We attended the AVTE meeting this year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There was a very enlightening lecture regarding the change from  Veterinary Technician to the new title Veterinary Nurse, known as the “National Credential Initiative.”  This will be quite an involved process, and there is a lot of work behind the scenes that needs to take place to make this change happen.

At the moment the vet tech community, especially the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) is actively working to have the title changed. This will be a gradual implementation, several states at a time, as regulations vary by state. This change is pertinent to what society thinks vet techs do at the core of their job. But why does this really matter?

Vet techs are not just “technicians,” doing technical type work of drawing blood and taking radiographs, but are nurses. Nurses care for the patients. They provide enrichment, love, physical care, and also support for clients.  They are educated and active participants in the care these patients receive. They are the backbone that we require to keep our practices running. This is key!

Those of us in the field already know this and changing the title from technician to nurse does not mean much for us, but the title change is important for public perception of veterinary technicians. It is also a great way to unify all technicians from CVT, LVT, RVT into one title of Veterinary Nurse. Changing the perception and understanding of this career choice will help to advance this profession.

Society is familiar with the term nurse. Being a nurse will make it clearer to the community what you actually do. After all, you complete a rigorous program, are credentialed, and deserve the same recognition that human nurses receive.

What do you think?