Vet techs have been in the news in recent weeks and there is much to discuss and even celebrate. The Veterinary community is aware of vet tech shortages and struggles. I want to share updates that shed a light on positive change.
Minnesota’s Title Protection Letter
As a Minnesotan, I want to highlight this win! In 2024, after decades of work, the Governor signed the Vet Tech Licensure bill into law. The law takes effect on July 1 this year and to draw a clear line, the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine has issued a letter in April to all Veterinary professionals that action will be taken in all instances of reported title misuse. The letter also highlighted the 5-year legacy period where qualifications for licensure for on-the-job trained team members are determined by supervising veterinarians. After 2031, all new licensees will be required to graduate from an accredited vet tech program and pass licensing exams.
NAVTA’s Scope of Practice Report
In March, NAVTA release a new Scope of Practice Report [1] that emphasizes the ways that unclear and inconsistent laws impact patient safety, team utilization, and career sustainability. This report also calls out concerns and recommendations for positive change. This research and report have been years in the making and demonstrates dedication by volunteers to bring awareness on this issue. It expands on the Title Protection Report [2] from 2022, which outlined vet tech title use and enforcement.
A New National Association
The American Association of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians (AACVT) [3] officially launched in April. This association is being formed at a time when the profession feels fragmented and membership and participation in state and national vet tech associations is quite low. In recent years many state vet tech associations have shuttered, providing no centralized voice for technicians in these states. Will this new association bring newfound enthusiasm, build community, and unite our profession? It is a big ask and time will tell, but there is excitement around something new.
Vet Tech and Practice Management Events
NAVC hosted the first Vet Nurse + Vet Tech HiVE [4] in Austin during vet tech week in 2024. Since then, HiVE has expanded to include practice managers and held events in Minneapolis, Anaheim, Chicago, and more. These conferences are remarkable in that they are bringing together students, early career, and seasoned Veterinary team members to facilitate mentorship, networking, and education without the veterinarians. This isn’t meant to be a dig at veterinarians, but to highlight the significance of peers gathering to support each other in a novel way. These events offer a safe space to work through industry level to practice level issues with diverse and broad participation.
Four Steps Forward, One Step Back
While I discuss the wins, there is one state with current legislation moving to create a permanent pathway to vet tech credentialing without requiring education. This bill in Arizona is unnecessary for a few reasons. Arizona provides a definition for certified Veterinary technician, but there is no language that prevents others from using “vet tech” or similar titles. The Arizona Veterinary practice act also has no scope outlined for CVTs, meaning any person can be trained to do the tasks that are taught in accredited Veterinary technology programs. With this bill, which is likely to pass, an on the job trained team member would be able to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) to become certified, which credentialed vet techs are advocating against.
There is Still Work to Do
With these types of conversations, it is easy to discuss the problems. I’d like to put out a few calls for action across the Veterinary community. Some of this work requires sweeping changes, but this change also happens at the practice and individual level.
Here are a few calls to action across the Veterinary community:
1. Title Protection: A common complaint in states that do have title protection language is a lack of enforcement. Who is responsible for enforcement? Typically, it’s the state Veterinary board who is not seeking out instances of title misuse. These must be reported to the board for enforcement to occur. Take the time to learn the process of reporting and the repercussions are in place for impersonating a credentialed professional in your state. (Note: states with voluntary certifications have no mechanism for enforcement.)
I would also encourage Veterinary state boards to take note of Minnesota’s letter and offer something similar. The public should be able to distinguish team members and their qualifications in a straightforward manner. The Veterinary board is tasked with protecting the public in this manner.
We need an overarching shift in language and culture. Remember when it was it was fine to say kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis? Now it is CIRDC. And don’t get me started on the parasite names we memorized and have since been reclassified!
It has been a long time since Veterinary technician evolved from animal health technician, and we can shift our language to appropriate titles. Veterinary assistants are vitally important and respected team members. We can provide them upward mobility and support, but we should not extend the title vet tech or use “unlicensed vet tech” for these team members. I know there will be people who say they have the BEST on-the-job trained team members. Great, please support them through a vet tech program (many offered online) to help them make the most of their career!
2. Scope of Practice: Yes, we have shortages of vet techs. I agree, limiting what types of on-the-job training occurs feels counter intuitive. Passionate, educated, and talented vet techs are leaving the profession to seek other opportunities where they are not expected to train the skills and knowledge learned in college to those who do not see the education as a requirement.
Veterinarians have consistently claimed prescribing, diagnosing and prognosing, and performing surgery, but vet tech tasks vary wildly from state to state. Some states have clear duties outlined under specified levels of supervision, while other states have no differentiation between an on-the-job trained Veterinary assistant and a credentialed Veterinary technician. This does not happen in other professions. Not in human healthcare, not in salons and spas, and not in the dentist’s office. Advocating for clear scope of practice and education requirements makes sense for liability, trust, and retention reasons.
3. Association Membership and Participation: The path forward for vet techs is through collaboration and advocacy. If you are a vet tech and think “I wish someone would do something to fix this.” That person may be you. Are you a member of your state and national associations? Are you volunteering? It is time for all of us to collectively push for what we need to make this a viable profession. Join, help, advocate. Each one of us is needed.
In closing, I should point out what I do for a living. I work primarily as an accreditation consultant for Animal Policy Group serving Veterinary schools. I am excited to see more education pathways ramp up for new veterinarians. We also need to consider that as these new veterinarians are entering the workforce, they will need supportive, experienced Veterinary technicians and assistants to guide them. Let’s take these wins and calls to action to make meaningful change and move the needle in retaining seasoned technicians.
(Disclosures: Sam serves as president of the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians, is a past committee chair for NAVTA’s Government Relations Committee, and plans to volunteer with AACVT. She is one of a group of Veterinary technicians who provides guidance and support to the NAVC events team.)
[1] NAVTA Scope of Practice Report: https://navta.net/news/navta-releases-scope-of-practice-report/
[2] NAVTA Title Protection Report: https://navta.net/news/navta-report-shows-title-protection-for-Veterinary-technician-is-needed-and-desired-but-absent-and-misunderstood-in-most-states/
[3] American Association of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians https://www.aacvt.org/
[4] https://navc.com/hive/