Care of flexible endoscopes for veterinary nurses

Abstract:

Endoscopy is becoming an increasingly common procedure in many veterinary practices and a wide range of endoscopes are more readily available on the market. The registered veterinary nurse (RVN) can play a vital role in the setup, conducting and the clean down of the procedure but knowledge of how to handle and care for these expensive pieces of equipment is crucial. This article will outline the basic components of flexible endoscopes, describing how to maintain them and discuss the ancillary equipment that may be used during the procedure.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura George

Laura qualified as an RVN in 2010 and moved to the Internal Medicine Department at DWR the same year. She worked as an Internal Medicine Nurse for over 7 years and became the Internal Medicine Nurse Supervisor in 2016. Laura then moved to the ICU department in 2018 to become a Critical Care Nurse and in May 2018, Laura was appointed Critical Care Nurse Manager. In 2020, after 2 years in ICU, she returned to the Internal Medicine department to continue her career in this area. In 2013 she was awarded the Advanced Diploma in Veterinary Nursing of Small Animal Patients and followed this up by gaining her Certificate of Veterinary Nursing in Emergency and Critical Care in 2016. In 2017, she achieved the Veterinary Technician Specialist qualification in Small Animal Internal Medicine.