Category: Veterinary Technician

The average salary for a veterinary technician is $37,591 per year! This can range from $31,644-$44,671.

Whether you’re a veterinary tech now or considering becoming one, some important skills can help you stand out. In this sea of competition, it’s never been more important to stand out, but how? Read this guide on skills to enhance your veterinary technician resume today!

1. Phlebotomy

Venipuncture is when you collect blood directly from a vein; a phlebotomist performs it. You can help mobile veterinarians with venipuncture and vaccine administration, help doctors daily, and perform catheter placement.

It can also help with the following:

• IV placement
• Surgical recovery
• Obtaining specimens
• Maintenance procedures
• Radiography

2. Catheter Placement

Learn to insert a catheter into a patient’s urinary tract, bowel, or bladder. Collect and drain gases or fluids. Learn advanced medical procedures, including anesthetic monitoring, catheter placement, and more.

Help with laboratory procedures and radiology. Help patients with post-surgical evaluations. Assist vets with catheter placement, patient assessments, and ultrasounds.

3. Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is a must for veterinary technician skills. Even the smallest mistake could jeopardize an animal’s health. Attention to detail is also important for treatment plans and recording patient information.

4. Problem Solving

Use problem-solving to help solve problems for animals. Help pet owners feel better about why their pet is alright.

It could also help with pets who are scared or aggressive. You can learn methods along the way to help calm animals.

5. Patience

Patience is vital since you’re working with the public, who might be upset, and so might the animal. Animals can respond with unpredictable reactions to various procedures and tests. Remain calm to help the vet determine the best treatment option.

6. Radiology

Along with your veterinary technician certification, radiology can be an added bonus. This allows you to read and understand medical images.

You might be able to operate imaging and produce X-rays. Radiologists normally perform and read these tests.

7. Be Personable

Discuss how you have a personable attitude with animals and people, whether it’s being prompt in responding to emails, answering customers’ questions, or having strong communication skills overall. You’ll need to be comfortable speaking with clients, even if they’re upset or angry.

8. Organizational Skills

Business skills will also help you stand out. You must organize logs, lab reports, patient records, and other documents.

Digital filing and a knowledge of computers are both important. You might also have to manage inventory, set up appointments, and take payment.

Skills To Improve Your Veterinary Technician Resume

This guide should give you a better idea of how to improve your veterinary technician resume. Take your time deciding which skills you can learn straight away to stand out from the crowd.

Are you ready to get started with a phlebotomy certification? Then register today!

Become nationally certified through the NAPTP. The mid-level option even comes with a PDF study guide to help you get started. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help!

The job outlook for veterinary technicians, is exceedingly good, with demand forecasted to grow by 15% between 2020 and 2030. This is faster than average for all professions.

But, just because the job outlook is promising doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t develop your skills and certifications as a vet tech. One of the first steps to rounding out your list of certifications is phlebotomy training.

Phlebotomy training can not only increase your job prospects and help you advance in your career, but it can even help to increase your salary.

Read on to find out 3 reasons why veterinary technicians need a phlebotomy certification.

1. Phlebotomy Certification Can Boost Your Job Prospects and Salary

If you’re looking to further your career as a vet tech, getting a phlebotomy certification is a must. Phlebotomy training gives you more to offer your employer.

Veterinary practices invariably have to do an extensive amount of blood testing. Blood tests are one of the best tools for diagnosis, especially when it comes to animals. Blood tests can reveal an animal’s immune system responses, hydration status, blood clotting ability, and more.

In younger dogs, blood tests are used primarily to help diagnose conditions. In older dogs, regular blood work is recommended on a yearly basis or sooner.

Because blood tests are an integral procedure at veterinary practices, having phlebotomy training will make you stand out when applying for a job.

Besides giving you a hiring edge over veterinary technicians who don’t have phlebotomy training, a phlebotomy certification can also net you a higher salary.

Salaries as a vet tech are not that high, with annual pay ranging between $22,952 and $35,703 depending on what state you live in. One of the secrets to earning more in medical careers is to increase your list of certifications, and phlebotomy training is one of the easiest ways you can do this.

2. Phlebotomy Certification Can Help You Save Animal Lives

Another reason to invest in phlebotomy certification as a vet tech is that it can help you save animals and give them a better quality of life. If you are passionate about the wellbeing and care of animals, phlebotomy training will give you a chance to make blood drawing as non-traumatic as possible.

Do you have a self-assured way with animals? Are you able to calm even the most skittish patients? If so, you are the perfect kind of vet tech to be responsible for drawing blood.

3. Phlebotomy Training Is Quick

Another reason why veterinary technicians should get a phlebotomy certification is that training is relatively quick, requiring only one to two semesters.

What’s more, if you pick the right phlebotomy training provider you can do self-paced training. For instance, with NAPTP courses you can complete your certification entirely online and fit it into your existing schedule.

We Offer Self-Paced Phlebotomy Training for Veterinary Technicians

Are you keen to take advantage of all the benefits that a phlebotomy certification holds for veterinary technicians?

If so, you’re in the right place. NAPTP offers 100% online, on-demand, and fully self-paced courses. If you do phlebotomy training through us, you can structure your learning around your schedule. All of our coursework can be done on a desktop, laptop, or even a mobile device if you’re on the go.

Register for phlebotomy training today and propel your vet tech career.

 

As a veterinary technician, you’ve seen…well, just about everything. From angry cats to bodily fluids in unfortunate places, you handle it all with grace and aplomb.

After all, your job is all about one thing: ensuring good patient care, even when your four-legged patients aren’t too keen on it.

For veterinary technicians looking for another avenue of career growth, a phlebotomy certification is more than just a certificate to draw blood. It’s a way to provide better care for your patients. Here’s why a phlebotomy certification is a great investment for veterinary technicians.

Benefits of Phlebotomy Certification to Supplement Your Veterinary Technician Certification

If you love animals, you love being a veterinary technician. It’s a job that allows you to help animals recover from health issues and feel their best, and you can do anything from administering x-rays to obtaining samples to assisting a veterinarian during exam, even preparing an animal for surgery.

The trick with animals, of course, is that they don’t speak your language. Unlike human patients, it’s hard for them to advocate for themselves. This is where drawing blood makes a huge difference for your animal patients–blood tests are incredibly common diagnostic tools, and they’re incredibly valuable for diagnosing a patient who cannot speak for themselves.

How to Get a Phlebotomy Certification

The trick with phlebotomy (i.e. the process of drawing blood from a vein with a needle) is that it’s an art as much as a science, despite its status as an incredibly common feature of modern medicine. For this reason, phlebotomy requires specialized, structured training to perform safely. Anyone who is not formally trained in phlebotomy must obtain a certification before they are allowed to perform it.

The good news? Getting a phlebotomy certification is relatively easy. You just need to pass a clinical component and a phlebotomy exam.

At the National Association of Phlebotomy Technician Professionals, our exam is 100 questions covering a wide variety of concerns in the field, including order of draw, HIPAA, OSHA, and patient care. In order to register, you must have completed 65 live blood draws within the past two years, or you must be a recent phlebotomy program graduate (within the past six months) with 30 live blood draws at the time of registration.

Where to Get a Phlebotomy Certification: Choosing the Best Phlebotomy Certification Course

Looking for a great phlebotomy certification course? There are a number of certifying bodies out there, so it can be hard to know where to begin.

First, look for a nationally recognized certification. This will ensure that your credentials remain valid, even if you have to move across states. Plus, name recognition makes you a more attractive hire.

Second, look for an exam with three things: a clinical component, a strong code of ethics, and a carefully defined scope of practice. An online exam won’t do you any good if you don’t know how to perform a blood draw in real life, and a code of ethics and scope of practice both indicate an ethical organization which is concerned with certifying ethical medical professionals who reflect positively on the field (as opposed to making a quick buck).

We are Industry Leaders in Phlebotomy Certification

As a veterinary technician, you want the best for your four-legged patients. And as someone who works hard to deliver great care, you deserve an investment in your future too.

We are the nation’s leading organization in phlebotomy certifications. Founded in 1998, we have spent decades promoting best practices in the field and provided thousands of students with the skills, knowledge, and education they need to succeed. So if you’re ready to take the next step in your career, click here to register and receive your exam prep materials.