NWCA Veterinary Assistant Professional Credential Exam Study Guide update

VeterinaryAssistantv




Professional Credential
v




EXAMSTUDYGUIDE
v v




©
.

, NWCAvStudyvGuidev–vVeterinaryvAssistant
Versionv6.1.17
ProfessionalvCredential


CredentialvTitlevVeterinar
yvAssistantv(VET)

PurposevofvCredential
ThevVeterinaryvAssistantvcredentialvdocumentsvthevessentialvcompetenciesvforvgeneralvfrontv
v

office,vclinical,vnursingvcare,vandvanimalvmanagementvproceduresvrequiredvofvthevveterinaryv
assistant.

AudiencevforvCredential
Thisvcredentialvisvappropriatevforvavveterinaryvassistantvinvthevdailyvoperationsvofvavveterinaryvpra
ctice,vresearchvlaboratoryvwherevanimalsvarevkept,vanimalvhospital,vequinevbarn,vfarmvorvranch,va
nimalvshelter,vkennelvorvanimalvdayvcare,vorvothervenvironmentvwherevanimalsvarevkeptvandvcaredvf
or.

Job/CareervRequirements
Veterinaryvassistantsvsupportvveterinariansvandvveterinaryvtechniciansvinvmanyvtasks.vTheyvmayvb
evinvolvedvinvoverallvveterinaryvpracticevofficevoperations,vproceduresvrelatedvtovdiagnosticvimagi
ngvandvtreatmentvofvanimals,vproceduresvinvolvingvanimalvcarevandvhusbandry,vandvproceduresvf
orvveterinaryvnursingvandvemergencyvcare.vMostvworkersventervthevoccupationvhavevavhighvschoolv
diplomavorvitsvequivalent.v Thoughvveterinaryvassistantsvcanvbevtrainedvonvthevjob,vmanyvemploye
rsvprefervthatvtheyvhavevcompletedvavformalvtrainingvprogramvandvhavevexperiencevworkingvwithv
animals.vSuccessfulvveterinaryvassistantvdemonstratevcompassionvtovbothvanimalsvandvtheirvown
ers,varevdetailedvoriented,vandvhavevphysicalvstrengthvandvdexterity.vThoughvtheyvmayvnotvbevallo
wedvtovcompletevallvofvthevproceduresvindependently,vtheyvmustvunderstandvmanyvanatomy,vphy
siology,vandvveterinaryvmedicinevconceptsvandvbevablevtovassistvwhenvaskedvinvavsafevandvcompet
entvmanner.v Dependingvuponvthevspecificvworkvenvironment,vveterinaryvassistantsvmustvunderst
andvanimalvcarevforvdogs,vcats,vequine,vlivestock,vcompanionvbirds,vreptiles,vamphibians,vsmallvm
ammals,vwildvorphanedvorvinjuredvanimals,vandvlaboratoryvanimals.

VeterinaryvAssistantvTasks
 Assistvveterinariansvandvveterinaryvtechniciansvwhenvaskedvandvasvdirectedvinvanimalvcarev
andvmanagement
 Feed,vbathe,vandvexercisevallvtypesvofvanimals
 Cleanv andvdisinfectvcages,v kennels,v stalls,v examinationv andvoperatingv rooms,v andv otherva
reas
 Restrainvanimalsvduringvexaminationvandvlaboratoryvprocedures
 Maintainvandvsterilizevsurgicalvinstrumentsvandvequipment



NWCAvStudyvGuide
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, NWCAvStudyvGuidev–vVeterinaryvAssistant
Versionv6.1.17
ProfessionalvCredential


 Maintainvsupplyvandvretailvinventories
 Monitorvandvcarevforvanimalsvbeforevandvaftervsurgeryvorvothervmedicalvprocedures
 Helpvprovidevemergencyvfirstvaidvtovsickvandvinjuredvanimals,vincludingvwildvanimals
 Givev medicationv orv immunizationsv prescribedv byv thev veterinarianv andv underv av ve
terinarian’svdirectvsupervision
 Assistvinvcollectionvofvblood,vurine,vandvtissuevsamples
 Takevvitalvsignsvofvanimals
 Transportvanimalsvtovandvfromvtreatmentvareas


ExamvStructurevOverview
NumbervofvQuestionsvinvExam:v400vSecti
onsvinvthevExam:
VeterinaryvMedicalvTerminologyv–
v 176vitemsvVeterinaryvPracticevandvNursingvCarev–
224vitems
v



TotalvTime:v220vminutes
OverallvPassingvScore:v70%v(Allvsectionsvrequirevanvindividualvpassingvscorevofv70%)




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, NWCAvStudyvGuidev–vVeterinaryvAssistant
Versionv6.1.17
ProfessionalvCredential


Study Outline
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Veterinary Medical Terminology
v v



Professionalsvusevveterinaryvmedicalvterminologyvtheirvjobsvmustvunderstandvthevfundamentalvcon
ceptsvincludingvhowvtovdissectvavmedicalvterm,vterminologyvrelatedvtovthevcellularvlevelvofvanvanimal
,vandvnamevterminologyvforvdifferentvanimals.vAdditionally,vthesevprofessionalsvmustvunderstandvdi
fferentvbodyvsystemvterminology,vsuchvasvthevcardiovascularvsystem,vthevdigestivevsystem,vandvthev
respiratoryvsystem,vamongvothers.vConceptsvrelatedvpharmacologyvandvsurgicalvterminologyvarevals
ovimportantvforvmanyvprofessionals.vFinally,vmanyvjobsvrequirevanvunderstandingvofvterminologyvforvs
pecificvanimalvgroups.


MedicalvTerminologyvFundamentals
Objective:
v Explainvhowvtovdissectvavmedicalvtermvintovitsvwordvroot,vprefix,vsuffix
,vandvcombiningvform
 Definevveterinaryvmedicalvtermsvusedvtovdescribevdirection,vsurface,vplan
es,vcavities,vmembranes,vpositions,vmovementvatvjoints,vandvnumbers
 Definevveterinaryvmedicalvtermsvusedvtovdescribevthevcell,vcellularv
organelles,vgeneticvconditions,vandvtissues
 Definevveterinaryvtermsvusedvtovnamevequine,vcattle,vgoats,vsheep,vswine,v
dogs,vandvcats

1. DissectingvMedicalvTerms
a. Roots
i. DefinitionvofvavRoot
ii. ExamplesvofvRoots
b. Prefix
i. DefinitionvofvavPrefix
ii. ExamplesvofvPrefixes
1. FunctionvofvContrastingvPrefixes
2. FunctionvofvDirectionalvPrefixes
c. Suffix
i. DefinitionvofvavSuffix
ii. ExamplesvofvSuffixes
1. FunctionvofvPertainingvTovSuffixes
2. FunctionvofvSurgicalvSuffixes
3. FunctionvofvProceduralvSuffixes
4. FunctionvofvDoublevRvSuffixes
5. FunctionvofvConditionalvSuffixes
6. FunctionvofvStructuralvSuffixes
d. CombiningvVowels
i. Definition
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