20 Office & Hospital Procedures Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A veterinary assistant is admitting a dog for a dental procedure. Before the patient is taken back to the treatment area, what is the correct way to confirm the right patient and the right procedure?

   • A.Confirm the patient's breed and coat colour with the client, then write the procedure on tape on the kennel door.
   • B.Ask the client which procedure the pet is here for and place the pet in the nearest open kennel.
   • C.Match the appointment time on the schedule to the pet in the lobby and let the team pull the record later.
   • D.Confirm the client's surname and the patient's name against the record, then make a cage card listing the procedure.✓ Answer

   Patient identity is confirmed with two identifiers, normally the client's surname plus the patient's name checked against the record, and the cage card made at admission becomes the patient's primary identification inside the hospital, carrying the procedure, fasting status and any handling warning. Breed and coat colour do not reliably separate two similar patients, and an unlabelled kennel invites a wrong-patient procedure.

   Source: NAVTA Essential Skills for Veterinary Assistants — Office and Hospital Procedures, admitting patients; AAHA Standards of Accreditation, patient identificationReport a problem with this question

2. 2. Which statement describes wave scheduling as it is used in a veterinary practice?

   • A.Several patients are booked at the top of the hour and seen in arrival order.✓ Answer
   • B.Each patient is given one specific slot of a set length by visit type.
   • C.Whole segments of the day are reserved for one category of appointment.
   • D.Patients are booked into the first half of the hour, leaving the rest open.

   In wave scheduling a group of patients is booked at the top of each hour and worked through in the order they arrive, which absorbs no-shows and late arrivals but can crowd the reception area. Modified wave books only the first part of the hour and leaves the rest free to catch up, fixed scheduling gives each patient one slot, and block scheduling reserves whole segments for one type of work.

   Source: Standard veterinary practice management texts — appointment scheduling systems (fixed, wave, modified wave, block); NAVTA Essential Skills, appointment schedulingReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A hospitalized cat's progress note is written in SOAP format. Which entry belongs in the Objective section?

   • A.The veterinarian's conclusion that the signs point to kidney disease.
   • B.The order for blood work and a recheck appointment in one week.
   • C.The rectal temperature, pulse and respiratory rate measured this morning.✓ Answer
   • D.The owner's report that the cat has been hiding and eating less at home.

   Objective data are the measurable, observable findings the team records: temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, body condition, capillary refill time and laboratory results. What the owner reports is Subjective, the veterinarian's interpretation is the Assessment, and the diagnostics and follow-up ordered are the Plan.

   Source: Problem-Oriented Medical Record and SOAP format, AAHA medical records guidanceReport a problem with this question

4. 4. An assistant discovers that a patient's weight was written into the wrong dog's paper record. How should the error be corrected?

   • A.Erase the entry completely, rewrite the correct weight in pencil, and initial and date it.
   • B.Cover the entry with correction fluid, write the correct weight above it, and initial and date it.
   • C.Black out the entry with a marker, write the correct weight beside it, and initial and date it.
   • D.Draw one line through the entry so it stays readable, add the correct weight, and initial and date it.✓ Answer

   The medical record is a legal document, so an error is corrected in a way that leaves the original entry readable: a single line through it, the correction written next to it, and the author's initials and the date. Erasing, whiting out or blacking out an entry destroys the original and makes the record look altered, and entries are made in ink rather than pencil for the same reason.

   Source: AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics — medical records; standard medical record correction practice (single line, initials, date)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A client is moving away and asks to take her dog's file and radiographs to a new veterinarian. How should this be handled?

   • A.The practice releases the record only after the new veterinarian sends a written request for it.
   • B.The practice keeps the original record and images and gives the client copies for a reasonable fee.✓ Answer
   • C.The practice releases a written summary only, because copies of the record are never given to clients.
   • D.The practice hands over the original record and the original images because the client paid for them.

   The record and the original diagnostic images are the property of the practice that created them, while the client is entitled to a copy or a summary on request and may be charged a reasonable duplication fee. The originals are retained because the practice must be able to produce them later if the care it gave is ever questioned.

   Source: AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics — ownership and release of veterinary medical records and radiographsReport a problem with this question

6. 6. A caller identifies herself as a client's neighbour and asks whether that client's dog tested positive for a contagious disease. What rule applies?

   • A.Veterinary records are confidential, so nothing is released without the client's authorization.✓ Answer
   • B.Records may be discussed with any caller who gives the patient's name and the client's address.
   • C.Contagious disease results may be shared with a neighbour, because they are public information.
   • D.Veterinary records fall under HIPAA, so nothing may be released outside the practice.

   Veterinary records are confidential and are released only with the client's authorization, or when a court order or a mandatory public-health report requires it. HIPAA governs human health information and does not apply to veterinary practices, so it is a common but incorrect explanation for a duty that actually comes from veterinary practice acts and professional ethics.

   Source: AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics — confidentiality of veterinary records; HIPAA (45 CFR Parts 160 and 164) applies to human health informationReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A hospitalized dog now needs care that will cost well above the high end of the signed estimate. What should happen next?

   • A.The remaining care waits until the client authorizes the additional cost.✓ Answer
   • B.The remaining care proceeds and the amount above the estimate is written off by the practice.
   • C.The remaining care is postponed until the client returns for the scheduled recheck visit.
   • D.The remaining care proceeds and the extra charges are explained to the client at discharge.

   A signed estimate is an authorization limit as well as a price range, so the client must be reached and must approve the additional cost before the extra care is given. Doing the work first and explaining it at discharge takes away the client's chance to make an informed decision and is the most common source of billing disputes.

   Source: AAHA Standards of Accreditation — estimates and client authorizationReport a problem with this question

8. 8. At discharge, a client asks the assistant whether she can double her dog's pain medication because he still seems sore. What is the appropriate response?

   • A.Tell her to give the extra dose tonight and to call in the morning if he is still sore.
   • B.Tell her to stop the medication until the recheck because the dog still seems painful.
   • C.Tell her that doubling the dose is safe as long as it is given with a full meal.
   • D.Tell her that only the veterinarian can change the dose, and bring the veterinarian in.✓ Answer

   Changing a dose is prescribing, and prescribing is the veterinarian's responsibility; an assistant may hand over and reinforce the written discharge instructions but may not originate or alter medical advice. The correct step is to route the question to the veterinarian and then document in the record what the client was told.

   Source: NAVTA Policy on Veterinary Assistant Programs — assistants work under veterinary supervision; AVMA on veterinarian responsibility for diagnosis and prescriptionReport a problem with this question

9. 9. A treatment sheet reads "1 drop OU q12h." Where is the medication placed?

   • A.Right ear only
   • B.Both ears
   • C.Both eyes✓ Answer
   • D.Right eye only

   OU means both eyes, OD the right eye and OS the left eye, while AU, AD and AS are the matching abbreviations for both ears, the right ear and the left ear. Because the eye and ear abbreviations look so much alike, the treatment sheet is checked against the record and the medication label before anything is given.

   Source: Standard veterinary medical terminology references — ophthalmic and otic abbreviations OD/OS/OU and AD/AS/AUReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A client calls to say her 3-year-old male cat has spent the morning going in and out of the litter box, straining and crying, and has passed nothing. She thinks he is constipated. What should the assistant do?

    • A.Have the cat brought in now and tell the veterinary team that a straining male cat is coming.✓ Answer
    • B.Suggest more water and a warm quiet spot and watching the litter box for another day at home.
    • C.Book the cat for the next routine appointment available later in the week for constipation.
    • D.Advise adding fibre or a hairball remedy to his food and calling back tomorrow if he is no better.

    A male cat straining repeatedly and producing nothing is treated as a urethral obstruction until a veterinarian proves otherwise, and owners very commonly describe it as constipation; an obstructed cat can become critically ill within hours as potassium rises and the bladder distends. Recognizing the urgency and handing the call to the veterinary team is exactly what the assistant is expected to do, and no home remedy or wait-and-see advice may be offered.

    Source: NAVTA Essential Skills — recognize veterinary medical emergencies and notify appropriate personnel; standard small animal emergency triage references (feline urethral obstruction)Report a problem with this question

11. 11. A client calls about a large deep-chested dog that ate an hour ago and is now pacing and retching without bringing anything up, with a swollen abdomen. What should the assistant do?

    • A.Tell the client to give an antacid from the drugstore and book an appointment for tomorrow.
    • B.Tell the client to walk the dog to help him belch and to come in tonight if he worsens.
    • C.Tell the client to come in now and alert the team that a possible bloat is on the way.✓ Answer
    • D.Tell the client to withhold food overnight and to call back in the morning with an update.

    Unproductive retching with a distended abdomen in a large deep-chested dog shortly after a meal fits gastric dilatation and volvulus, in which the stomach fills with gas and twists so that blood flow to it and back to the heart is cut off. This kills within hours, so the assistant's job is to recognize the pattern, get the dog moving toward the hospital and notify the veterinary team at once rather than offering any home measure.

    Source: Standard small animal emergency triage references (gastric dilatation-volvulus); NAVTA Essential Skills — telephone recognition of veterinary medical emergenciesReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A new client's dog was previously seen at another practice, and the veterinarian wants those records. What has to happen first?

    • A.The other practice releases the file once the veterinarian telephones and identifies himself.
    • B.The client authorizes the release, and the request is then sent from practice to practice.✓ Answer
    • C.The client obtains the records personally, because practices do not send files to each other.
    • D.The client describes verbally what was done, and that summary is entered into the new record.

    Records move between practices on the client's authorization, preferably in writing, because the record is confidential and belongs to the practice that created it. A veterinarian's phone call is not authorization by itself, and second-hand history from the owner is no substitute for the original file, which is why the request is documented and sent practice to practice.

    Source: NAVTA Essential Skills — requesting records from other veterinary facilities; AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, record release with client authorizationReport a problem with this question

13. 13. An assistant is restocking a shelf that still holds several boxes of the same product. Where should the newly received boxes go?

    • A.On a separate shelf, so the new lot stays apart from the older lot now in use.
    • B.Wherever there is room, since the shelves are checked for expired product monthly.
    • C.In front of the existing boxes, so the freshest product on hand is the one used first.
    • D.Behind the existing boxes, after checking that the boxes already there have not expired.✓ Answer

    Stock is rotated first in, first out: new product goes behind what is already on the shelf so that the shortest-dated item is reached first, and expiration dates are checked at every restock. Placing new stock in front leaves the older product sitting until it expires, which is a direct financial loss and risks an out-of-date product being used on a patient.

    Source: Veterinary inventory management guidance — first in, first out stock rotation and expiration checkingReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A distributor delivery arrives at the practice. What should the assistant do before signing for it and putting the items away?

    • A.Sign for the delivery first so the driver can leave, then check the boxes after closing.
    • B.Check the contents against last month's invoice and file the packing slip unopened.
    • C.Shelve the contents quickly and compare the quantities when the monthly statement arrives.
    • D.Check the contents against the packing slip and note any damage or missing items.✓ Answer

    The packing slip states what the distributor actually shipped, so the delivery is checked against it and any damage, shortage or substitution is noted before the receipt is signed; the invoice is what the practice is billed and is reconciled against the packing slip afterwards. Items that require refrigeration go into the refrigerator immediately rather than waiting on the counter while the rest is unpacked.

    Source: Veterinary inventory management guidance — receiving procedures, packing slip versus invoiceReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A kennel run has dried faeces in one corner, and the disinfectant label states a ten-minute contact time. What is the correct sequence?

    • A.Apply the disinfectant at double strength over the debris and wipe the run dry right away.
    • B.Remove the debris and wash the surface, apply the disinfectant, and leave it wet ten minutes.✓ Answer
    • C.Rinse the run with plain water, apply the disinfectant, and rinse it off again immediately.
    • D.Apply the disinfectant over the debris, wait ten minutes, then scrub the run and rinse it.

    Organic material such as faeces, blood and pus binds and inactivates disinfectants, so the surface must be physically cleaned with detergent first; the disinfectant is then applied and left visibly wet for the full contact time on the label before rinsing and drying. Wiping the product off early or increasing the concentration does not make up for skipped cleaning or a shortened contact time.

    Source: Disinfectant label directions and standard veterinary sanitation practice — cleaning before disinfection and observing contact timeReport a problem with this question

16. 16. Which statement correctly distinguishes the terms used for hospital hygiene?

    • A.A disinfectant is applied to living tissue, and an antiseptic to inanimate surfaces.
    • B.Sterilization and disinfection both destroy bacterial spores on the surface treated.
    • C.Cleaning and sanitizing both destroy bacterial spores on the surface treated.
    • D.A disinfectant is applied to inanimate surfaces, and an antiseptic to living tissue.✓ Answer

    A disinfectant is formulated for inanimate surfaces and an antiseptic for living tissue, which is why one is never substituted for the other. Cleaning physically removes debris, sanitizing lowers microbial numbers to a safe level, disinfection kills most organisms on a surface, and only sterilization, such as autoclaving instruments, destroys all microorganisms including bacterial spores.

    Source: Standard veterinary assisting and infection control references — cleaning, sanitizing, disinfection, sterilization and antisepticsReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A dog with suspected parvovirus is hospitalized in isolation. How should the day's kennel cleaning be ordered?

    • A.Clean isolation last, after the healthy wards then the sick wards, with its own tools.✓ Answer
    • B.Clean isolation whenever it is convenient, since gowns and gloves alone prevent any spread.
    • C.Clean isolation first while staff are fresh, then the sick wards, then the healthy wards.
    • D.Clean isolation and the general wards together with one mop and bucket of disinfectant.

    Cleaning always moves from the cleanest area to the dirtiest, so healthy patients are done first and isolation is done last, with mops, buckets, bowls and protective clothing that stay in the isolation room and are put on and taken off at its door. Parvovirus is a hardy non-enveloped virus that survives in the environment for months, so shared equipment or a convenient cleaning order carries it straight into the general wards.

    Source: AAHA infection control guidance — clean-to-dirty workflow and dedicated isolation equipmentReport a problem with this question

18. 18. Which practice does the most to limit the spread of zoonotic and hospital-acquired infections in a veterinary hospital?

    • A.Wearing one pair of examination gloves through a run of appointments.
    • B.Washing hands between every patient and after every glove change.✓ Answer
    • C.Spraying disinfectant into the air of the ward at the end of each shift.
    • D.Wearing a mask in the ward while handling patients and their bedding.

    Hand hygiene between every patient contact and after gloves come off is the single most effective control, because hands are the main vehicle that carries organisms from patient to patient and from patient to staff. Gloves become contaminated themselves and do not replace hand washing, and spraying disinfectant into the air does nothing about the surfaces and hands that actually transfer infection.

    Source: CDC hand hygiene guidance and AAHA infection control guidance — hand hygiene as the primary control measureReport a problem with this question

19. 19. An assistant dilutes a concentrated disinfectant into an unmarked spray bottle for use in the exam rooms. What does hazard communication require?

    • A.Leave the bottle unlabelled, as long as it is emptied during the same shift.
    • B.Label the bottle with the identity of the product and its hazard warnings.✓ Answer
    • C.Label the bottle with the date it was filled and the initials of the filler.
    • D.Label the bottle only if the concentrate's data sheet lists it as corrosive.

    Hazard communication requires that a chemical transferred into a secondary container be labelled with the product identity and the hazard information, so that anyone who picks the bottle up knows what is in it and how it can hurt them. The practice must also keep a current safety data sheet for every hazardous chemical, readily accessible to staff on every shift without asking a manager.

    Source: OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200 — secondary container labeling and access to safety data sheetsReport a problem with this question

20. 20. While clearing the treatment table, an assistant finds a used needle and syringe. How should they be disposed of?

    • A.Recap the needle by hand, then drop the needle and syringe into the sharps container.
    • B.Recap the needle and place the needle and syringe into the regular treatment room trash.
    • C.Pull the needle off by hand and put it in the biohazard bag along with the syringe.
    • D.Place the needle and syringe, still uncapped, straight into the sharps container.✓ Answer

    Used needles are never recapped or pulled off by hand; the needle and syringe go directly into a puncture-resistant, closable sharps container, because most needlestick injuries happen during recapping and manipulation rather than during the injection itself. A biohazard bag and general trash do not contain a needle and put housekeeping and waste handlers at risk.

    Source: OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — sharps containers and prohibition on recapping needlesReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the NAVTA veterinary assistant skill categories and standard veterinary assisting practice. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NAVTA. Note that the Approved Veterinary Assistant credential requires completing a NAVTA-approved training program before you may sit the exam — this bank is study material, not a substitute for that program, and it cannot cover the hands-on skills your program assesses in a clinic. What an assistant is permitted to do is set by your state's veterinary practice act and by what the supervising veterinarian delegates, so nothing here should be read as authorising a task where you work. About the AVA credential →