Nurse three surgical patients from admission to discharge
You are a Veterinary Nurse at the Shepparton clinic.
What has happened
Wednesday's surgery list has a castration on a labrador, a dental scale and polish on an elderly poodle and a lump removal on a cat. The senior nurse has asked you to take primary responsibility for surgical nursing: preparing packs and the anaesthetic machine, running pre-anaesthetic checks, monitoring anaesthesia and analgesia, managing recovery and preparing discharge instructions. The poodle has a heart murmur noted on her record, and the cat is flagged as difficult to handle. Every controlled drug used must be entered in the Controlled Drugs Register at the time of use, and the Clinic Case Log must reflect each patient's stage in real time.
Deliverables
- Pre-anaesthetic check records for three patients
- Anaesthetic monitoring chart
- Controlled Drugs Register entries
- Updated Clinic Case Log entries
- Three sets of discharge instructions
Documents to use
Systems to use
Clinic Case Log
The daily consultation, admission and surgery log for the Shepparton clinic, used by reception, nurses and veterinarians.
WHS Incident and Hazard Register
The register of injuries, bites, near misses, hazards, escapes and property damage across all sites, with investigation and corrective action tracking.
Units of competency
Current on training.gov.au for the Animal Care and Management Training Package as at 10 September 2026.
ACMVET405Coordinate and perform surgical nursing routinesACMVET413Prepare for anaesthesia and monitor animal anaesthesia and analgesiaACMVET406Nurse animalsACMVET416Assist with the preparation of veterinary drugs and poisonsACMINF301Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal care workQualifications
ACM40418Certificate IV in Veterinary NursingWhat to look for
Evidence guide
Evidence must show a complete and legible anaesthetic chart, correct identification of patient risk factors, controlled drug entries that meet the register rules with no erasures, aseptic preparation, safe recovery handling for the flagged cat and discharge instructions an owner could follow. Escalation points to the veterinarian must be explicit.