Every October, veterinary hospitals across Canada celebrate Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT) Month — an opportunity to recognize the knowledge, skill and important role RVTs bring to veterinary medicine.
At Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital (BBVSH) in Surrey, RVTs are an integral part of patient care 24 hours a day. They work alongside emergency veterinarians, criticalists, board-certified specialists, veterinary assistants, client service representatives and other members of our hospital team, helping care for patients whose needs can range from a scheduled specialty procedure to a life-threatening emergency.
In a multidisciplinary hospital like ours, their role is especially important. RVTs don’t simply support one veterinarian or perform one set of tasks. They are nurses, technical professionals, patient advocates, educators and teammates who bring together clinical skills, communication and an understanding of how different areas of veterinary medicine connect.
One Profession, Many Areas of Medicine
RVTs are formally educated veterinary professionals who graduate from accredited post-secondary veterinary technology programs, pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), and meet provincial registration and continuing education requirements.
That foundation prepares them for a broad range of responsibilities. At BBVSH, RVTs may manage blood transfusions, place and monitor specialized catheters, assist with anesthesia, prepare patients for advanced diagnostics, collect and process laboratory samples, provide specialized nursing care, educate pet owners and monitor patients through recovery.
And because our patients don’t always fit neatly into one medical discipline, neither does their care.
A patient arriving through Emergency, for example, may need advanced diagnostics, consultation with a specialist, anesthesia for a procedure and ongoing care in the ICU. RVTs help support that journey, working across departments and with different members of the hospital team as a patient’s needs change.
Supporting Specialty Care Across the Hospital
Each specialty brings its own procedures, equipment and nursing requirements, and RVTs develop skills specific to the services they support.
In Surgery, RVTs may help prepare patients for procedures, support and monitor anesthesia, assist with pain management and provide post-operative nursing care.
In Internal Medicine, their work can include specialized blood testing, endoscopy procedures, sample collection and ongoing nursing care for patients with complex or chronic illnesses.
In Oncology, specially trained RVTs may assist with chemotherapy administration and support patients throughout treatment.
In Neurology, RVTs may care for patients with conditions such as traumatic brain injuries and support patients undergoing neurological procedures and monitoring.
In Cardiology, RVTs support the assessment and treatment of patients with heart conditions, including specialized cardiac procedures such as minimally invasive PDA closure.
Diagnostic Imaging supports patients across many of these services. RVTs help prepare and position patients and support the use of technologies such as radiography, ultrasound, CT and MRI when advanced imaging is needed as part of a patient’s diagnosis or treatment.
The ability to work across disciplines is particularly valuable in a specialty hospital. Complex patients frequently need more than one service, and RVTs may be involved at several points along that patient’s care journey — working with veterinarians and specialists, coordinating with other departments and working alongside veterinary assistants to help maintain continuity of care.
A Special Role in Emergency and Critical Care
For RVTs working in Emergency and Critical Care, every shift can be different. Patients may arrive following trauma, experiencing respiratory distress, in shock, or with another serious or life-threatening condition.
These RVTs help triage and stabilize patients, support emergency procedures and provide advanced nursing care in the ER and ICU. Their skills can include blood typing and transfusion management, arterial and central lines, oxygen support, mechanical ventilation monitoring, feeding tubes and the close observation required when a critically ill patient’s condition can change quickly.
It is work that requires technical skill, strong communication and the ability to prioritize and collaborate in high-pressure situations.
At BBVSH, our RVTs work within a VECCS Level I certified facility and VetCOT Level II Trauma Centre, helping connect emergency and critical care patients with specialists, advanced diagnostics and 24-hour ICU care when moments matter.
Continuing to Learn — and Teaching Others
For some RVTs, professional development eventually leads to becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS).
VTS certification recognizes advanced knowledge and experience within a particular area of veterinary medicine, such as emergency and critical care, anesthesia and analgesia, internal medicine or dentistry. Reaching this level requires significant clinical experience, additional study and successful completion of the requirements established by the relevant specialty academy.
At BBVSH, we encourage RVTs to continue developing their skills through mentorship, in-house continuing education, Journal Clubs and opportunities such as RECOVER CPR certification. RVTs can also pursue VTS certification and advance into supervisory and mentorship roles.
That learning benefits the whole hospital. Experienced RVTs and VTSs share their knowledge with colleagues and help support newer members of the profession.
Supporting the Next Generation of RVTs
BBVSH’s Veterinary Technologist Internship (VTI) program is one way we help early-career technologists make the transition from school into specialty and emergency medicine.
Through structured, paid mentorship, interns progressively build their clinical skills while gaining experience in emergency and critical care, ICU nursing, anesthesia, diagnostics and specialty medicine. They also learn how to work as part of a multidisciplinary hospital team — communicating, prioritizing, asking questions and recognizing when a patient’s changing needs require another person or service.
RVT Month gives us an opportunity to recognize the technical knowledge, adaptability, teamwork and commitment RVTs bring to patient care every day. This October, we’re proud to celebrate the RVTs and VTSs at Boundary Bay and the important role they play within our larger hospital team.
Interested in building a career as an RVT in specialty and emergency medicine? Learn more about RVT careers at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital on our Careers page.
