How to Become a Veterinary Assistant in Nebraska

Many people are animal lovers but do not know what they would like to become in their life.

Being an animal lover means that you care for their health and well-being.

That is why you might think about becoming a veterinarian or veterinary assistant.

Possessing the love for animals is the first and most crucial step towards a career in veterinary sciences.

If you cannot afford to study at the university to become a veterinarian, getting into the field with the role of vet assistant is not too demanding and expensive, though.

Job Description

The veterinary assistant duties are usually centered around supporting veterinary technicians and veterinarians.

They not only play a crucial role in helping to perform daily tasks in taking care of both big and small animals but also provide comfort and support to pet owners.

The places where the commonly work are a veterinary clinic or an animal hospital, but you might find them in animal shelters and zoos as well

Their duties differ according to their education and eagerness to involve themselves more deeply into their job.

Some assistants just work behind the counter, where they answer calls and collect data.

On the other hand, there are those more educated who serve in surgery or animal patient examination rooms.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Nebraska

For those people who are interested in veterinary medicine but are not able to afford higher education, it is good to learn that becoming a veterinary assistant only requires a high school diploma or GED equivalency.

All the duties will be learned at the job, once you get it.

However, many employers are searching for an assistant who will know what he/she has to do once he/she enters the clinic.

That is the reason why you should seek out more education and practice if you want to make yourself an attractive candidate.

First of all, during your high school, you can select courses like biology and chemistry to get a glance at what you might be involved in.

Then, you might look for training that will provide you with the necessary knowledge.

There are many programs where you can gain valuable real-world experience which can lead to a permanent job at the clinic or hospital and where you will learn the inside secrets of how to become a successful veterinary in a few months.

A few veterinary assistant campus and programs in Nebraska are:

• Southeast Community College
• Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Requirements

To become a veterinary assistant, you will need to pass six months to the one-year program which will prepare you to assist members of the veterinary team.

There you will learn all the skills required to assist professionals, and upon completion of the program, you will be able to care for patients’ basic needs.

Not only that you will get the knowledge, but what is more important you will practice and train how to assist the technologist and technician with laboratory work and prepare labels for medication among many other activities.

Vet assistants are not required to hold an AVA to pursue their career and opportunities of a veterinary assistant.

Many people get confused by this, but still, the importance of education is proved by the fact that numerous veterinary assistants who are already employed but do not possess licenses are entering programs to advance their careers.

The license can be gained at any of NAVTA online programs and campuses organized throughout the USA and Canada.

Getting a Job

If you possess a license as a kind of evidence that you are well competent to perform all the duties required by the job, you will be a more desirable candidate once you apply for the job.

Those people who have passed the tests and education possess greater self-confidence thus improving their priority over vet assistants without an AVA certification.

These are some of the veterinary assistant employers in Nebraska offering possibilities to veterinary assistants and whether they will look for a certified or noncertified veterinary assistant depends on the employers themselves.

Potential veterinary assistant employers in Nebraska are:

• Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association
• NVMA
• VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
  • VCA MidWest Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center
  • VCA Animal Medical Center of Omaha
  • VCA 80 Dodge Animal Hospital
• Banfield Pet Hospital
  • West Maple
  • Oak View
  • Papillion

Salary

The salary of a veterinary assistant in Nebraska is not at all satisfactory and motivating.

If you just think about the income, you might think that this is not a good career opportunity, but if you take into consideration that you will help animals in need, then this is an awesomely rewarding career.

Employment opportunities are forecasted to grow over the next 10 ten years which is above average, and it is believed that the salaries will grow, too.

Salary differs from state to state, as well as from place to place.

This is due to the area development and citizen’s employment, the number of animal owners and facilities, and the demand for animal care.

The average salary in Nebraska ranges from $24 400 in Norfolk up to $ 28 031 in Bellevue.

Here is the table showing different veterinary assistant salaries in various cities in Nebraska:

Regional Salary in Nebraska

Duties

Veterinary assistants perform a wide range of responsibilities within a veterinary clinic.

The least important task, but not at all negligible is responding to client questions and explaining the procedures and aftercare.

They also need to perform administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, organizing files and cooperating with other facilities.

Their other responsibilities are related to the animal patients in the clinic, such as grooming them, feeding them and checking on their condition.

The most educated ones are involved in surgeries, interventions and medication applications, which is not at all naïve.

Some animal hospitals and clinics are open seven days a week which means a veterinary assistant may be required to work night shifts, weekends and on holidays.

If it is a clinic that answers emergency calls, then they will need to work on the field, too.

Veterinary Assisting by State