Pulse - April 2021 - 15

3. Observation: The doctor/manager must observe the
staff member performing the procedure.

a. Document the review with the date.

b. File all paperwork in the personnel file.
Dr. Lewis recognizes the value of having MAs develop
strong relationships with patients and encourages her
colleagues to seek out strong, confident, ambitious team
members who-like Josephine-will suggest new ways
to expand patient access. While it was Josephine's idea to
test out the MA concept, Dr. Lewis created templates for
her MAs and scripts for working with patients. And she
continues to train the MAs on different procedures to
expand patient access to care.
Her goal is to ensure that patients feel as comfortable
working with her MAs-who now have their own business cards-as they do with her. She admits that some
patients-or family members-blanch when she introduces the concept of seeing one of the MAs for future
needs, it only happens once. " And then they ask for the
MAs when they call for their second appointments. "
" Why should an old lady have to wait a half hour to
see me for a procedure that one of my MAs can handle?
In the veterinary realm that might translate to drawing

represents the practice of veterinary medicine or requires the knowledge, skill and
training of a licensed veterinarian, unless
specifically so provided by regulation:
(1) Surgery
(2) Diagnosis and prognosis of animal
diseases
(3) Prescription of drugs, medicines, or
appliances
(b) An RVT may perform the following
procedures only under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian:
* Induce anesthesia.
* Apply casts and splints.
* Perform dental extractions.
* Suture cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues, gingiva, and oral mucous
membranes
* Create a relief hole in the skin to facilitate
placement of an intravascular catheter.
An RVT may perform the following
procedures under indirect supervision of a
licensed veterinarian:
* Administer controlled substances.
Subject to the provisions of subsection(s)
of this section, an RVT may perform animal

PULSE

APRIL 2021

blood, dressing changes, putting in IVs but it's work that
you can pull off a doctor's plate. "
And with skilled professionals who can handle work
that doesn't require a doctorate, now is the time to
ensure you're investing in them, expanding patient
access, and reducing the potential for burnout among
veterinarians. It's not often that a solution to an industrywide issue comes tied up in one tidy package but
optimizing staff might do more for your practice than
you'd imagined possible. P

Resources:

AVMA report: https://bit.ly/3vHeAAC
CA business and practice act: https://bit.ly/3r0wgDx
CA business and professions code: https://bit.ly/311O32G

Additional reading:

Staffing shortage threatens health of 75 million pets by 2030:
https://bit.ly/3eXyZeU
How to use technicians as physicians assistants:
https://bit.ly/3lvKDyC
Improve your practice's bottom line: Effectively use veterinary technicians: https://bit.ly/2OGZqe7

health care tasks under the direct or indirect
supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The
degree of supervision by a licensed veterinarian over an RVT shall be consistent with standards of good veterinary medical practices.
Authority cited: Sections 4808, 4826 and
4836, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 4836, 4840 and 4840.2,
Business and Professions Code.

2069. Emergency Animal Care
Emergency animal care rendered by an
RVT.
Under conditions of an emergency as
defined in Section 4840.5, an RVT may
render the following lifesaving aid and
treatment to an animal:
Application of tourniquets and/or pressure bandages to control hemorrhage.
Administration
of
pharmacological agents to prevent or control shock,
including parenteral fluids, shall be performed after direct communication with
a licensed veterinarian or veterinarian
authorized to practice in this state. In the
event that direct communication cannot

be established, the RVT may perform
in accordance with written instructions
established by the employing veterinarian.
Such veterinarian shall be authorized to
practice in this state.
* Resuscitative oxygen procedures.
* Establishing open airways including intubation appliances but excluding surgery.
* External cardiac resuscitation.
* Application of temporary splints or bandages to prevent further injury to bones
or soft tissues.
* Application of appropriate wound dressings and external supportive treatment
in severe burn cases.
* External supportive treatment in heat
prostration cases.
* Authority cited: Sections 4808 and
4836, Business and Professions Code.
Reference: Section 4840.5, Business and
Professions Code.
Source: California Veterinary Medical
Board: https://www.vmb.ca.gov/laws_regs/
rvttasks.shtml

https://www.bit.ly/3vHeAAC https://www.bit.ly/3r0wgDx https://www.bit.ly/311O32G https://www.bit.ly/3eXyZeU https://www.bit.ly/3lvKDyC https://www.bit.ly/2OGZqe7 https://www.vmb.ca.gov/laws_regs/rvttasks.shtml https://www.vmb.ca.gov/laws_regs/rvttasks.shtml

Pulse - April 2021

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