CAT Chapter 1: McCurnin's workbook

____________________________ carry out the orders of the veterinarian and perform all animal care duties except those that by law may only be performed by the veterinarian.

Veterinary technologists or nurses

A(n) ____________________________ may prognose, diagnose, and prescribe.

Veterinarian

The ____________________________ developed the Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS) to help guide and structure the development of specialties for veterinary technicians.

National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America (NAVTA)

In the United States, the profession of veterinary technology, or nursing, is structured by____________________________ in each state.

Practice acts; regulations

The veterinary technician performs a patient ____________________________, then prioritizes the patient's problems so that the most life-threatening issues are addressed first.

Evaluations

The veterinary technician ____________________________ consists of five steps that are performed cyclically throughout a patient's hospitalization period.

Practice model

The ____________________________ is designed to evaluate the competency of entry-level veterinary technicians.

Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE)

NAVTA has recognized 12 areas of ____________________________ in veterinary technology.

Speciality

Step three of the veterinary technician practice model includes ____________________________ to address the patient's care needs.

Interventions

____________________________ are responsible for assisting the veterinary technician and the veterinarian by restraining animals, setting up equipment and supplies, cleaning and maintaining practice and laboratory facilities, and feeding and exercising patients.

Veterinary Assistants

AALAS

A professional association in the United States that has established a certification pro-gram that certifies laboratory animal technicians

AAVSB

The organization responsible for appointing members of the Veterinary Technician National Exam Committee (VTNE)

CALAS

A Canadian association that has established a certification program for laboratory an-imals technicians

IACUC

A committee that works with research and educational institutions in the United States to help ensure compliance with and to enforce the Animal Welfare Act

AVTE

A group whose members are primarily instructors, staff, and managers of veterinary technology programs

CVTEA

The committee that accredits veterinary technology programs in the United States under the auspices of the AVMA

US FWS

The agency that coadministers the Endangered Species Act in the United States

AVMA

The organization responsible for accrediting U.S. programs of veterinary technology

RACE

A program administered by the AAVSB to uphold quality standards of continuing education

ALAT

The first level of certification for technicians caring for laboratory animals

VTS

A designation that a veterinary technician has the credentials to qualify as a specialist

LATG

The highest level of certification for technicians caring for laboratory animals in the United States

AWA

The U.S. law that requires minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for some warm-blooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in research and higher education, transported commercially, and exhibited to the public

LAT

The second highest level of certification for technicians caring for laboratory animals in the United States

VTNE

A passing score on this test is required to practice in most states and provinces

HPA

A law designed to protect horses from the practice of "soring"

PES

An entity that works with the AAVSB to develop the Veterinary Technician National Exam

Graduates of accredited Canadian Veterinary Technology programs are eligible for recognition in the United States.

T

Most states and provinces require veterinary technicians to attend continuing education (CE) lectures and workshops to maintain licensure, certification, or registration

T

An additional 20 new questions are added to each VTNE, but these additional questions do not count toward the final score of the candidate.

T

Veterinary technicians are prohibited from entering drug prescriptions onto the patient's record.

F: Veterinary technicians are responsible for recording all treatments, data, and physical findings in the patient's record. When completing veterinary medical records, the veterinary technician should enter the notation "as per order" for each medication ordered by the veterinarian.

According to the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) Veterinary Technology State Practice Act Model, a veterinary technician may provide a patient's chances of recovery to a client.

F: Although state laws differ, it is widely accepted and proposed by both the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) that only veterinarians may do the following: 1) prescribe; 2) diagnose; 3) prognose; 4) perform surgery. In other words, veterinary technicians cannot diagnose or prognose, prescribe any treatments, drugs, medications or appliances or perform surgery, but they are at liberty to carry out all other patient-care duties, including the placement of catheters by all routes.

Routine dental procedures are often performed by veterinary technicians.

T

Routinely hospitalized patients, as well as emergency and critical care patients, should be evaluated using the same five-step systematic approach.

T

Employment opportunities for veterinary technicians are expected to grow at a much faster rate than the aver-age for all occupations.

T

In order to call himself or herself a specialist, a veterinarian must be board-certified by a specialty organization.

T

Because animals are often messy, uniforms are uncommon in small animal veterinary practices.

F: Uniforms are commonly used in small animal veterinary practices. This is because the initial impression a veterinary technician makes is usually based simply upon how he or she looks. Neat, clean, well-fitted, and ironed uniforms are essential, although in a working environment in which one can become quickly covered by animal hair, saliva, blood, and other bodily fluids, a clean, neat uniform may be challenging to maintain.

The veterinary technician's professional apparel must include a watch with a second hand.

T

The medical record is a legal document owned by the client but housed at the veterinary practice or supervising institution.

F: The medical record is a legal document owned by the veterinary practice or supervising institution.

Your e-mail address does not reflect on your level of professionalism.

F: Maintain an e-mail address that does not leave a bad impression. Silly, cute, and animal-related email addresses, such as [e-mail] or [e-mail], are not helpful toward the development of a professional image. A simple e-mail that includes your first initial and last name works well.

The practice act in most states includes a definition of the practice of veterinary medicine and veterinary technol-ogy, although in some states, the board has been left to define the practice of veterinary technology.

T

The unlicensed practice of veterinary medicine is a criminal offense.

T

Violations of laws or regulations may be punishable by fines or imprisonment.

T

Someone convicted of crimes of moral turpitude may be denied a license to practice veterinary technology.

T

Most jurisdictions require professional licensees, including veterinary technicians, to complete continuing education to renew their licenses.

T

In virtually every state, a licensee may be prosecuted and disciplined for misconduct, even if the licensee's misconduct did not cause any harm to an animal.

T

A veterinary technician may legally be the signatory on a document requiring the veterinarian's signature.

F: A licensee may be prosecuted and disciplined or an applicant may be prevented entry into the practice of the profession for committing fraud or deceit in the practice of the profession. This includes conduct such as falsifying a health certificate or other document and signing a form for the veterinarian that the veterinarian is required to sign.

A licensee may be prosecuted and disciplined for misrepresentation, which may include telling a client that a certain treatment will cure a patient.

T

A licensee may be prosecuted and disciplined for animal abuse, animal neglect, or animal cruelty.

T

An unlicensed veterinarian may function as a veterinary technician.

F: It is important to remember that unlicensed, noncredentialed individuals are limited to performing only those tasks that the statute and board regulations authorize, regardless of the knowledge or skill level of the individual.

Any licensed person who assists an unlicensed person in performing tasks that the statute includes as the prac-tice of the profession may be aiding unlicensed practice.

T

Many states have continuing education requirements for veterinary technicians

T

If a licensee is found guilty of malpractice, the board can direct a monetary award be paid to the animal's owner.

F: Licensing law borrows the concept of a "tort" from civil law; in civil law, a tort is a wrong or injury for which a court will provide a remedy. The usual remedy in a tort action is the award of monetary damages. But a state board does not award monetary damages to the animal's owner; the state board's authority is limited to imposing disciplinary sanctions on the professional.

The patient does not have to suffer any injury for the professional to be disciplined for malpractice.

T

Veterinarians can be found negligent or guilty of malpractice because of the actions of a staff member.

T

Whenever a veterinary technician is disciplined by a licensing board for exceeding the technician's authorized scope of practice, the veterinarian responsible for supervising the technician may also be disciplined.

T

When you are summoned to a disciplinary hearing by the board, an attorney must be appointed by the board to represent you.

F: Unlike in criminal matters, there is no "right" to an attorney in disciplinary matters; consequently, the state will not appoint (and pay for) an attorney to represent you if you cannot afford legal representation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act confirms that all workers have a fundamental right to a safe workplace.

T

Veterinarians are prohibited from using controlled substances in the practice of veterinary medicine.

F: In veterinary medicine, controlled substances are used daily

Private veterinary hospitals are inspected by the USDA under the Animal Welfare Act.

F: In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for most warm-blooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in research and higher education, transported commercially, and exhibited to the public. Inspectors from Animal Care (a subsidiary of the United States Department of Agriculture) conduct randomly scheduled, unannounced inspections to ensure that all regulated facilities are compliant. Private veterinary hospitals do not fall under the jurisdiction of this law.

Which organization or agency accredits veterinary technology programs in the United States?

AVMA

Which of the following is a recognized area of specialty for a veterinary technician?

Veterinary behavior technician

Which organization or agency has established veterinary technician specialties?

NAVTA

What was the average salary for veterinary technicians nationwide in 2019?

$34,420

Approximately how many recommended and essential tasks are listed in the CVTEA handbook?

350

One of the most important duties for the veterinary technician in surgery is

administering and monitoring anesthesia.

What is the format of the VTNE?

Multiple choice questions

Where are the VTNEs administered?

Testing centers throughout North America

To whom does a veterinary technology student apply to take the VTNE?

AAVSB

Which of the following merits the highest priority in patient intervention?

Inadequate oxygenation

Which U.S. veterinary school awards the VMD degree rather than the DVM?

University of Pennsylvania

The designation of VTS (veterinary technician spe-cialist) is awarded by which of the following types of organizations?

An academy

The treatment of animals used in research facilities and teaching institutions is regulated by which gov-ernment agency?

AWA (USDA)

Graduates of AVMA-and CVMA-accredited pro-grams must complete how much additional training in a registered facility before they are eligible for the Level 1 ALAT examination?

6 months

Which of these organizations wrote the veterinary technician code of ethics, the veterinary technician oath, and the veterinary technician portion of the Model Practice Act?

NAVTA

When is National Veterinary Technician week?

The third week in October

Who has the ultimate decision-making authority over the care provided to an owned animal?

The owner

What is the overriding purpose of the board of veterinary medicine?

To protect the public

Malpractice is also known as ________________.

negligence

Conduct that increases the risk that negligence will oc-cur, even if negligence has not yet actually occurred, is known as ________________.

incompetence

What is considered the most severe penalty a board may impose?

Revocation of a license

What is the term for the public censure of a licensee without suspension or probation?

Reprimand

Which act establishes that USDA-registered facili-ties have IACUC (Institute of Animal Care and Use Committees)?

Animal Welfare Act

The Horse Protection Act protects horses against which procedure?

Soring

Which government agency co-enforces the Endangered Species Act?

FWS

Euthanasia

Direct Supervision

Intravenous catheterizations

Indirect Supervision

Dental procedures

Direct Supervision

Inducing anesthesia

Immediate Supervision

Blood collection

Indirect Supervision

Radiography

Indirect Supervision

Applying a splint

Direct Supervision

Handling biohazardous waste

Indirect Supervision

Dental extraction not requiring section of the tooth

Immediate Supervision

Administer immunologic agents by parenteral routes

Indirect Supervision