECHNICIAN OATH
I solemnly dedicate myself to
aiding animals and society by
providing excellent care and
service for animals, by alleviating
animal suffering, and by promoting
public health.
I accept my obligations to practice
my profession conscientiously and
with sensitivity, adhering to the
profession’s Code of Ethics, and
furthering my knowledge and
competence through a commitment
to lifelong learning.
Definitions
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Abandoned- for sake entirely,
neglect, refusal of legal
obligations for the care and
support of an animal, to refuse
to pay for treatment or other
services w/o good cause.
Accredited College of
Veterinary Medicine- any
school that offers a degree
Doctor for Veterinary Medicine
or equivalent and that is
accredited by the American
Veterinary Medical
Association.
Accredited program in
Veterinary Technology – any
post secondary educational
program that is accredited by a
committee on Veterinary
Technology Education and
Activities.
Animal – any being other than a
human
 Board – State board of Veterinary
Medical Examiners
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Client – patient owner, owners
agent (pet sitter), or other
person responsible for patient.
Written authorization for any
services is usually required for
consent if other than the owner.
Complementary, Alternative, &
Integrative Therapies –
Therapeutic philosophies and
practices at which they are
performed may differ from
current scientific knowledge or
differ from Veterinary
Medicine taught. Can you name
some?
DEFENITIONS
Consultation – When vet receives
advice from a vet or other person
whose expertise would benefit a
patient. The responsibility for the
animals welfare remains w/ the
licensed vet
Extra Label Use – Actual use or
intended use of a drug in a manner
that is not accordance with approved
labeling. May include using on
different species, indications not listed,
diff. Dose/frequency/or route
administered. EX: Ivermectin –
Label=Tx of gastrointestinal parasites
in swine and cattle. Extra. Label Use=
preventative for heartworm in
dogs/cats and miticide for
dogs/cats/rodents.
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Informed consent – Vet has
informed the client of the dx,
tx options, risk, prognosis, and
provided client w/ estimate of
charges.
Patient – Animal that is
examined at treated by a
veterinarian.
Veterinary Medicine-includes
veterinary surgery,
reproduction and obstetrics,
dentistry, ophthalmology,
dermatology, cardiology,
general medicine.
Veterinary Prescription
Drug – A drug that may not be
dispensed w/o the Rx of a
veterinarian.
Practice of Veterinary Medicine
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To diagnose, treat, correct, change, alleviate, manipulate or
prevent animal diseases, illness, pain, deformity, defect,
injury, or other physical, dental, or mental conditions by
any method including:
– The prescription, dispensing, administration, or application of any
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drug, medicine, apparatus, anesthetic or other therapeutic or
diagnostic substance/medical/surgical technique.
Use of complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies.
Use of any manual or mechanical procedure for reproductive
management.
Giving advice or recommendations by any means.
To represent, directly or indirectly, public or private, an ability and
willingness to do an act as stated above.
To use any title, words, abbreviation, or letters in a manner or
circumstances that induce belief that the person using them is
qualified to do any act described above.
Board of Veterinary Medicine
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Each state has their own Board- made up of
5 Veterinarians, 1 Credentialed Technician,
1 Public person who is not a vet/vet tech.
– They can adopt, amend, repeal rules of practice/professional
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conduct.
Change rules/regulations concerning certification, registration,
licensure of Vet Tech.
Disciplinary procedures and refusal of credentials, etc. for Vet
Tech.
Establish fees for license, certification, registration
Inspect veterinary premises
License Requirement
No person may practice
veterinary medicine in
Texas who is not a
licensed veterinarian.
Veterinarian-Client-Patient
Relationship
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The veterinarian must have sufficient knowledge of the
animal(s) to get a general or preliminary diagnosis of the
medical condition of the animal.
– Animal must have been seen with in the last year and
have a physical exam
The veterinarian has obtained “informed” consent and the
client has agreed to follow the instructions.
The veterinarian is readily available or has arranged for
emergency coverage or follow up evaluation in the event
of adverse reaction or the failure of the treatment.
Discipline of Licensees
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Fraud, misrepresentation or deception in obtaining a license
Inability to practice Veterinary Medicine with skill and safety due to physical or mental
disability-including: decreased mental state, loss of motor skills, abuse of drugs/alcohol
that compromises patient care.
Advertising/solicitation that is false or misleading
Conviction of:
– any felony
– abuse/neglect/cruelty of animals
– any crime involving:
 child abuse, unlawful sexual contact, threatening use of a weapon, infliction of
injury, indecent exposure, false reporting, forgery, alcohol or drugs
Incompetence or malpractice while practicing Veterinary Medicine
Aiding the unlawful practice of Veterinary Medicine
Fraud or dishonesty in the application or reporting of any test for disease in animals
Fraud or dishonesty in the application or reporting of any test for disease in animals
Failure to report (required by law) making false or misleading report of
contagious/infectious disease
Discipline of Licensees
Failure to keep accurate and comprehensive patient records
Dishonesty /negligence in the performance of food safety inspections or
the issuance of health/inspection certificates.
Failure to keep veterinary premises (including vehicles) and a clean and
sanitary condition
Failure to permit the Board or its agents to enter & inspect veterinary
premises/equipment/vehicles
Revocation/Suspension/Limitation of a license to practice from another
state.
Unprofessional conduct
Dispensing/Distribution/Prescription/or administration of any veterinary
prescription drug, or the extra label use of any drug in the absence of a
veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
Violations of state or federal drug laws
Veterinarian-Client-Confidentiality
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No veterinarian shall disclose any information concerning the care of
his/her patient except on written authorization or by waiver by the
client.
No copies or information from veterinary records shall be provided
to agencies who have legal or regulatory interest in the contents for
the protection of animal and public health without owner’s consent.
Any information that the veterinarian releases at the client’s request
shall not be liable to the client or any other person.
The privilege provided by this section shall be waived if the
veterinarians client or the owner of the patient places the
veterinarian’s care/treatment of the patient or the nature/extent of
injuries of the animal at issue in any criminal proceeding.
Cruelty to Animals and
Abandoned Animals
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Any veterinarian licensed in Texas who reports, in good faith and in the
normal coarse of business, a suspected incident of animal cruelty to the
proper authorities shall not be held liable for reporting such incident.
Any animal placed in the custody of the veterinarian for treatment,
boarding, or other care which is unclaimed by the client after 10 days and
can not be contacted through any means is deemed abandoned. This animal
can be turned over to humane society, other disposal or destroyed in a
humane manner.
– The vet responsible for this animal is relieved of any liability for
disposal. If the veterinarian follows the procedures then he/she is not
subject to disciplinary actions, unless the vet fails to provide the proper
notification to clients.
The client is not relieved of any financial responsibilities while the animal
was being treated, boarded, or given other care to, even if the animal was
disposed of.
What is Veterinary Technology ??
It is the science and art of
providing professional
support to veterinarians and
superior care to owners.
PRACTICE of
VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY
To perform patient care or other services
that require a technical understanding of
veterinary medicine on the basis of written
or oral instruction of a veterinarian
EXCLUDING
1) Diagnosing
2) Prognosing
3) Surgery
4) Prescribing drugs, medicine, or appliances.
What is an Accredited Veterinary
Technician?
More than petting puppies and
cuddling kittens !!
 A person
who has
 A professional with all the
successfully completed
obligations and
formal schooling and training responsibilities inherent with
in an Accredited School.
being a professional.
 A respected member
of the
veterinary team in practice,
educational institutions,
government, research, etc.
 A person
who is
DEDICATED to helping
animals, helping people, and
helping to serve and protect
the public against animal
diseases that are concerns.
Exam for licensing,
certification, or registration.
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Texas you become a RVT (Registered Vet Tech).
You must have graduated from an AVMA accredited
program.
You must have a passing score of 70% on the Veterinary
Technician National Exam (VTNE)
You must also pass the Texas State Examination with a
70%
– The exam(s) are given twice a year
– Held the third Friday in January and June
– You may transfer scores from state to state to be registered.
VTNE SUMMARY
Domains
% of Items
14 %
# of Items
28
Surgical
Preparation
& Assisting
20 %
40
Dentistry
Procedures
7%
14
Laboratory
Procedures
16 %
32
Animal Nursing
20 %
40
8%
16
15 %
30
Pharmacy &
Pharmacology
Radiology,
Ultrasound, & etc.
Anesthesia
As a Designated RVT by the Texas
Veterinary Medical Association, I
pledge myself to:
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Maintain high standards of personal conduct
and moral character.
 Maintain a high level of skill and
competence in my duties as a RVT
 Uphold all laws and regulations relating to
my activities as a RVT.
C.E.
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All Registered Veterinary Technicians shall
be required to continue their professional
education as a condition to maintain his/her
status in the state of Texas.
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If you are found guilty of any of the
following:
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Common infractions
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(1)
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(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
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Unprofessional conduct
Malpractice
Incompetence
Deviation from standards of care
Practicing beyond the scope of practice or misrepresentation
Practice Act Rules violations or aiding in violations
Moral turpitude
– generally to conduct that shocks the public conscience. Offenses such as
murder, voluntary manslaughter, kidnaping, robbery, and aggravated
assaults involve moral turpitude.
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(8)
(10)
(11)
(13)
(14)
Fraud or deceit
Animal abuse, neglect, cruelty
Illegal acts related to the profession
Impairment
Conviction of a crime
Rules and Regulations
GOT TO HAVE THEM !
Levels of Supervision
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Immediate Supervision: Veterinarian is
within direct eyesight and hearing range.
 Direct Supervision: Veterinarian is on the
premises & readily available
 Indirect Supervision: Veterinarian is not on
the premises, but is able to perform the
duties by maintaining direct
communication.
TASKS
The following tasks maybe performed ONLY by a credentialed technician and the
supervision of a veterinarian provided the veterinarian does a daily exam first.
Immediate Supervision
1. Introduce Anesthesia & Surgical Assistant
2. Dental Extraction not requiring sectioning of the
tooth or resection of bone
3. Euthanasia
TASKS (cont)
Direct Supervision
1.
Suture existing surgical skin incisions
2. Blood collection/preparation/administration
3. Application of splints & slings
4. Dental procedures, but not limited to the removal of calculus, soft
deposits, plaque and stains, the smoothing/filing/polishing of teeth.
Floating or dressing of equine teeth.
TASKS (cont)
Indirect Supervision
1. Administration or application of treatments, drugs, medications,
vaccinations by routes (SQ,IM,IV)
2. Initiation of parenteral fluids administration
3. IV catheterizations
4. Radiology including settings, positioning, processing, and safety.
5. Collection of blood, urine by
expression/cystocentesis/catheter,collection & preparation of tissue,
cellular or microbiological samples by skin scraping/impression
slides/other non surgical methods
6. Routine laboratory procedures
7. Supervision of the handling of biohazardous waste materials.
Other Tasks
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Physical Examinations and Patient History
 Client Education
 Office/Hospital Management
 General Janitorial Services
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
A technician can render the following life-saving aid and treatment
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Application of tourniquets and/or pressure bandages to control
hemorrhage.
Administration of medications/drugs and fluids shall ONLY be
performed after direct communication with a veterinarian and he/she
should be present or en route to location
Resuscitative procedures
Application of temporary splints or bandages to prevent further injury
to bones or soft tissue
Application of appropriate wound dressings and external supportive
treatment in severe wound and burn cases
External supportive treatment in heat stroke cases
HOWEVER
 NOTHING
shall be construed to
permit a credentialed technician to:
– Make any diagnosis or prognosis
– Prescribe any treatments, drugs, medications or
appliances
– Perform surgery
Loss of Credentials
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All credentials issued to technicians in Texas shall expire
on June 1st every year unless renewed.
Holders shall submit renewal fees and current mailing
addresses to the Board
Holders will be required to submit evidence of the CE they
received
Failure to submit appropriate items shall result in loss of
all privileges and rights and they must immediately stop
performing credentialed technician activities until renewal.
Malpractice and Common Law
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Common Law has evolved over time on the basis
of professional conduct, customs, and practices.
 Common Law dictates many things to a veterinary
practice.
– Practice owners must provide a reasonably safe
environment for their employees and clients.
– Must provide a level of medical care to their patients
that is “across the board”
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Failure to comply with common law =
malpractice.
Malpractice
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Malpractice suits may be filed if:
– The veterinarian or technician agreed to treat
and DID treat that particular animal
– The veterinarian or technician failed to provide
reasonable level of medical care to the patient
– The patient was injured as a result of
negligence.
Veterinarians may be found negligent for the
injurious actions of a technician.
EX: If the veterinarian instructs a technician
to give 6ml of Insulin (instead of 0.06ml) and
the cat dies as a result of an overdose, the
veterinarian, not the technician may be
found negligent.
However-there has been a time when
technicians have got sued and found guilty
for carrying out the injurious instructions of
the veterinarian..
Why do you think that is?
BECAUSE OF
ETHICS
3 Classes of Ethics
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Societal
 Personal
 Professional
 A code of ethics is an essential characteristic of a
profession and serves three functions:
– Communicates to the public & to the members of the
profession the ideals of the profession
– General guide for professional ethical conduct
– Provides standards of acceptable conduct that allow the
profession to implement disciplinary procedures against
those who fall below the standards.
The purpose of the Code of
Ethics is to provide the
technician with guidance to
carrying out professional
responsibilities that way they
can meet the ethical
obligations of the profession.
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SOCIETAL
ETHICS
These are generated by society and are
usually written into law.
– Major Offenses:
 Murder, rape, arson, embezzlement, theft
– Local Ordinances:
 Dogs must be walked on a leash, breed restrictions,
loitering
– Some people do not know the laws and regulations-but
most are taught at a young age what is wrong or right
Personal Ethics
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You have personal principles-tells you what is
right/wrong or fair/unfair. It makes you who you
are.
 Examples: dress, family structure, religious
choices, political beliefs, sexuality.
 Some cultures do not do not have the freedom to
make choices about these things. That is when the
Personal Ethics turn into Societal Ethics.
Professional Ethics
 They
are important and helps to
provide additional guidelines by
which people carry out their jobs.
 You are challenged everyday with
daily ethical choices. Some may be
easy or hard.
Points of Professional Ethics
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VT’s shall aid society and animals through providing excellent
care and services to animals
VT’s shall prevent and relieve the suffering of animals
VT’s shall promote public health by assisting with the control
of zoonotic diseases and informing the public about these
diseases
VT’s shall protect confidential information provided by clients
VT’s shall safeguard the public and the profession against
individuals deficient in professional competence or ethics
VT’s shall assist with efforts to ensure conditions of
employment consistent with the excellent care for animals
VT’s shall remain competent in veterinary technology through
commitment to life-long learning
VT’s shall collaborate with members of the medical profession
in efforts to ensure quality health care services for all animals
Is it ethical or not ??
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Try asking yourself the following questions:
– Is it legal? Would I be breaking the law if I
carried out my action?
– Is it fair and balanced? Am I being biased?
Who will benefit-same or one sided?
– How would I feel about myself? How would I
react when others found out?
IDEALS
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Recommended behaviors or ideal ways to act.
They ensure that technicians take pride in their
work, dress, and over all presentation.
 Define/uphold/improve standards of the veterinary
practice
 Contribute to the profession’s body of knowledge
 Understand and support the attachment between a
person and his/her companion.
NAVTA
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Important source of support and information
for technicians.
 Many associations/societies support the
education, professional interests &
activities.
 NAVTA promotes the profession.
What does NAVTA do for
you?
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Influences the future of veterinary
technicians
 Lets you be apart of the decision making
process that affects technicians
 Sets high standards of veterinary care
 Promotes the veterinary health care team
Can you be apart of NAVTA
and make a difference?
YES YES YES
Guidelines:
– You must live in the US
– You must have graduated from an accredited
program in veterinary technology
– You must have your credentials
READY TO DO
SOME THINKING?
Get Ready,
Get Set,
GO !
Situation # 1
An owner calls and states that her
8 month old,FS, Boxer is vomiting
every 15 minutes and straining to
have a BM. She has a history of
eating socks and pooping them out.
Owner wants to know what to do.
#1 An owner calls and states that her 8 month
old,FS, Boxer is vomiting every 15 minutes and
straining to have a BM. She has a history of eating
socks and pooping them out. Owner wants to know
what to do.
You as a technician can not diagnose
her puppy. It sounds like she should
bring her puppy to the veterinarian and
have an exam. She should be aware of
the “potential” complications if she
waits.
Situation # 2
“Herb” a 5 yr old, MN, Lab just
underwent knee surgery 2 hours
ago, is in recovery ward, the
attending veterinarian left for
lunch, “Herb” woke up from
anesthesia screaming. What should
you do?
#2 “Herb” a 5 yr old, MN, Lab just underwent
knee surgery 2 hours ago, is in recovery ward,
the attending veterinarian left for lunch,
“Herb” woke up from anesthesia screaming.
What should you do?
You should first look at the patient and
access him. Then look at his orders that
your veterinarian wrote for post-op care.
Since there is not a veterinarian on
premises you should “contact” him/her
and tell them what you found on your
assessment and proceed with what they
instruct you to do.
Situation # 3
“Max” was seen on Wednesday for a
swollen face. The veterinarian did a
physical exam, blood work, and diagnosed a
bee sting and sent “Max” home with
Benadryl and Steroids. Owner calls 4 days
later & states that the swelling initially went
away but now is back. She wants to give
MORE Benadryl and Steroids, what do you
tell her?
#3 “Max” was seen on Wednesday for a swollen
face. The veterinarian did a physical exam, blood
work, and diagnosed a bee sting and sent “Max”
home with Benadryl and Steroids. Owner calls 4
days later & states that the swelling initially went
away but now is back. She wants to give MORE
Benadryl, what do you tell her?
Get a “over the phone physical exam”, assess if
Max’s condition is improving and advise owner
that she should bring Max in for a recheck exam.
** You should not tell her to give more
medications and monitor.
This profession is more than
cute animals.
IT
IS
commitment, compassion,
loyalty and dedication.