Q&A: Chief veterinary technician and motivations

Nancy Patsos, LVT, VTS (ECC), is chief veterinary technician at the Schwartzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York, overseeing licensed veterinary technician leaders, who are directors of clinic departments, and veterinary assistants. In an interview with dvm360, Patsos discussed the work of veterinary technicians, her path to becoming certified as an emergency care specialist, and challenges she sees in the profession.

Editor’s note: The following questions and answers have been consolidated and lightly paraphrased to fit this interview into a Q&A format.

dvm360: What drew you to emergency and critical care, and what continues to keep you motivated in that specialty?

Nancy Patsos: After I began working at AMC, I gravitated toward the critically ill patients, and I developed this passion for emergency and critical care. So after a few years of working in emergency and critical care, I decided I would study to [become a] VTS. It's a long process.

You have to work at least 3 years in that specialty. Then you apply to sit for the exam. It's an extended application process, where you have to submit case studies and case logs and so forth, and then it's the exam. Once you are accepted, you can sit for the exam the following year. So the [entire] process takes about 5 years.

dvm360: What makes you happy about being a veterinary technician?

Patsos: It's a lot of things. Right now, I'm more administrative but as a technician throughout the years, [the motivation is] just here at AMC. It's the standard of care that we offer. And we're also the only Level 1 trauma center in the tristate area—that's a big deal. And for me, my background in emergency and critical care is important and I learn something new every day, so it's pretty amazing.

dvm360: What makes you feel appreciated, and what can practices do to recognize the contributions of technicians?

Patsos: What makes techs feel appreciated daily is that genuine verbal acknowledgement, just saying ‘thank you, you did a great job.’ ‘How amazing you were with that, calming that patient and placing that catheter so smoothly.’ Verbal acknowledgement is one thing, [but also] being included in decision making.

As the chief tech, I really support shared governance; getting the technicians to be a part of those decisions that we're making, or [getting] their input, at least their voice. Respect for time and boundaries. [And] just understanding when they're getting overstressed and there's too much being thrown at them, that they need help.

Opportunities for growth. One of the major things I've done [at AMC] is created career pathways for technicians. We have an education department that can help them, assist them through their VTS process. So [appreciation] could be an educator. You can get your VTS. We have what we call ‘the advanced clinical technician,’ which comes after being a senior tech here. In a specialty practice, you have multiple skills from all different areas that you can qualify for as an advanced clinical technician, and going into leadership.

dvm360: What else would you like veterinary professionals to know about the veterinary technician experience?

Patsos: Veterinary technicians are the backbone of daily clinical operations. And while many veterinary professionals appreciate our work, it's important to truly understand the depth of the responsibilities and the physical and emotional labor, the passion we bring to the job. We are skilled professionals that trained in anesthesia, patient care, surgical and diagnostic equipment, client communications and more. So mostly, we're here because we love animals and care deeply about them and their well-being, supporting and uplifting. Techs ultimately improve patient care and overall clinical environment.

Bonus question: What are some challenges facing veterinary technicians? View this video for the response from Nancy Patsos, LVT, VTS (ECC).