Are there benefits to using a team-based approach to developing balanced anesthesia drug protocols in veterinary...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Anesthesia and Analgesia

Background:

• Veterinary technicians often face career attrition within 5-7 years due to underutilization of their skills.
• Graduates from AVMA-accredited programs possess training in anesthesia and pain management that is frequently untapped.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a team-based anesthesia approach on veterinary technician engagement and patient care.
• To promote optimized role delegation for enhanced surgical and procedural efficiency and patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Implementing a collaborative, team-based model for anesthesia and analgesia planning and execution.
• Integrating credentialed veterinary technicians into all phases of anesthetic care, from preassessment to discharge.

Main Results:

• The team-based model streamlines workflow and improves patient care.
• Heightened team engagement was observed, optimizing the utilization of veterinary technician expertise.

Conclusions:

• A team-based approach is crucial for maximizing veterinary technician capabilities and mitigating career attrition.
• Optimized role delegation within a collaborative anesthesia team improves efficiency and patient outcomes.