If you are considering a career as a Veterinary Assistant, you probably already love animals and care deeply about their health and wellbeing as well as educating your community about animal care. Have you also thought about whether you have what it takes? Is your love for animals enough to make you successful in this field? No matter where you start out, with hard work and the right skills, you should be prepared to enter into this exciting field. However, there are some traits that are important for Veterinary Assistants to have as well. We came up with a few important qualities for those interested in veterinary assisting:
1. A Love for Animals
We really hope that this one is a given… If you are going to dedicate your career to working with animals, make sure that you love them! Also, realize that each your co-workers and each of the pet owners that brings their pet in probably loves them too. So, you will be surrounded by animal lovers at work every day!
2. Compassion
If you are pursuing a career like veterinary assisting that is dedicated to the care and health of animals, you likely have a lot of natural compassion for our furry friends. However, as a good Veterinary Assistant, you must also have empathy for their owners. Typically, a pet owner is quite nervous when they bring their animal in to see the veterinarian. Often, a pet is like another member of the family, and sometimes an entire family may come in very upset. If you are able to have some compassion for them and their scared pet, you will do well.
3. Good Communication Skills
I know what you’re thinking – animals don’t talk! However, just as important as your relationship with your animal patients is interacting with their human counterparts as well as the veterinarian and other staff. Throughout any given day as a Veterinary Assistant, you may be speaking to a variety of people about patients and during administrative tasks. It will be very important that you communicate clearly and listen well to pet owners and co-workers as you discuss the health of patients.
3. Attention to Detail
In any allied healthcare profession, it is very important that you pay close attention to details. As a Veterinary Assistant, you will likely be counted on to record patient information and make sure that it is very accurate and complete. Accuracy is very important when caring for a sick or hurt animal. Also, it’s imperative that you are thorough in your monitoring of patients after surgery, during an examination, or while administering medications. Any change in animal vitals or behavior will need to be reported quickly and completely to the veterinarian.
4. Patience
In some ways this goes back to the first point: a love for animals. Oftentimes you will be assisting the veterinarian or other staff during a procedure or task that the animal isn’t particularly happy about. You will have to patiently help them to stay still, take their medicine, and even clean up after them.
5. Creativity
Similarly to the need for patience, in a veterinary assisting career, you will need to use a certain amount of creativity. Most animals don’t perfectly obey every command, especially when they are in pain or afraid. Also, unlike people, they lack the ability to clearly communicate. So, you don’t always know what is upsetting them or how to help. As a Veterinary Assistant, you will need to come up with creative ways to manage animal behavior and help treat a variety of unique patients.
6. Good Physical Health
This one may sound odd, but it’s actually very important. As a Veterinary Assistant, you will be on your feet for a majority of your work day. So, it is important that you have the stamina to be on your feet for long periods of time while still keeping your full attention on your patients and their needs.
Also, you will need both dexterity and strength. It is important that you can handle fragile lab equipment as well as handle or comfort scared or injured animals. You may also have to be able to lift, move, and position both equipment and animals during procedures, x-rays, or exams.
Do you think you have what it takes?
Obviously this list does not cover every quality that it’s important for a Veterinary Assistant to have, but it is definitely a start! If you feel like you lack anything we mentioned – don’t worry! You can always develop into the role if you are committed to pursuing it.
Are you Interested in pursuing a career as a Veterinary Assistant? Check out the Veterinary Assistant program at Ross Medical Education Center! We would love to help you develop the skills you need to achieve your goals!