Celebrating veterinary technicians – and keeping them happy

It’s National Veterinary Technician Week, when we honor and recognize the great work of veterinary technicians across our profession. These valued team members are critical to our practices and patient care.

So how can we say thank you? One important way is by making sure we empower technicians to do the work they've trained for. 

Research by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) shows that job satisfaction among veterinary technicians appears to be tied strongly to the application of skills and knowledge that technicians acquire through their education. When we enable technicians to use their full skillset, we set the stage for greater job satisfaction. That’s good for the entire veterinary healthcare team as well as our practices.

Where to start? 

Credentialed veterinary technicians are able to scale teeth, take X-rays, educate clients, and much more.  Talk with your team to see if there may be new opportunities to maximize your technicians’ training and skills. Ask technicians themselves if they have abilities that aren’t getting used, and whether they want to contribute in new ways. And ask associate veterinarians if any of their tasks could be performed by technicians.

It’s also important to know what’s allowed by law where you practice. Regulations defining what technicians can and can’t do vary widely from state to state. Contact your state board of veterinary medicine to familiarize yourself with the rules.

Find more tips for fully engaging technicians in the AVMA’s practice management resource center: “How Empowering Veterinary Technicians Supports Practice Success.” To further explore the benefits of leveraging your technicians’ full skillsets, see “5 Ways Credentialed Veterinary Technicians Can Boost Practice Success.”

Ensuring high standards for veterinary technicians

In addition to celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week, the AVMA supports the essential work of veterinary technicians in many ways. One of the most important is through the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), which has led the accreditation of educational programs in veterinary technology since 1972.

CVTEA accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary technician education in the country – and it ensures that graduate, credentialed veterinary technicians have all the necessary skills to support busy veterinary practices and provide high-quality patient care.

Support team wellbeing

This year’s National Veterinary Technician Week theme is resilience, and another way to empower and thank veterinary technicians is to connect them with tools and resources that can support them. The AVMA offers a broad suite of wellbeing resources – from self-assessments to work-life balance strategies and stress management tips – that are available for all veterinary professionals. Share the link with your entire veterinary team: avma.org/Wellbeing.