NAVC announces new initiatives for veterinary nurses/technicians

During a press conference at the 2022 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) launched the Veterinary Nurse/Technician Empowerment Initiative—a program designed to elevate and advance veterinary nurses and credentialed technicians. Even though these professionals are critical team members, their skills are often underutilized.

"Veterinary nurses and technicians play a vital role in veterinary medicine and are essential members of the veterinary practice team. They are not just helpers and assistants. They are phlebotomists, anesthetists, ultrasonographers, surgical technicians, dental hygienists and more, who are highly educated and skilled,” said Gene O'Neill, chief executive officer of the NAVC, in an organizational release.

“Yet NAVC's own research shows they use less than one-third of the competencies they are trained to perform," he added, "By elevating this critical position and helping veterinary nurses and technicians reach their full potential, we will help improve the performance of our veterinary healthcare teams and the health of animals everywhere.”

According to the release, the initiative covers an array of programs (ie, career development and growth, scholarships for continued learning, courses at the NAVC Institute, etc) that provide resources for veterinary professionals, inspire the next generation, and unite industry leaders to address the obstacles facing these professionals.

What’s more, within the initiative there will be a year-long national consumer veterinary nurse/technician awareness and education campaign sponsored by VCA Animal Hospitals, with support from the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). This program will foster greater consumer awareness of veterinary nurses/technicians' important role and extensive educational requirements which currently seems to be lacking as demonstrated in a national survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of the NAVC, according to the release.

Therefore, the campaign aims to transform pet owners’ perceptions and attitudes to build their confidence in having a qualified, certified veterinary nurse/technician care for their pets.

"A more informed and educated consumer–and a more informed veterinarian and practice manager–will not only benefit veterinary nurses and technicians, but will also benefit the practices where they work. The ultimate result being the delivery of better care for animals," said Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition), NAVTA president.

"Once this is accomplished, consumers will be as comfortable with a veterinary technician caring for their pet, as they are with an RN caring for their loved one in a hospital,” he added.

The overall goals of the Veterinary Nurse/Technician Empowerment Initiative are to accomplish improved access to care, patient outcomes, client satisfaction, and overall well-being of veterinary nurses/technicians while encouraging more individuals to pursue veterinary careers.

Reference

NAVC debuts new programs regarding veterinary nurses/technicians. News release. North American Veterinary Community. January 17, 2022. Accessed January 18, 2022. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/navc-announces-new-programs-to-elevate-and-advance-role-of-veterinary-nursetechnician-professionals-301462098.html