• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

6 ways to up veterinary technicians' professional cred

June 1, 2011
Kerry Hillard Johnson

Just because veterinary technicians get credentialed doesn't mean they get extra respect. Here's how to make technician credentials really worth something.

Conjure up a mental image of a credentialed veterinary technician. Who do you envision? Perhaps you picture a skilled medical team member who leads the practice in patient care. Or maybe you see a team member with overrated skills who fancies herself too good to get her hands dirty.

These types of disparate views are floating around the veterinary industry; at least, that's what results of a recent survey about the value of veterinary technicians imply. Take one veterinarian's response to the survey, which was conducted on dvm360.com in partnership between Banfield and your own Firstline magazine:

"I'd much rather have my personally trained assistant do these things than any of the [credentialed] technicians I have ever had work for us. The technicians seem to be less competent yet 'above' doing certain procedures. My overall opinion of certified technicians is that they're lazy."

Unfortunately, this veterinarian isn't the only person who responded to the survey with such a statement. Even veterinary assistants—or noncredentialed technicians—made similar comments. Of course, there were survey respondents who said they work with effective veterinary technicians and appreciate what they do. And there were veterinary technicians who said they work at practices where they know they're respected, integral members of the practice team.

Advertisement

Moving on up

But, as a profession, credentialed veterinary technicians are undervalued and their skills are underused. (To see the survey results that support this, visit dvm360.com/techsurvey.) So what's the profession to do? That's the question Banfield attempted to answer by hosting the Credentialed Veterinary Technician Future Forum. Early this spring, 17 industry thought leaders gathered at Banfield's headquarters in Portland, Ore. The discussion centered on how to raise the status of veterinary technicians and, through that, the status of assistants and all team members.

The consensus was that these four actions need to take place:

1. Elevate the profession of credentialed veterinary technician,

2. Expand technicians' roles,

3. Establish healthcare teams where all staff members—from veterinarian to technician to receptionist—work together with the client to care for pets,

4. Improve the related education systems.

These are easy goals to lay out. Achieving them will take months, even years. The veterinary profession has a lot of work to do. On a more individual level, all members of the veterinary healthcare team—yes, everyone regardless of title or position—must participate in changing their practice's culture to one that values technicians. To find out what you can do personally to make this happen, read the table on the next page.

Related Content:

Technicians
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
AAHA seeks applicants for its board, including for a newly created veterinary technician role
AAHA seeks applicants for its board, including for a newly created veterinary technician role
A technician’s true value
A technician’s true value

Advertisement

Latest News

Pet Advocacy Network honors outstanding contributions to the pet care community

Traditional and holistic treatments for giardia

ASU trustees approve the creation of a new veterinary school

6 tips for first-time dog owners

View More Latest News
Advertisement