A Day in the Life: ER Vet Tech
August 23, 2018
Written by Rocio Carrasco, ECC Clinical Floor Supervisor
We start and end our days caring for beings that can’t speak for themselves.
We see animals at their very worst, and without being able to communicate with them we must help figure out what is wrong and how to treat and give them comfort. As an ECC (Emergency & Critical Care) technician, it is our job to make sure the pets in our hospital receive the best care possible, 24 hours a day, through all their treatments, hospitalization, and discharge.
In the ICU, we start our day with rounds. During this briefing, we give a medical history of our current inpatients to a team coming in for a brand new 12-hour haul. They are relieving the previous crew, who may be coming off the 12-hour overnight shift themselves. After going through each case and updating each other on treatments, behavior, food preferences and so much more, it is treatment time.
While our team in the ICU focuses on getting treatments done for patients that have been admitted to the hospital in a timely manner, our ER team is taking care of incoming patients. The ECC team comes together in unison to perform vitals, bloodwork, radiographs, and blood pressure screenings and assist with wound repairs, placing IV catheters, urinary catheters, central lines and anything else our patients need to make sure they get the best patient care we can provide. At times, our department will collaborate with other services such as Internal Medicine or Radiology in order to diagnose and treat appropriately.
Our patients may stay for a few hours or a few days, but whatever the case, we want to make a positive impact on their lives and on the lives of their humans.
At times when the outcome is sad, we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders as our clients leave with a heavy heart. We all have our favorite or most memorable patients, but all our patients get treated with the same respect and love they deserve.
We may leave our hospital after a long shift, but every animal stays in our hearts and on our minds.
We are dedicated to our jobs, our patients, and to each other. Anyone walking through our doors will see the teamwork, respect, and passion for the beautiful beings we are fortunate enough to care for.