General veterinarian jobs in Finland
General veterinarians are professionals with a comprehensive scientific education. They have the authority to carry out, in an independent, ethical and personally responsible capacity, all aspects of veterinary medicine, in the interest of the health and welfare of animals and public health in accordance with national and international legislation. The generalist veterinarian can work with any species, however they may choose to work with a single species or types such as equine, companion or production animals.
General veterinarian - Which skills are essential?
Awareness of hygiene and bio-security measures when working with animals, including causes, transmission and prevention of diseases and use of policies, materials and equipment.
Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.
Produce accurate descriptive certification of procedures carried out by a veterinarian.
Conduct and interprete simple procedures in a veterinary practice laboratory on samples of an animal intended to detect, identify, or quantify disease agents, evaluate organ functions, or determine the nature of a disease.
Create and maintain clinical records for animals according to national regulatory requirements.
Kill painlessly an animal suffering from an incurable and painful disease.
Plan and use appropriate biosafety measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure effective overall biosecurity. Maintain and follow biosecurity procedures and infection control when working with animals, including recognising potential health issues and taking appropriate action, communicating site hygiene control measures and biosecurity procedures, as well as reporting to others.
Perform clinical assessment and certification of the health status of food animals prior to slaughter.
Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.
Be able to read, understand and utilise the most current research available to justify decisions based on best practice.
Ensure a safe and humane interaction with the animal avoiding factors that will negatively affect their behaviours. This includes the use of humane training aids/equipment, as well as explaining their use to owners/keepers, to ensure they are used appropriately and the welfare of the animal is protected.
Adhere to veterinary professional codes of practice and legislation.
Advise livestock owners of economic aspects of disease eradication. Advise consumers of public health implications of diseases transmissible from animals to humans.
The principles of traceability, hygiene and processes involved in the production, manufacture, storage and putting into circulation of animal feedstuffs, or foodstuffs of animal origin intended for human and/or animal consumption.
Select, administer and monitor sedatives dispensed to animals for a medical intervention.
Assess the nutrition status of animals, diagnose dietary imbalances and prescribe correction.
The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.
Animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, hygiene and bio-security, ethology, protection and herd health management.
Universally recognized animal welfare needs as applied to species, situation and occupation. These are: need for a suitable environment need for a suitable diet need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Administer emergency treatment to prevent deterioration of the condition, suffering and pain until veterinary assistance can be sought. Basic emergency treatment needs to be done by non-veterinarians prior to first-aid provided by a veterinarian. Non-veterinarians providing emergency treatment are expected to seek treatment by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.
Types, methods and use of enrichment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, including the provision of environmental stimuli, feeding activities, puzzles, items for manipulation, social and training activities.
Plan, manage and evaluate the application of the five universally recognised animal welfare needs as appropriate to species, situation and own occupation.
Apply operative manual and instrument specific techniques on an animal with the intention of modifying physiological status, and/or restoring normal organ or tissue function or structure.
Conduct structured and empathetic communication with clients in order to ascertain or provide relevant clinical information concerning health status, treatment options or other ongoing care of the veterinary patient.
Issue certificates related to animal health and welfare or to animal products, based on the necessary examination or testing, in accordance with the principles of certification agreed at European level.
Veterinary anatomy, histology, embryology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, pharmacy, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, epidemiology and professional ethics.
Prescribe physical methods for therapy in animals, such as modification of exercise, massage, heat treatment, electrical and other wave based treatments.
Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and work environments.
Plan and use appropriate hygiene measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure an effective overall hygiene. Maintain and follow hygiene procedures and regulations when working with animals, communicate site hygiene controls and protocols to others. Manage the safe disposal of waste according to destination and local regulations.
Prescribe and/or administer all kinds of medications, including fluid replacement therapy by all routes. This includes assessment of the safety and efficacy of a single medicine, and of combinations of medicines, for use in the animal, while ensuring neither compromising the owner, nor public health.
Develop plans and strategies to deal with the animal in order to achieve established goals and optimal results.
Obtain specimens of an animal's body fluids, secretions, excretion or other tissues, in order to facilitate the diagnosis of health and disease.
Analyse animal and zoonotic disease morbidity and mortality in a given population and relate findings to the norm. This includes collection and analysis of data and information for use in individual animals, groups or more widely as part of a network of disease surveillance. Implement intervention and control measures.
Safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and working environment.
Perform gross examination of the animal corpse for the purpose of diagnosing the aetiology and pathophysiology of disease or death of animals and for the safety and quality of animal products entering the food chain.
Monitor animal health and welfare management and husbandry, and analyse risk factors in relation to animal health, disease and welfare status.
Prescribe, administer and manage the use of vaccines, immune stimulants and suppressors and anti-sera.
Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.
Identify and determine the physiological status of animals and the nature and cause of diseases in animals through evaluation of patient history, clinical examination, and the selection, taking and reviewing of confirmatory imaging, laboratory and other ancillary test data.
Monitor animals’ physical condition and behaviour and report any concerns or unexpected changes, including signs of health or ill-health, appearance, condition of the animals' accommodation, intake of food and water and environmental conditions.
Observe and evaluate the behaviour of animals in order to work with them safely and recognise deviations from normal behaviour that signal compromised health and welfare.
Implant microchips under the skin of animals.'
Provide veterinary information and insight, in cooperation with public health officials, with regard to zoonotic and infectious diseases, as well as to general animal care and welfare.
Provide training in basic handling, habituation, and obedience to enable the completion of day-to-day tasks while minimising the risks to the animal, the handler, and others.
Select, administer and monitor analgesics in animals.
Aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and disorders. This includes veterinary areas such as propaedeutics, clinical and anatomic pathology, microbiology, parasitology, clinical medicine and surgery (including anaesthetics), preventive medicine, diagnostic imaging, animal reproduction and reproductive disorders, veterinary state medicine and public health, veterinary legislation and forensic medicine, and therapeutics.
The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.
Select, administer, and monitor anaesthetics in animals in preparation for surgery.
The natural behavioural patterns of animals, i.e. how normal and abnormal behaviour might be expressed according to species, environment, human-animal interaction and occupation.
Prepare and provide information to individuals or groups of people on how to promote the health and well-being of animals, and how risks to animal health and welfare may be reduced. Provide recommendations for corrective actions.
Zoonoses are infectious diseases of animals that can naturally be transmitted to humans. They consist of a wide range of diseases and range from endemic zoonoses such as brucellosis, anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, parasitic diseases (hydatid disease, echinococcosis, trichinellosis) and rabies to emerging zoonoses, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza, Nipah/Hendra disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.
Supervise the handling and restraint of animals in connection with veterinary examination or other procedures.
General veterinarian - Which skills are useful but not essential?
Use different channels and learning styles such as journals, courses, and conferences to obtain new information, knowledge, skills, and know-how in relation to working with animals.
Categorise and verify information about the environment and its impact on the animal. Analyse the situation, such as what the animal may want or need.
Collaborate with veterinary and other animal related professionals through communication of animal details, case records and summary reports orally or via written or electronic transfer.
Maintain a positive attitude during challenging situations such as a misbehaving animal. Work under pressure and adapt to the circumstances in a positive manner.'
Manage the sequence of activities in order to deliver completed work on agreed deadlines by following a work schedule.
Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.
Guide and support less knowledgeable or less experienced colleagues.
Manage the organisational, financial and day-to-day operation of a small-to-medium enterprise.
Make simple calculations regarding the money that should be earned in relation to the number of hours worked.
Supervise nurses, trainees, healthcare assistants, support workers, and/or students by providing practical and theoretical training, mentoring, and support, as required.
Practise reasoning and apply simple or complex numerical concepts and calculations.
Make a choice from several alternative possibilities that promote the animal's well-being.
Ensure good relations with other animal welfare establishments and agencies.
Perform routine visits to farms in order to check the health of livestock.
Accept, schedule and cancel appointments.
Ask questions appropriate to the setting and purpose, with the aim to elicit accurate information on the animal's health condition, in order to facilitate a correct diagnosis.
Take responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional development based on reflection about own practice and through contact with peers and stakeholders.
Develop the schedule including procedures, appointments and working hours.
Work safely and communicate effectively with individuals and groups of people who are in challenging circumstances. This would include recognition of signs of aggression, distress, threatening and how to address them to promote personal safety and that of others.
Conduct self audit and peer group review processes in relation to professional standards in veterinary clinics.
Create and maintain administrative records for activities such as appointments and sales in the veterinary office.'