Care of patients. Everyone in the veterinary hospital has a role in caring for patients that are staying in the hospital. There is never a situation where anyone should walk past a cage, notice something amiss or that has changed and not do or say anything about it. Even if the patient is not your patient, the team should absolutely work together to make sure that every animal in the care of the hospital is treated with love, respect, and the utmost care. When talking about the care of patients currently admitted to the hospital, there are several key points to consider. If the patient is your responsibility or your patient that has been assigned to your care by the doctor, you absolutely must follow that case to the very end and resolution.

If for some reason you cannot do so. The case in all relevant information must be personally handed off to a specific cific appointed person to take over for you. It is your responsibility to ensure that the nurse taking over for you is aware of all relevant information. That information has been appropriately recorded in the patient record and the doctor in charge is aware of the change in staff responsibility. For example, let's say that fluffy is a little white dog that you and Doctor a have admitted for pancreatitis doctor a makes you fluffy nurse thereby putting you in charge of fluffy. It is now your job to do several things.

Make sure fluffier owner is aware of what will be happening to her dog while staying in your care and that she feels assured that fluffy is in great hands. Make sure that fluffy has the appropriate kennel set up and ready to hang out while he's admitted to the hospital. Check in with Dr a to get the treatment plan for fluffy help doctor a gift fluffy Started on the treatment plan. Everything from putting an IV catheter in to starting fluffy on fluids to ensuring ordered blood tests are being run or sent out to the laboratory. Make sure all appropriate notes are either on fluffy chart for Dr. A to enter into the medical record or enter them in for the doctor if they requested. Create the appropriate treatment check in sheet to hang on fluffy store for record keeping purposes.

Make sure the appropriate changes are in fluffy chart. Remember to regularly check in on fluffy during his stay for his vital signs, checking his fluid levels, administering any medication, checking IV catheter placement, taking fluffy out for potty breaks, making sure he has water and fresh bedding as needed. Contact fluffy his parents with one or two updates during the day to make sure they know how he's doing. Go over discharge instructions with fluff Pease mom when she comes to pick him up, and make sure all her questions are appropriately and accurately answer, hand fluffy over to mom and make sure he leaves the hospital safely. Even if the patient is not your patient, you cannot simply ignore them. If you walk by a cage and the pet has urinated or dedicated in it, be sure to let the attending nurse know if you have time to help them change out the bedding offered to do so.

If you notice a pet has pulled out their catheter, make sure someone knows immediately. If a patient on fluids has finished their bag of fluids, find out if they need more as part of the team. Keep an eye on every patient even if they aren't assigned to you. It should be noted, however, that if you're unfamiliar with a patient, you should never enter a pets cage or crate without consulting their nurse or doctor While all patients that are potentially fractious, should be so labeled, never enter an unfamiliar animals cage without first checking with their attending team. Arguably the exception to this rule would be in life threatening emergencies, in which you should start yelling for assistance immediately. There are several standard abilities you should have as a veterinary assistant when you are working with any patient.

One, being able to read and notate any patient charts on their cages or files. If you forget to write down the amount of fluids or the time medication was given, or the amount of medication that was administered. This is very bad. You should have an army's worth of pins on you at all time. And you can never forget to notate everything that happens with a patient. Also, always initial your notes to Take vital signs.

Any nurse should be able to take a pet's TPR, temperature, pulse and respiratory rate. You should also understand see RT, capillary refill time, and how to assess a patient's gum color and what it means for their health status. You must be aware of the normal ranges for these vital values. Three critical care when the situation a patient is in is exceptionally dangerous or critical. You must be hyper vigilant. Be certain that you know where your doctor is at all times, and what the resting rates are for your patient.

Depending on what state your patient is in, they can take a turn for the worse in seconds. No one to grab someone else for assistance or to double check you. You also need to be aware of things like appetite with these particular patients. Sometimes they require hand feeding, or making a soup out of canned food to entice them to eat. Sometimes it takes a team of nurses to take the geriatric dog out of the kennel to go to the bathroom, or to help clean the pet up after an accident. Remember, it is okay to ask your team for assistance.

Number four, post operative care. Pets recovering from surgery or anesthesia are in very delicate states. It has been found that excavation and recovery from anesthesia can be as dangerous if not more dangerous, than when a pet is discombobulated, nauseous and in pain from whatever operation was performed. Some kinds of pre medications administered can have their own effects that make pets a little bit crazy. Surgery also lowers the pet's blood pressure and heartrate significantly, as well as their body temperature, it is critical to keep the pet hooked up to the appropriate machines to monitor these levels, as well as make sure they stay warm as they wake up restraining them from flailing around and hurting themselves or others is also very important. The last thing anyone wants is for the pet to rip out any stitches or staples from the operation they just had, or to bite someone out of fear or confusion.

Finally, remember that running an animal hospital is a team effort. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and don't be afraid to ask for assistance. If you aren't sure of something, ask your doctor or technician. If your pet is older, and the cage floor is hard, add a couple of extra blankets for them. If the cat is scared, give them an old cardboard box to hide in. You are here To make them better, and being admitted to the hospital is probably horrifying for them.

Always treat your patients with calm, loving tenderness