Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Checklist: Day-One Skills & Equipment

A strong veterinary clinical skills lab is not built by buying the most realistic simulator in every category. It starts with the outcomes learners must demonstrate, then works backward to determine the practice tools, consumables, assessment methods, and station capacity needed to support those outcomes.

That approach aligns with the direction of modern veterinary education. The AAVMC Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) framework organizes veterinary graduate outcomes into nine domains and 32 core competencies, with the Competent milestone representing the expectation for day-one practice. For veterinary technician and veterinary nursing education, AAVMC’s 2025 CBVE-Nursing framework provides nine domains and 33 core competencies with suggested alignment to AVMA CVTEA Essential and Recommended Skills.

This veterinary clinical skills lab checklist turns those frameworks into a practical planning map. It focuses on clinical skills that benefit from repeatable hands-on practice and identifies the types of task trainers, supplies, and assessment resources that can support them.

What Does Accreditation Actually Require?

One of the most important distinctions when planning a veterinary skills lab is the difference between an accreditation requirement and an equipment recommendation.

CBVE, CBVE-Nursing, AVMA COE standards, and AVMA CVTEA requirements describe outcomes, competencies, skills, and assessment expectations. They do not prescribe a specific simulator brand, student-to-trainer ratio, or equipment package.

The AVMA CVTEA Essential and Recommended Skills provide an important reference for veterinary technician programs. For veterinary medical education, the AAVMC CBVE framework provides a competency-based structure for curriculum and assessment.

The product mapping in this guide should therefore be treated as a planning aid, not an accreditation checklist. Programs should verify current accreditation requirements, institutional policies, curriculum expectations, and applicable scope-of-practice requirements when building their lab plan.

What Are Veterinary Day-One Competencies?

“Day-one” is useful shorthand for the level of performance expected when a graduate enters practice.

Within the AAVMC CBVE milestones, the Competent level represents the expectation for day-one veterinary practice. That does not mean every graduate performs every procedure independently in every setting.

Competence also includes knowing when to act, when to ask for help, how to work within professional scope, and how to combine technical skill with clinical reasoning, communication, teamwork, documentation, and patient safety.

What Skills Should a Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Teach?

The exact skills will depend on the program, curriculum, learner level, and accreditation pathway. However, several clinical skills are particularly well suited to simulation because students benefit from deliberate, repeatable hands-on practice.

IV, Venipuncture & Injection

Vascular-access stations can support practice with patient positioning, anatomical landmarks, needle handling, vessel access, blood collection, IV catheter placement, and injection technique.

The Vicky Venipuncture & I.M. Simulator provides a multi-purpose starting point by combining venipuncture and intramuscular injection practice on one platform. Programs can also add site-specific trainers for canine IV, jugular, or other vascular-access objectives.

For a broader vascular-access station, see the VetiSimLab IV & Vascular Access collection.

Suturing & Wound Closure

Suturing is one of the strongest candidates for high-throughput simulation. Students can repeatedly practice needle control, instrument handling, knot tying, bite placement, tissue approximation, and closure technique without requiring a live patient.

The Practice Suture Kit with Demo Sutures provides a foundational platform for these skills. Programs can then progress to procedure-specific surgical trainers and dedicated suture or staple-removal practice.

Surgical Procedure Training

Surgical education may require more than isolated suturing. Procedure-specific models can help learners practice the sequence of a procedure, tissue handling, ligation, incision, procedural flow, and closure.

The Canine Neuter Simulator supports practice through a canine neuter sequence, including incision through closure. Replaceable components can also be incorporated into the lab’s ongoing replacement plan.

Airway & Anesthesia

Airway training requires coordinated technique. Learners need to practice positioning, laryngoscope handling, airway visualization, endotracheal tube selection, and controlled tube placement.

The Canine Intubation Head provides a dedicated platform for canine endotracheal intubation practice. Programs teaching additional species can add species-specific airway trainers when those skills are part of the curriculum.

Emergency & CPR

CPR training can extend beyond chest compressions. Depending on the learning objective, a veterinary emergency station can incorporate positioning, ventilation, airway management, monitoring, communication, timing, and team roles.

The CPR Dog CasPeR provides a veterinary-specific platform for canine CPR and resuscitation practice. It can be paired with airway equipment, ventilation supplies, monitoring tools, and structured emergency-response exercises.

Bandaging & Wound Care

Bandaging is another high-repeat skill where students benefit from being able to apply, evaluate, remove, and reapply a technique.

The Canine Paw Bandage Trainer allows learners to practice paw and distal-limb bandaging while evaluating padding, tension, coverage, slipping, and overall application.

A complete bandaging station should also include the appropriate gauze, padding, dressings, cohesive wraps, and other wound-care supplies required for the procedures being taught. Explore the VetiSimLab Wound Care & Bandaging collection for supporting supplies.

Urinary Catheterization

Urinary catheterization requires more than simply advancing a catheter. Patient positioning, anatomical orientation, catheter handling, controlled advancement, aseptic technique, and placement confirmation all need to be incorporated into instruction.

The Rex Male Dog Catheterization Simulator supports male canine catheterization practice, while the Cathy Female Dog Catheterization Simulator provides a dedicated platform for female canine catheterization.

Diagnostics & Palpation

Some diagnostic and examination skills are also well suited to focused simulation. Depending on the curriculum, this may include rectal examination, otoscopy, anatomical orientation, and instrument handling.

These stations can be particularly useful when learners need repeated exposure to a specific examination sequence before applying it in a clinical environment.

Ultrasound & Imaging

Ultrasound training introduces a different type of simulation objective. Students need to coordinate transducer placement, pressure, movement, scanning planes, anatomy recognition, and image interpretation.

A focused model such as an ultrasound trainer for the canine bladder can provide targeted practice, while broader ultrasound phantoms can support more extensive abdominal scanning objectives.

Dental Education

Dental models can support recognition and discussion of normal versus diseased oral anatomy, periodontal disease, oral assessment, and client education.

A model such as the Canine Jaw Healthy/Diseased can serve as a foundational teaching tool. This type of model should be viewed as a complement to procedural training rather than a replacement for hands-on dental instrumentation practice where that is required by the curriculum.

Patient-Care Procedures

Additional supporting stations may address skills such as nail and claw handling, trimming workflow, restraint-related positioning, and other routine patient-care procedures.

These skills may not require the same level of dedicated simulation equipment as complex procedural stations, but they can still benefit from standardized practice and assessment.

Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Checklist: Trainers by Skill Area

The following is a practical curriculum-planning map, not an accreditation checklist. The goal is to prioritize skills that benefit from repeated hands-on practice and match them with equipment that directly supports the task.

Skill Area	Representative Learning Objectives	Example Training Equipment	Planning Priority
Injections, venipuncture & IV access	IM, SubQ and IV technique; vessel access; catheter handling; blood collection	Vicky Venipuncture & I.M. Simulator; canine IV, jugular and vascular-access trainers	High-priority core station
Suturing & wound closure	Needle control; instrument handling; knot tying; suture placement; closure; suture and staple removal	Practice Suture Kit; suture practice pads; wound-closure training equipment	High-priority core station
Surgical procedure training	Procedure sequence; ligation; tissue handling; incision through closure	Canine Neuter Simulator; Dog Castration Training Model; replacement components	DVM procedure station
Airway & anesthesia	Head positioning; laryngoscope handling; airway visualization; ET tube selection and placement	Canine Intubation Head; species-specific airway trainers	High-priority anesthesia station
Emergency & CPR	Chest compressions; ventilation; positioning; team roles; emergency response	CPR Dog CasPeR; airway and emergency supplies	Core emergency station
Bandaging & wound care	Paw and limb wrapping; layers; tension; padding; wrap assessment	Canine Paw Bandage Trainer; Bovine Hoof Bandage Simulator; wound-care supplies	Core nursing station
Urinary catheterization	Male and female canine positioning; anatomical orientation; catheter handling and advancement	Rex Male Dog Catheterization Simulator; Cathy Female Dog Catheterization Simulator	Strong repeat-practice station
Diagnostics & palpation	Rectal examination; anatomical orientation; otoscopic examination	Canine Rectal Exam Task Trainer; Canine Otoscopy Simulator	Expanded diagnostics station
Ultrasound & imaging	Bladder identification; transducer placement; pressure and movement; scanning planes	Ultrasound Trainer for Dog Bladder; Lillie Canine Ultrasound Phantom Training Kit	Expanded imaging station
Dental education	Normal vs. diseased anatomy; periodontal disease recognition; oral assessment	Canine Jaw Healthy/Diseased; dental teaching supplies	Foundational dental teaching

How Should You Prioritize Veterinary Skills-Lab Equipment?

A common mistake is trying to build a complete lab all at once. A phased approach can make it easier to match investment with actual curriculum demand.

Start With High-Throughput Skills

Begin with procedures that students need to practice frequently and that can be repeated safely in a controlled environment.

Suturing, injections and venipuncture, bandaging, CPR, and basic surgical technique are strong candidates because multiple students can rotate through these stations and benefit from repeated attempts.

Add Procedure-Specific Stations

Once the foundational stations are established, add equipment for procedures that require more specific anatomy or workflow.

Airway and intubation training, male and female urinary catheterization, and deeper procedure-specific training can be added according to curriculum requirements and available lab capacity.

Expand Into Specialized Training

Advanced imaging, specialty diagnostics, integrated emergency simulation, and species-specific training can be added when the curriculum, faculty expertise, clinical exposure, and budget justify the investment.

This creates a more sustainable equipment plan than purchasing advanced equipment simply because it offers more realism or functionality.

How Should You Choose a Veterinary Task Trainer?

The best trainer is not necessarily the most realistic or the most expensive. It is the trainer that allows the learner to practice the behavior the curriculum is trying to develop.

When evaluating a trainer, consider:

• What specific competency does it support?
• How many students need access at the same time?
• How many repetitions should each learner complete?
• Can students practice independently after instruction?
• Can faculty observe and assess the required behavior?
• What consumables are required?
• Which components wear out with repeated use?
• Are replacement parts available?
• Can the trainer be cleaned, stored, and reset efficiently?
• Does it support progression to a more complex clinical scenario?

This is why a focused task trainer can sometimes be a better investment than a highly integrated simulator. If the learning objective is a specific psychomotor skill, the ability to repeat that skill consistently may matter more than the overall realism of the model.

How Does Simulation Support Competency-Based Veterinary Education?

Physical models and simulators are particularly useful for psychomotor skills because they allow deliberate, repeatable practice without placing a live patient at risk.

Recent veterinary simulation research has found encouraging short-term educational outcomes across areas including anatomy, basic clinical procedures, selected surgery, and emergency skills. Simulation can also provide standardized exposure, feedback, and opportunities for repeated practice.

However, long-term transfer from simulator performance to clinical competence is less well established. Simulation should therefore be used as a preparatory and complementary strategy rather than as a replacement for supervised clinical experience.

The practical equipment rule is straightforward: choose the trainer that best matches the learning objective, class size, assessment plan, and available resources rather than automatically choosing the highest-fidelity model.

DVM vs. Vet-Tech Programs: Same Lab, Different Learning Objectives

Many stations can serve both veterinary students and veterinary technician or nursing students, but the learning objectives and assessment criteria should reflect each profession’s role.

Station	Veterinary Student Emphasis	Veterinary Technician / Nursing Emphasis
Surgical skills	Procedure planning, tissue handling, ligation, incision and closure within the veterinary curriculum	Patient preparation, asepsis, instrumentation, surgical assisting, anesthesia support, postoperative care, bandaging and suture removal
Airway & anesthesia	Airway selection, intubation, anesthetic planning and complication management	ET tube placement, equipment preparation, monitoring, anesthetic support and recovery within technician scope
Emergency & CPR	Recognition, treatment decisions, BLS/ALS leadership and patient management	BLS/CPR performance, emergency setup, monitoring, communication and team roles
Diagnostics	Diagnostic planning, technique selection, interpretation and clinical decision-making	Specimen collection, patient positioning, equipment use, sample handling and technical procedure performance

The same physical trainer can therefore support multiple educational pathways when instruction and assessment are adapted to the learner’s expected role.

What Does CVTEA Require Veterinary Technician Programs to Document?

CVTEA-accredited programs are expected to teach and assess essential veterinary technology skills using defined criteria. The aligned CBVE-N framework shows the breadth of these skills, including venipuncture, urinary catheterization, parenteral medication administration, bandaging and splinting, CPR, dental procedures, endotracheal tube placement, postoperative wound care, and suture removal.

Programs should use the current AVMA CVTEA Essential and Recommended Skills List when determining their accreditation requirements rather than relying solely on a secondary equipment guide.

How Should Veterinary Clinical Skills Be Assessed?

The equipment is only part of a competency-based skills station. The program also needs a defined method for determining whether the learner can perform the required skill.

Depending on the program and procedure, assessment may include:

• Procedural checklists
• Rating scales
• Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS)
• Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations
• Skills passports or competency records
• Structured faculty observation and feedback

The assessment criteria should match the actual learning objective. If a trainer is intended to teach catheter placement, for example, the assessment should evaluate the behaviors involved in positioning, anatomical orientation, catheter handling, advancement, and appropriate procedural technique rather than simply asking whether the student completed the station.

How Many Simulation Stations Does a Veterinary Program Need?

There is no universal accreditation ratio that determines how many task trainers a program must own.

Instead, plan around the amount of meaningful practice your learners need.

Consider:

• Cohort size
• Number of students practicing simultaneously
• Time required for each attempt
• Number of repetitions expected
• Faculty feedback time
• Assessment throughput
• Trainer wear and replacement requirements
• Whether equipment is shared across multiple courses

A lower-cost trainer may need to be purchased in greater quantity because many students need simultaneous hands-on access. A specialized simulator may make more sense as shared equipment scheduled across multiple courses.

What Consumables Should a Veterinary Skills Lab Budget For?

A task trainer is only one part of a functioning skills station. Recurring supplies should be included in the lab plan from the beginning.

Common consumables and replacement items include:

• Needles and syringes
• IV catheters
• Simulated blood
• Specimen supplies
• Sutures
• Bandages and wound dressings
• Endotracheal tubes
• Urinary catheters
• PPE
• Sharps disposal supplies
• Replacement veins
• Replacement skin, pads, or tissue components

For vascular-access training, for example, veins, skin, catheters, needles, and simulated blood should be considered part of the station rather than optional extras. A lab that budgets only for the reusable trainer may quickly discover that students cannot complete the intended number of practice attempts.

Can Simulation Replace Live-Animal Clinical Experience?

No.

Simulation provides an important environment for deliberate practice, standardized exposure, feedback, and repetition. It can help learners develop foundational psychomotor skills before those skills are applied in clinical settings.

However, live clinical experience introduces patient variability, uncertainty, communication demands, clinical reasoning, teamwork, and other factors that a focused task trainer cannot fully reproduce.

Simulation should therefore complement supervised clinical experience rather than replace it.

How Often Should a Veterinary Skills Lab Be Reviewed?

A veterinary clinical skills lab should be reviewed at least annually and sooner when meaningful changes occur.

Review the equipment map when accreditation requirements, competency frameworks, curriculum outcomes, enrollment, clinical standards, or product availability change.

An annual review should ask:

• Are we still teaching the right competencies?
• Do our current trainers support those competencies?
• Are students getting enough practice opportunities?
• Are any stations creating bottlenecks?
• Are replacement parts and consumables adequately stocked?
• Are assessment methods aligned with the skills being taught?
• Which equipment is being underused?
• Which new skills or procedures should be added?

Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Checklist

Use this checklist when planning a new lab or evaluating an existing one:

• ☐ Identify the competencies learners must demonstrate
• ☐ Map competencies to curriculum outcomes
• ☐ Identify required clinical procedures and skills
• ☐ Separate practice objectives from assessment objectives
• ☐ Determine the appropriate fidelity for each skill
• ☐ Select task trainers that directly support those objectives
• ☐ Determine the number of simultaneous practice stations required
• ☐ Identify instruments and clinical supplies for each station
• ☐ Budget recurring consumables
• ☐ Budget trainer-specific replacement components
• ☐ Create standardized station setup instructions
• ☐ Develop assessment checklists or rating tools
• ☐ Plan remediation access for learners who need additional practice
• ☐ Plan storage, cleaning, safety, and waste disposal
• ☐ Determine faculty and technician responsibilities
• ☐ Review the equipment map at least annually

Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab FAQs

What Are Veterinary Day-One Competencies?

Day-one competencies describe the level of performance expected as a graduate enters professional practice. In the AAVMC CBVE milestones, the Competent level represents the expectation for day-one veterinary practice.

What Is CBVE 2.0 for Veterinary Medicine Programs?

CBVE 2.0 is AAVMC’s competency-based framework for veterinary medical education. It includes a Competency Framework, developmental Milestones, and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).

What Is CBVE-Nursing for Veterinary Technician Programs?

CBVE-Nursing is AAVMC’s competency framework for veterinary technician and veterinary nursing education. The 2025 framework includes nine domains and 33 core competencies with suggested alignment to AVMA CVTEA Essential and Recommended Skills.

Does CBVE-Nursing Replace CVTEA Requirements?

No. CBVE-Nursing is a competency framework and curriculum-mapping resource. Veterinary technician programs should continue to use the current AVMA CVTEA accreditation policies and Essential and Recommended Skills when determining accreditation compliance.

What Equipment Should a Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Have?

The answer depends on program outcomes, but common high-value stations include IV and venipuncture, injection, suturing, airway and intubation, CPR, bandaging and wound care, urinary catheterization, diagnostics, and procedure-specific training.

Each station also needs the instruments, consumables, replacement parts, safety supplies, and assessment tools required to reproduce the skill.

How Many Simulation Stations Does a Veterinary Program Need?

There is no universal accreditation ratio. Programs should plan around cohort size, practice attempts, station time, faculty feedback, assessment throughput, replacement-part wear, and whether equipment is shared across courses.

Can Simulation Replace Live-Animal Clinical Experience?

No. Simulation can provide deliberate practice, standardized exposure, and feedback in a controlled environment, but it should complement rather than replace supervised clinical experience.

How Should Task-Trainer Skills Be Assessed?

Use direct observation with standardized criteria. Depending on the program, this may take the form of a procedural checklist, rating scale, DOPS-style assessment, OSCE station, skills passport, or another structured check-off.

What Consumables Should a Veterinary Skills Lab Budget For?

Common recurring items include needles, syringes, IV catheters, simulated blood, specimen supplies, sutures, bandages and wound dressings, ET tubes, urinary catheters, PPE, sharps disposal, and trainer-specific replacement veins, skin, pads, or tissue.

How Often Should a Veterinary Skills Lab Be Reviewed?

At least annually is a practical planning cycle, and sooner when accreditation requirements, competency frameworks, clinical standards, curriculum outcomes, enrollment, or product availability change.

Build Your Veterinary Clinical Skills Lab Around Your Curriculum

The most useful planning conversation is not simply, “Which manikin should we buy?” It is:

• What program are you teaching?
• What skills must your learners demonstrate?
• How large is the cohort?
• What equipment do you already own?
• Where are your current practice or assessment bottlenecks?
• Which skills require the most repetition?
• What equipment should be shared versus duplicated?

If you’re building a new veterinary clinical skills lab or refreshing an existing one, VetiSimLab can help organize trainers, replacement parts, consumables, and supporting supplies into a station plan rather than a collection of disconnected products.

Call (877) 593-6011 or browse VetiSimLab Task Trainers to start building a lab around your program’s actual competencies and training needs.