There is an archaic saying that goes 'Behind every successful man, there is a woman'. It's one of those sayings that is a little sexist and outdated, but it is the truth in some situations. For me it is the absolute truth, but I would change the wording a little from 'woman' to 'women'. There have been many women in my life who have helped me along the way. First of all, there is my mother, who spent her whole life dedicated to my upbringing; then there is my fianc?e, who is my emotional pillar; but the women behind my success have to be my nurses.
In different countries they are called various things. In the United States they are called vet technicians, and in Britain they are called veterinary nurses. In Hong Kong they are commonly called veterinary assistants. The role is not limited to women - there are also many men in the profession.
There is a reason behind the various titles in different countries. In the US and Britain, the nurses have a degree, and fill very specific roles in veterinary clinics and hospitals. You could say that those with formal training have more background medical knowledge and may be able to adapt better to unforeseen situations.
In Hong Kong and Australia things are different. There are no specific requirements to join the nursing staff of a veterinary clinic. You just have to pass a job interview, and training occurs on the job. Vet assistants in Hong Kong are often involved in administration and translation, and given their lack of formal training, their title has historically been veterinary assistant.
I have trained more than 30 nurses in my career, and my current crop have been personally trained by myself over five years. They are as capable as those with formal training. During the current downturn in the economy, there has been more and more competition for jobs, especially unskilled jobs that have no particular prerequisites, so you can imagine that becoming a veterinary assistant is a particularly attractive goal.
I have noted Hong Kong universities have been jumping on the bandwagon to consider offering courses for veterinary nurse training, with a syllabus very much like that followed in Britain. Even though I applaud any institution for offering training to increase education and knowledge, I am still very dubious because the cost of the proposed course doesn't correlate with the current industry wage levels and the number of jobs available.