What does a veterinary nurse do?
Veterinary nurse responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real veterinary nurse resumes:
- Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
- Monitor anesthesia and first-assist in surgical procedures -assist doctors in filling prescriptions, communicating with pet owners, and monitoring patients.
- Prepare oxygen, fluid and catheter equipment for routine use and emergency situations.
- Administer vaccinations, medications, catheter placement, surgery assisting and monitoring.
- Collect laboratory speciments and run routine tests.place IV catheters and monitor fluids.
- Prepare surgical suites, monitor anesthesia, maintain and sterilize equipment, recording patient history, prescription and laboratory information.
- Interview, train and evaluate new employees within GYN surgery service.
- Work closely with clients, other staff and Dr. Faulkner.
Veterinary nurse skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Veterinary Nurses are proficient in Patients, Patient Care, and PET. They’re also known for soft skills such as Manual dexterity, Physical strength, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Veterinary Nurses that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 21%
Monitored anesthesia and first-assisted in surgical procedures -Assisted doctors in filling prescriptions, communicating with pet owners, and monitoring patients.
- Patient Care, 8%
Assisted Veterinarian with surgery, inpatient care, outpatient care, laboratory, digital radiology, and client education.
- PET, 8%
Discussed treatment options with pet owners, with the best interest of the pet and the owners in mind.
- Catheter, 6%
Monitored and first assisted in surgical cases -On call, emergency, and ICU care -Venipuncture, IV catheter placement,
- Medical Procedures, 6%
Monitored vital signs, blood pressure and pulse oximetry during anesthesia for short medical procedures.
- Vital Signs, 5%
Obtain and document vital signs, abnormal behaviors, allergic reactions and diet of animals.
"patients," "patient care," and "pet" are among the most common skills that veterinary nurses use at work. You can find even more veterinary nurse responsibilities below, including:
Manual dexterity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a veterinary nurse to have is manual dexterity. Their role and responsibilities require that "veterinary technologists and technicians must handle animals, medical instruments, and laboratory equipment with care." Veterinary nurses often use manual dexterity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "prepared prescriptions from in-house pharmacy and conducted manual laboratory tests and phlebotomy and fecal sample procedures. "
Physical strength. Another essential skill to perform veterinary nurse duties is physical strength. Veterinary nurses responsibilities require that "veterinary technologists and technicians need to be able to manage and lift animals." Veterinary nurses also use physical strength in their role according to a real resume snippet: "strengthened rapport with patients by rendering exemplary assistance in the chemotherapy session. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for veterinary nurses to perform their duties. For an example of how veterinary nurse responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "veterinary technologists and technicians communicate with supervisors, other staff, and animal owners." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a veterinary nurse: "well skilled in areas of client communication/education, phlebotomy, radiography, surgical monitoring, triage, and hospitalized patient care. ".
Compassion. veterinary nurse responsibilities often require "compassion." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "veterinary technologists and technicians must treat animals with kindness and must be sensitive when dealing with the owners of sick pets." This resume example shows what veterinary nurses do with compassion on a typical day: "utilize experience, knowledge base and compassion to advance the students assigned to success. "
Detail oriented. Another common skill required for veterinary nurse responsibilities is "detail oriented." This skill comes up in the duties of veterinary nurses all the time, as "veterinary technologists and technicians must pay attention to detail." An excerpt from a real veterinary nurse resume shows how this skill is central to what a veterinary nurse does: "detailed computer software knowledge of cornerstone, pacs, and microsoft office. "
The three companies that hire the most veterinary nurses are:
- University of Pennsylvania11 veterinary nurses jobs
- CVS Health6 veterinary nurses jobs
- Kansas State University6 veterinary nurses jobs
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Compare different veterinary nurses
Veterinary nurse vs. Animal technician
An animal technician is responsible for ensuring the animals' welfare under the supervision and guidance of a licensed veterinarian. Animal technicians maintain an organized record of animal information, assisting in medical surgeries and procedures, administering medications, collecting laboratory samples, and sending examination reports to the animal owners. They also keep the cages clean, inspecting the clinic's tools and equipment, and sterilizing laboratory materials to avoid contamination. An animal technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in responding to the owners' inquiries and concerns and monitoring the animals' conditions.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between veterinary nurses and animal technician. For instance, veterinary nurse responsibilities require skills such as "patient care," "vital signs," "icu," and "critical care." Whereas a animal technician is skilled in "autoclaves," "euthanasia," "laboratory animal care," and "technical procedures." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Animal technicians really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $41,499. Comparatively, veterinary nurses tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $35,153.animal technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than veterinary nurses. In fact, animal technicians are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Veterinary nurse vs. Laboratory animal technician
A laboratory animal technician is responsible for conducting animal research studies by observing and analyzing animal nature and conditions. Laboratory animal technicians maintain the safety and cleanliness of animal cages, supply them food and water, and administer medications as needed. They also take samples for laboratory examinations, monitor the adequacy of inventories, and sterilize tools and equipment. A laboratory animal technician writes finding reports, logs information on the database, and coordinates with other animal experts for study validations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real veterinary nurse resumes. While veterinary nurse responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "patient care," "pet," and "medical procedures," laboratory animal technicians use skills like "animal husbandry," "research animals," "cleanliness," and "technical procedures."
Laboratory animal technicians earn a lower average salary than veterinary nurses. But laboratory animal technicians earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $35,377. Additionally, veterinary nurses earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $35,153 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Laboratory animal technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than veterinary nurses. In fact, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Veterinary nurse vs. Animal health technician
Animal health technicians work primarily in an animal diagnostics laboratory, where they test specimens according to a veterinarian's requests. The animal health technician must be capable of operating all of the necessary diagnostics equipment for animal care. The animal health technician must provide accurate results on diagnostic requests coming from a veterinarian. Added responsibilities of an animal health technician are educating owners on taking care of their pets, ensuring that all equipment is working correctly, and providing accurate results for better diagnosis.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a veterinary nurse is likely to be skilled in "icu," "critical care," "catheter placement," and "triage," while a typical animal health technician is skilled in "im," "laboratory animals," "husbandry," and "euthanasia."
Animal health technicians typically earn similar educational levels compared to veterinary nurses. Specifically, they're 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Veterinary nurse vs. Surgery technician
A surgery technician plays a vital role in the success of medical surgeries. They are primarily in charge of performing essential support tasks such as sanitizing and preparing operating rooms, setting-up equipment, sterilizing instruments, and ensuring that supplies are accurate and adequate. They also prepare patients before surgeries, assist surgeons by handing out supplies or tools, and participate in transporting the patients from one room to another. Moreover, they must maintain an active communication line with nurses and surgeons, coordinating every step of the way.
Types of veterinary nurse
Updated January 8, 2025
