ABSTRACT: As mechanical ventilation is becoming more popular in the veterinary field, proper training and nursing care is critical to favourable patient outcomes. These patients are completely reliant on the nursing staff and exceptional nursing care and monitoring can prevent many of the more common major complications. Diligent care including recumbency care and airway care should be completed frequently and strict protocols to uphold patient cleanliness should be followed. Ventilator patients can be very demanding, but they provide nurses the opportunity to fully utilise their skills and can be highly rewarding.

Caring for a patient undergoing mechanical ventilation in a critical care setting requires a skilled team and a facility outfitted for 24-h intensive care. These patients are completely reliant on the nursing staff and require a dedicated nurse at all times. The outcome of these cases can be greatly affected by the level of care they receive; exceptional nursing care can prevent many of the common major complications. As mechanical ventilation is becoming more popular in the veterinary field, proper training and nursing care is critical to favourable patient outcomes.

Author

Scarlette Donovan RVT, VTS (Anaesthesia & Analgesia, Emergency & Critical Care)

Scarlette attained her Registered Veterinary Technician certification in 2009 then earned her Veterinary Technician Specialist certifications in Emergency and Critical Care in 2013 and Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2016. She is a member of the AVECCT Nursing Standards Committee, the AVTAA Credentials Committee and is also a mentor for both organisations. She is currently the Director ofTechnician Training and Continuing Education at Southern California Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Irv
ine, California , is an instructor for the Midmark Anaesthesia and Monitoring Training and Education Network, and is a Subject Matter Expert for Vetbloom. Email: scarlettedonovan@gmail.com Postal Address: 19142 E. Country Hollow, Orange, CA 92869, USA.

Keywords: Clinical, Nursing care 

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 32 (09) • September 2017 pp257-259

To gain access to this article, select one of the links below:

I am a BVNA member

I am accessing through my Institute

I am paying to gain access to this article