When your pet needs veterinary care, there’s a whole team here at AREC working behind the scenes to make sure they’re safe, comfortable and well looked after. But did you know that veterinary nurses’ roles vary depending on the type of care your pet requires?
Here at AREC, our emergency vet nurses and surgical vet nurses work together to care for your pets every day. While both require advanced skills and dedication, their day-to-day work can look quite different.
EMERGENCY VET NURSES
Emergency nurses are the first point of contact in critical situations. They play a central role at every stage, alongside the vets, to provide attentive, round-the-clock care. They are specially trained to:
- Triage and gather information from pet owners and get the pet’s vital signs to assess and quickly prioritise which pets need immediate attention.
- Stabilise pets in critical conditions, whether that’s providing oxygen, placing IV lines or controlling bleeding.
- Support the vets in life-saving procedures by preparing the surgery and preparing the patients, often under time pressure and with unstable patients.
- Monitor patients manually and with specialised equipment, tracking vital signs closely when they are unstable, ready to intervene if there are concerns.
- Perform inhouse diagnostic testing including radiographs, blood and urine tests.
- Provide ongoing care for inpatients – maintaining nutrition, comfort and pain management.
- Support pet owners by explaining each stage of care and offering reassurance during a stressful time.
- Discharge patients and support pet owners by educating them about medications and ongoing care.
- Maintain a clean and stocked hospital ready for use 24/7.
- Ensure seamless patient care across ECC nurses to provide the best 24/7 care.
It’s a fast-paced, demanding role that calls for calm under pressure and excellent technical and communication skills.
SURGICAL VET NURSES
Our surgical nurses provide the highest-level perioperative care – ensuring that the surgery is not just about the operation itself, but also about every detail that keeps pets safe before, during and after. Surgical nurses are responsible for:
- Preparing advanced anaesthetic and pain management plans for patients and their varying health conditions.
- Understanding drug selection, dosages, side effects and expectations.
- Preparing patients for surgery, including anaesthesia, clipping and sterile preparation.
- Monitoring anaesthetics with specialised equipment, including supervised induction and intubation, making sure pets stay safe and stable during surgery. Also understanding and managing ventilators for specialised procedures.
- Providing sterile interoperative assistance to surgeons and having a knowledge of various surgeries to provide specialised assistance.
- Having an exceptional understanding of asepsis, the sterile field and the environment.
- Assisting with advanced imaging procedures (CT, MRI and radiographs).
- Being involved from the initial consultation through to discharge and post-operative recommendations such as Rehabilitation.
- Caring for pets in recovery and managing pain relief and aftercare, including providing client support such as education, demonstration and admin/discharge procedures.
This role requires precision, attention to detail and deep knowledge of anaesthesia and surgical safety.
WORKING SIDE BY SIDE
Although emergency and surgical vet nurses focus on different areas, they often cross paths. An emergency case may need urgent surgery, meaning both teams work together to give a pet the best chance of recovery.
As do emergency nurses, surgical nurses support families through planned procedures, recovery and rehabilitation. Working closely with the overnight hospital team, they ensure smooth handovers and a consistent, premium care experience.
Both roles share the same commitment: keeping pets safe, comfortable and cared for, no matter the circumstances. Their teamwork, skills and compassion are at the heart of every patient’s journey through our hospital.
While the above lists might seem extensive, they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the knowledge, skills and care both types of vet nurses develop throughout their careers.
Learn more about our Surgery service, or Meet the Team to get to know our amazing and dedicated nurses.
