第3部

あるべき動物看護職を模索する〜動物看護職の現状と将来〜

Part 3: Exploring How Veterinary Nursing Should Be〜 The Present Situation and Future of the Veterinary Nursing Profession 〜
坂田光子 坂田動物病院 動物看護職・マネージャー
Mitsuko SAKATA Animal Nurse, Manager, Sakata Animal Hospital[Slide 1] Thank you for thiscities. That is why Sanjo City was chosen as the site toopportunity to speak today. My nameestablish the Niigata Prefecture Clinical Society for Smallis Mitsuko Sakata.

Animals, where its monthly study meetings are beingheld. We opened our hospital 30 or 31 years ago in this[Slide 2] I think it is wonderful that wecity. At first, we had only one consultation room, one

now have the JVNA ( Japanesewaiting room and a treatment and operating room. AsVeterinary Nursing Association), afor the kennels, there was only an area for dogs. That isprofessional organization for veterinary nurses.

what our hospital was like around 1979. Then, as thebuilding became crowded, we rebuilt it 20 years ago.

[Slide 3] I think it was in 1995 that I participated in theWe recently renovated the building adjacent to ourInternational Congress of Veterinary Nursing, which washospital (in which an accounting office was housed)

held in England in the company of Ms. Chiharu Ishida,and turned it into an examination facility equipped withthen Head of Japanese Association of Veterinary Nurses.

a CT scanner. The total ﬂoor area has been increased to

I was impressed by the fact that this conference, at thatapproximately 1206 square meters, although we stilltime, already had more than 25 years of history and sofeel it is too small.

many programs were offered over a three-day period.
There were as many as 110 exhibit booths, many ofAbout 20 years ago, we sometimes performed

which were of various animal protection and welfare

operations on cats that were transferred to us from angroups.

industrial veterinarian who was practicing in Mitsuke, acity adjacent to Sanjo. Such operations became more

In 1988, I attended training in the Clinical Pathology Lab

frequent and we decided to establish another animalat Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University (former

hospital in Mitsuke as a joint investment with the

Nippon Veterinary and Zootechnical College). I also

industrial veterinarian. I became manager for bothjoined a training tour to UC Davis [in California] andhospitals. So, at present, we run two animal hospitals,

participated in the Western Veterinary Conference,

hiring 10 veterinarians (including part-time members)

which offered programs on veterinary nursing. Theand 35 other staff members including pet stylists andprograms oﬀered at the Convention Center (next to themanagement staff like myself for the two hospitals

hotel we were staying at) were those for veterinarians

combined.

and we, the veterinary nurses, had to take a bus toanother hotel to attend the nursing programs. I was[Slide 5] Now let me talk about my career as a veterinary

impressed by the number of veterinary nurses

nurse. It started in 1987 when I undertook training atattending and the number of programs for veterinary

the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine of thenurses offered independently from those forformer Nippon Veterinary and Zootechnical College

veterinarians.

(currently, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science
University). When the Japan Small Animal Veterinary[Slide 4] Our animal hospital is located in Sanjo City,Association began offering certification for veterinary

Niigata Prefecture. Sanjo City is geographically in thenurses, I was among the first group who received thecenter of the Prefecture and easily accessible from othercertification. Veterinary nurses in those days wereWorkshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

51

prohibited from carrying out diagnosis and operations.

And now let me boast a little bit about myself. I

And men were not allowed to be veterinary nurses.

graduated from university at the top of my class andwas commended by the president of the university. IThen, I obtained the Veterinary Technician certificate

think this was possible not only because of my hardfrom the Japanese Animal Hospital Association. I initiallywork but also thanks to my daily experience taking careobtained a Grade 2 certificate, but have since beenof sick animals and dealing with medicines at work.

unable to attend the seminars required for certificate
renewal because they usually coincide with CAPPIn 1999, I went to America and worked as a trainee at aseminars and I donʼt have enough credits for thehospital for humans for a short period. I wanted torenewal. So right now, I only hold a Grade 3 certiﬁcate.

practice as a pharmacist intern but I was not able tobecause even pharmacy students need a pharmacist

In 1998, I entered Niigata University of Pharmacy andassistants license in order to work in an American

Applied Life Sciences as a second bachelorʼs student inhospital. So, I consulted with my teacher and decided toorder to obtain a pharmacist license. So I am going toconduct a comparative research on the work oftalk about my experience of obtaining this license since

pharmacists in Japan and in America.

it links to the theme of todayʼs workshop. There was aninterview as a part of the admission process and I told

The hospital I worked at was a veteransʼ hospital which

the professor who interviewed me that I was dealing

provides all kinds of medical care for only two dollars

with medicines at an animal hospital and I would like toper month. Although the patients are treated in astudy pharmacy so that I can responsibly explain about

comfortable environment, there are limits to the extent

medicines. He said, “You can study pharmacy as anof care that can be covered with two dollars per month.

auditing student. Why do you want to study as a full-Specializing in cardiovascular diseases, including heart

time student?” I answered, “Because auditing students

infarction, the hospitalʼs medical care was provided bycannot obtain the license.” I had graduated from theclinical pharmacists, probably because of the highDepartment of Agriculture of Niigata University, but I

doctor salaries. Clinical pharmacists can listen tohave no qualiﬁcation and I felt that having a license or

patients and measure their blood pressure instead of a

not is really a big deal.

doctor, unlike Japanese pharmacists who cannot eventouch the patientʼs body. A clinical pharmacist meetsI sometimes have dinner and talk with the student

patients once in three months or so, measures theirinterns at our hospital who are studying veterinary

blood pressure and asks them questions about their

medicine, and they often talk about the national exam. I

daily lives. If a patient says something like “I attended afeel a little envious of them for having a chance toChristmas party and ate too much,” the clinicalreview everything they have studied as preparation forpharmacist would tell the patient to take an INA

the national exam. As an agriculture student, I could

examination. When the examination results become

graduate from college by simply accumulating

available, he would call the patient, report the result

necessary credits. I just made a quick review whileand give instructions for taking medicine, such as an

writing my graduation thesis. But veterinary students

anticoagulant called Warfarin. After that, he would send

today who have to take the national exam will be able

the medicine to the patient by post. This seems

to thoroughly review what they have learned because

somewhat rough, but such on-going medical care

you cannot tell what kind of questions will be asked inwithout a doctorʼs intervention seems to be offered

the exam. Talking with students as well as thewidely in the United States. That may be because inveterinarians at our hospital including my husband

America there are so many patients with heart infarction

made me realize that studying seriously like theseand patients who have undergone operations. Most ofveterinary students is very important.

the patients at that hospital were males aged over 70years old. I was very interested in such approach to52

Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurseschronic diseases by pharmacists.

make a label. Narcotics can be handled only bypharmacists. Narcotics and discarded medicines are

Around 1999 and 2000 in the United States, the period

stored in a secure inner room which only authorizedof study for pharmacy education was extended frompersonnel are allowed to access. This is for preventing

four years to six years. Graduates under this new system

discarded drugs being sold. I recently heard about acan obtain a degree called Pharm.D, which is almost

case of illegal sale of triazolam (Halcion) in Japan, but

equivalent to the Japanese Ph.D plus pharmacistʼs

the occurrence of such a case [in the US] would belicense combined. Pharmacists who had alreadyinconceivable because the hospital has really strict

graduated from a four-year university would be able tocontrol over handling medicines.

obtain Pharm. D by taking a correspondence course
which covers the contents that would be taught during

So in America, a pharmacist assistant will dispense

the two years that have been added. A student taking a

medicines according to prescriptions, and then acorrespondence course will receive assignments bypharmacist will explain about the medicine and hand it

post and work on these assignments while working as ato the patient. Animal hospitals in America are alreadytrainee in a pharmacy or a hospital under thehiring veterinary technician assistants and trainees. We

supervision of a pharmacist, who checks the assignment

may see qualiﬁed veterinary nurses and veterinary nurse

and gives his comments and signature before theassistants being hired by Japanese animal hospitals in

student sends the assignment back. The student on thethe near future.

correspondence course will be trained to become aclinical pharmacist in two years. I think this system is

When my family goes on a trip, we donʼt just go

interesting as a measure for the transition from a four-sightseeing, but try to participate in various activities.

year curriculum to a six-year curriculum.

One year, we went to Chicago, where we had a chance
to visit a childrenʼs hospital offering animal therapy.

The work of pharmacists at the hospital I worked at inWhen we visited Purdue University, we were able to see

America was tremendous and subject to very strict

the content of an exam for veterinary nurses. According

security controls. Pharmacists have to input their ID

to my husband, it was similar to an anatomy exam henumbers when entering the pharmacy, and access to

took when he was in veterinary college. We also visitedareas with more strict security controls is only permittedan animal hospital in Michigan where many veterinary

for senior pharmacists who require another ID number

specialists are working, a childrenʼs hospital in Ohioto enter. There are also pharmacist assistants who workoﬀering animal therapy, and the Animal Medical Center

under pharmacists. When a patient brings his or her

in New York. We have talked with many veterinaryprescription, a pharmacist will take him/her to a room

nurses working at the above facilities and most of themequipped with a computer which is connected to thesaid that they were doing almost all the work of the

medical records system. This is a system that all thehospital except consultation and operation because themedical professionals of the hospital can access byveterinarians are so busy writing reports about theirinputting an access code. The pharmacist checks theresearch and handling other paper work. I waspatientʼs medical records and explains to him/her about

impressed that all the veterinary nurses I met in America

the medicines prescribed previously and those being

seemed to be very proud of their profession. In Japan,

prescribed this time. The pharmacist also explains any

too, animal hospitals already cannot do without

potential side eﬀects, gives instructions on what to do if

veterinary nurses.

side effects do occur, or if the patient forgets to takemedicine, and offers advice on what the patient is[Slide 6] How much can animal hospitals contribute tosupposed to do up until the next consultation. Aftersociety? Our hospital is participating in JAHAʼs

that, a pharmacist assistant will dispense the medicine

Companion Animal Partnership Program (CAPP) andand the pharmacist will check the prescription andoﬀers four or ﬁve training classes per year for beginning

Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

53and intermediate levels. The intermediate class includes

When I was young, I learned the tea ceremony and I

lectures by Ms. Keiko Yamazaki of International Pet

think I have beneﬁted greatly from this experience. TheWorld College, and by Ms. Chizuko Yamaguchi. Thespirit of the tea ceremony is hospitality. In the tea

beginnerʼs class consists of reading the manual

ceremony, you are supposed to serve hot things hot

produced by JAHA and performing a mock visit. I wasand try to devise ways to serve hot things hot evenresponsible for training classes for the first two years

when itʼs cold outside. This is absolutely something thatsince 2003, but now we leave everything related to thehas a connection to veterinary nursing. Work life

training classes to a male veterinary nurse who works atbalance means creating a balance between work andour hospital. He graduated from the Animal Therapy

personal life. As a professional veterinary nurse, you

Coordinator Course at International Pet World College

should be able to handle patients with a smile, showing

and is currently teaching there as a part-time instructor.

no hint of panic even when you are the only one there

He also holds an engineering degree from Gunma

to attend to many patients. Most of all, to become such

University so we ask him to process our CT scannera veterinary nurse it is necessary to work hard toimages, including 3D rendering of scanned images,

improve skills and techniques on a daily basis. The point(although the actual scanning is done by a veterinarian).

is how quickly you can get ready and how accurately
you can predict the next step. A veterinary nurse should[Slides 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] When I think of how a veterinary

be able to provide nursing care backed by strong skills

nurse should be in the future, I think it will be important

and warm compassion while being successful in yourthat veterinary nurses will be able to make apersonal life. I would like to continue my effort torecognizable output to society. I want to support eﬀorts

promote such work life balance as the ideal way ofthat establish veterinary nursing as a reliable profession.

being as a veterinary nurse.

To this end, veterinary nurses need to develop theirabilities before they will be able to oﬀer service with aThis concludes my presentation. Thank you very muchsmile. [Slides 12] I would like veterinary nurses to befor listening.

able to treat animals not only with warm compassion
but also with expert knowledge and specialized skills.
Before concluding my presentation, I would like to talkabout a topic of ʻwork / life balanceʼ, which I included at
the end of my abstract. As I said earlier, I work as themanager of two animal hospitals. Beside this, I also work
as an advisor for a vocational school, as a school
pharmacist, as a drug and hygiene advisor (providing
information to local people on how to take medicinesafely), and as a night-shift pharmacist at an emergency
clinic (once a month). I enjoy working hard, but I also
enjoy playing tennis and skiing. One of my recent
passions is running, and I even completed a fullmarathon! I really gave it everything I had. In theevenings I also go to the gym with my husband as we
decided not to work so hard and have more private
time together. Both of us were a bit overweight, but wesuccessfully lost some weight and have been living amuch healthier life.

54

Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses䇼Slide 㪈䇽䇼Slide 㪌䇽䇼Slide 㪉䇽䇼Slide 㪍䇽䇼Slide 㪊䇽䇼Slide 㪎䇽䇼Slide 㪋䇽䇼Slide 㪏䇽Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses

55

䇼Slide 㪐䇽䇼Slide 㪈㪇䇽䇼Slide 㪈㪈䇽䇼Slide 㪈㪉䇽

56

Workshop Ⅴ Animal Care ̶ Role of Animal Hospitals and Nurses