I am a Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT). Many of you have likely not heard this title, much less know what one does. Maybe you may have heard the terms vet tech or simply tech, when you have had your dog or cat into the veterinary clinic for vaccines or a check up. I think it's important that we call ourselves by our full title. Registered Veterinary Technologist. It lets the public know that I have a credential, a protected occupational title. I went to school for two years (there are now some Bachelor programs in the US). I had to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination in order to be registered with my provincial and national associations. I have bylaws and a code of ethics. I induce and monitor anesthesia, I collect and run lab samples such as blood and urine, I take x-rays and ensure that staff are safe when doing so, I place intravenous catheters, I perform dental cleanings, I provide nursing care, I am a gentle touch when my patient is scared, I am the voice for those who can't speak for themselves. I am a Registered Veterinary Technologists. It is not just what I do, it is who I am.
I am not the only person who has said these things. In fact, if you ask any RVT, they are likely to give you the same, or a similar, answer. We are passionate about what we do. But it is a sad fact that the lifespan of an RVT is about 5 years. It is at that point in their career when the lack of pay, the lack of utilization and the lack of respect start to take their toll. Now let's be honest, no one gets into the field thinking they are going to get rich. But when you can't simply make ends meet on what you are paid, it is time to start re-evaluating. Part of the issue of low pay is that in many states and provinces, there is no requirement for credentialing. A veterinarian can hire anyone off the street, pay them minimum wage, and train them to perform the tasks that RVTs went to school to learn. Of course, these OTJs ("On-the-job trained) don't have the knowledge behind what they are doing, as one DVM states in this article. And therein lies the problem. Knowing how to do something, but not why you are doing it, or how to troubleshoot if something goes wrong, is dangerous in my opinion. And that brings us back to the lack of respect and utilization.
If a veterinarian can hire anyone to do my job, who is going to respect my credential? If you don't need it to do the job, what does it even mean to have it? Look, we went to school for two years to learn how to care for our patients. So when we aren't permitted to use our skills, or someone else can do a task in place of us, it eats away at us. Sometimes it is an issue of control (the vet can't give up placing their own catheters or inducing anesthesia themselves), but often one of economics. And yet, as this article states, a 2010 study demonstrated that for each "credentialed technician" per DVM, the veterinarian's gross income increased by over $93 000! Surely that is enough to pay a fair wage.
So, what can pet owners do? Ask if your veterinary clinic or hospital has Registered Veterinary Technologists on staff. If they don't, find out who is doing all the technical tasks. If a high school student was administering medication to your child in a hospital would you be okay with it? If not, is it okay for your furry family member?
Here are a few related links and blog posts that you might find interesting.
Four reasons why RVTs leave the field
What keeps RVTs in the field
Vet Tech Problems Twitter Account
Reasons why Vet Nurses are Essential
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
A Dog's Purpose?
This morning on the way to the Y to swim, I heard of a controversy about a new movie coming out called "A Dog's Purpose". I had seen the trailers for the movie and had already told my partner we had to go see it. She is the movie buff, not me, and it is rare for me to say that, so I was looking forward to it. The premise is that a boy has a dog, grows up with the dog, the dog dies. The dog is then reincarnated over and over until he is eventually reunited with his owner, now an old man. To me, this dog was the man's "forever dog": that one dog that gets in your heart and never leaves. I had such a dog; he was my angel and saved my life on more than one occasion. I went through a severe depression and quite possibly would have suicided, but for Oreo. Who would have taken care of him? Oh yes, he saved me. So when I saw the trailers, I knew that I would have to go see it.
The controversy? A video of the filming of a scene in which the dog is to be in a fast-moving river. Apparently the dog is terrified to go into the water; the trainer is wrestling with him to get in. When they eventually get the dog into the water (by throwing him? I don't know), they have to cut the scene because the dog becomes submerged. They are on a set and can stop the rapids to get the dog to safety, but he shouldn't have been put in danger in the first place. I won't watch the video; I can't. I was going to put a link to the news story in this post, but when I googled it, I saw a still image and couldn't go any further. And I don't want to. It would make me angry and sick at the same time. I would feel the dog's terror, not just be a witness to it. Just hearing about it reminded me of when I was a young child, around 12, and I saw video of a seal hunt. I remember seeing the club being brought down on that defenseless creature and I actually screamed "No!" at the TV. I think it is the breaking of trust that hits me hardest. Not that the seal trusted humans the way a dog would, but it likely had no reason to (or understanding that it should) fear humans. And dogs DO trust us. If a human performer said "I don't feel safe; I am too tired to safely do this scene" we would trust that the performer knew his limits and we would listen. Dog's senses are way more in tune than ours; this poor dog was saying "something is not right" and the person he trusted didn't listen.
I am sure that the fact that I am emotional and tend to 'put myself in their shoes' is what makes me a good Vet Tech. If a patient is 'misbehaving' when we are trying to complete a procedure, I try to see what it is that they are reacting to. We can't explain what we need to do in words so every single step is a surprise to them if they have never had it done before. Are we making them feel more vulnerable than we have to? Are we crowding or cornering them when we don't need to? Do we need to just slow down and break the procedure into smaller parts so they can adapt/adjust to this new experience? How can we get done what we need to do without breaking their trust?
So what is a dog's purpose? Is it to do what we tell them to do, blind trust, no questions asked, go against their instincts even if everything inside them is screaming "NO!"? So that we can make a movie? There are calls to boycott this movie now. I am not sure I can go see it. What else happened on that set to the canine actors? By going to see the movie am I endorsing that treatment? There is supposed to be a Humane Society or SPCA representative on the set to ensure the animals are treated properly. Where were they? I don't know what the answer is. I think more will be revealed and hopefully some learning will come out of it. Time will tell.
I have a new little dog now. She is not Oreo reincarnated. Far from it. But when I come through the door and she runs to the couch to greet me, squeaking with joy, wriggling her whole body, nothing that happened that day matters. Her only purpose in that moment is to say to me "I adore you. I trust you. You are my everything." I better do everything in my power to earn it.
The controversy? A video of the filming of a scene in which the dog is to be in a fast-moving river. Apparently the dog is terrified to go into the water; the trainer is wrestling with him to get in. When they eventually get the dog into the water (by throwing him? I don't know), they have to cut the scene because the dog becomes submerged. They are on a set and can stop the rapids to get the dog to safety, but he shouldn't have been put in danger in the first place. I won't watch the video; I can't. I was going to put a link to the news story in this post, but when I googled it, I saw a still image and couldn't go any further. And I don't want to. It would make me angry and sick at the same time. I would feel the dog's terror, not just be a witness to it. Just hearing about it reminded me of when I was a young child, around 12, and I saw video of a seal hunt. I remember seeing the club being brought down on that defenseless creature and I actually screamed "No!" at the TV. I think it is the breaking of trust that hits me hardest. Not that the seal trusted humans the way a dog would, but it likely had no reason to (or understanding that it should) fear humans. And dogs DO trust us. If a human performer said "I don't feel safe; I am too tired to safely do this scene" we would trust that the performer knew his limits and we would listen. Dog's senses are way more in tune than ours; this poor dog was saying "something is not right" and the person he trusted didn't listen.
I am sure that the fact that I am emotional and tend to 'put myself in their shoes' is what makes me a good Vet Tech. If a patient is 'misbehaving' when we are trying to complete a procedure, I try to see what it is that they are reacting to. We can't explain what we need to do in words so every single step is a surprise to them if they have never had it done before. Are we making them feel more vulnerable than we have to? Are we crowding or cornering them when we don't need to? Do we need to just slow down and break the procedure into smaller parts so they can adapt/adjust to this new experience? How can we get done what we need to do without breaking their trust?
So what is a dog's purpose? Is it to do what we tell them to do, blind trust, no questions asked, go against their instincts even if everything inside them is screaming "NO!"? So that we can make a movie? There are calls to boycott this movie now. I am not sure I can go see it. What else happened on that set to the canine actors? By going to see the movie am I endorsing that treatment? There is supposed to be a Humane Society or SPCA representative on the set to ensure the animals are treated properly. Where were they? I don't know what the answer is. I think more will be revealed and hopefully some learning will come out of it. Time will tell.
I have a new little dog now. She is not Oreo reincarnated. Far from it. But when I come through the door and she runs to the couch to greet me, squeaking with joy, wriggling her whole body, nothing that happened that day matters. Her only purpose in that moment is to say to me "I adore you. I trust you. You are my everything." I better do everything in my power to earn it. Welcome!
This blog is an assignment for a course in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program at Vancouver Community College. As a Registered Veterinary Technologist, my continued goal is to "get the word out" to the public about what exactly that is and why you should make sure your veterinary clinic employs one. As an educator of Veterinary Technologists, my goal is to encourage my students to think outside the box in their education and aspire to be life-long learners. There are massive amounts of Continuing Education modules, articles and quizzes out there and there is always something new to learn. I hope this blog will provide some resources that my students will find helpful to their learning and inspire them to be an advocate for their patients and their profession.
Did you know that there is no legislation that requires education or regulation of those who perform tasks such as anesthesia and dental cleaning in animals? Currently, a veterinary clinic owner may hire anyone off the street and permit them to perform these tasks. Tasks that, for people, would only be permitted to be performed by someone who has the skill, knowledge, and qualifications required to do so competently and safely. Currently in BC, under the law, it is permissible for a high school student to be 'trained' (even by other staff) to do such tasks. Now many would say that dogs and cats are not people. But today, many people consider their pets family. Furry and four-legged, but family nonetheless. I don't want someone unqualified anesthetizing my family; do you?
Each year, my program graduates 25 to 30 Veterinary Technologists and the program at TRU in Kamloops graduates about as many. There is also a distance education program that graduates upwards of 50 per year. So why is there not at least one in every clinic or hospital? Part of the reason is wages: we certainly don't get into this profession for the money. But I think that is part of the bigger problem: we aren't paid what we are worth because a clinic can hire someone at minimum wage to do the job. So, many RVTs don't stay in the profession for very long. We may graduate close to 100 VTs in the province every year, but if less than half of them stick around, we are fighting a losing battle. We must educate pet owners on who is working "in the back" when the vet takes them out of the exam room. Ask your vet to promote the fact that you have your credential to clients. Have your vet say "My RVT, Kirsten, will collect some blood from Fluffy and bring her right back to you". Use your title when you are introducing yourself to clients (not "tech" or "vet tech"; Registered Veterinary Technologist). When someone asks what you do, don't say "I am a nurse for animals" (not that it isn't part of the job); take them through a day in the life! I anesthetize, collect blood, run fecal samples, hold clients hands, answer phone calls, clean kennels, take x-rays.... Be proud of your skills, your knowledge and your credential: you have earned it!
Did you know that there is no legislation that requires education or regulation of those who perform tasks such as anesthesia and dental cleaning in animals? Currently, a veterinary clinic owner may hire anyone off the street and permit them to perform these tasks. Tasks that, for people, would only be permitted to be performed by someone who has the skill, knowledge, and qualifications required to do so competently and safely. Currently in BC, under the law, it is permissible for a high school student to be 'trained' (even by other staff) to do such tasks. Now many would say that dogs and cats are not people. But today, many people consider their pets family. Furry and four-legged, but family nonetheless. I don't want someone unqualified anesthetizing my family; do you?
Each year, my program graduates 25 to 30 Veterinary Technologists and the program at TRU in Kamloops graduates about as many. There is also a distance education program that graduates upwards of 50 per year. So why is there not at least one in every clinic or hospital? Part of the reason is wages: we certainly don't get into this profession for the money. But I think that is part of the bigger problem: we aren't paid what we are worth because a clinic can hire someone at minimum wage to do the job. So, many RVTs don't stay in the profession for very long. We may graduate close to 100 VTs in the province every year, but if less than half of them stick around, we are fighting a losing battle. We must educate pet owners on who is working "in the back" when the vet takes them out of the exam room. Ask your vet to promote the fact that you have your credential to clients. Have your vet say "My RVT, Kirsten, will collect some blood from Fluffy and bring her right back to you". Use your title when you are introducing yourself to clients (not "tech" or "vet tech"; Registered Veterinary Technologist). When someone asks what you do, don't say "I am a nurse for animals" (not that it isn't part of the job); take them through a day in the life! I anesthetize, collect blood, run fecal samples, hold clients hands, answer phone calls, clean kennels, take x-rays.... Be proud of your skills, your knowledge and your credential: you have earned it!
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Autobiography
I was born and raised in the Lower Mainland with brief stays in Kamloops (school--Animal Health/Veterinary Technology program) and Sechelt (first job after school). Currently back in the Lower Mainland.
I have always loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian when I was young. When I found out how much schooling was required I decided that it wasn't for me. I went to SFU right out of high school, but after a couple years decided I still didn't really know what I wanted to do, so I quit and went to work full time. After a few years, I got brave and decided to go back to school to become a Veterinary Technologist. After graduation, I worked in small animal clinics for 10 years and then started looking for a new challenge. That led me to teaching in the Veterinary Technology program at Douglas College.
In 2009 I decided it was time to finish my BSc started so many years ago. I am a scientist at heart and the first course I decide to take is Humanities....It was a tough course for me but I got through it. I continue to take courses and hope I will finish my degree some day!
I started taking PID courses when I started teaching in 2010. I signed up for several of the courses over the past couple of years that were canceled for low registration. Time passed as it does and all of a sudden I was beyond the 5 year limit and had to apply for an extension. I have taken two courses in the past year; this is my last course before completing plus the capstone.
In my spare time, I train for triathlons. I have completed two Ironman races, in Whistler and Copenhagen, Denmark. My partner and I have three dogs and two cats. We have no kids of our own but two nephews and a niece that help keep us in the 'young people loop'.
For those wondering, "determined Bos primigenius" is an expansion of my nickname.
I have always loved animals and wanted to be a veterinarian when I was young. When I found out how much schooling was required I decided that it wasn't for me. I went to SFU right out of high school, but after a couple years decided I still didn't really know what I wanted to do, so I quit and went to work full time. After a few years, I got brave and decided to go back to school to become a Veterinary Technologist. After graduation, I worked in small animal clinics for 10 years and then started looking for a new challenge. That led me to teaching in the Veterinary Technology program at Douglas College.
In 2009 I decided it was time to finish my BSc started so many years ago. I am a scientist at heart and the first course I decide to take is Humanities....It was a tough course for me but I got through it. I continue to take courses and hope I will finish my degree some day!
I started taking PID courses when I started teaching in 2010. I signed up for several of the courses over the past couple of years that were canceled for low registration. Time passed as it does and all of a sudden I was beyond the 5 year limit and had to apply for an extension. I have taken two courses in the past year; this is my last course before completing plus the capstone.
In my spare time, I train for triathlons. I have completed two Ironman races, in Whistler and Copenhagen, Denmark. My partner and I have three dogs and two cats. We have no kids of our own but two nephews and a niece that help keep us in the 'young people loop'.
For those wondering, "determined Bos primigenius" is an expansion of my nickname.
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