Paraveterinary worker
In North America, paraveterinary workers who have completed a course of study, passed an examination, and have a defined scope of practice are called veterinary technicians.
[1] These credentials (whether Licensed [LVT], Registered [RVT], or Certified [CVT]) must be renewed every two years with requirements varying from state-to-state.
[5] There are currently only seven countries in the world (out of ~195) who have a recognized paraveterinary profession and use the term "Veterinary Nurse" to describe those workers: There is an effort to change the title of credentialed Veterinary Technicians in the United States[6] but legislative efforts have failed in all four states where the name change has been introduced to date.
According to the founder, they would "carry out directions of the veterinary surgeon, meet a genuine need on the part of the dog owners, and at the same time provide a reasonably paid occupation for young women with a real liking for animals".
Veterinary technicians shall assist with efforts to ensure conditions of employment consistent with the excellent care for animals.
States that license veterinary technicians include Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
In order to keep their skills and knowledge up to par, some states require registered technicians to engage in continued education before renewing their license.
At the higher levels, veterinary nurses or technicians may be able to practice skills autonomously, including examinations and minor surgery on animals, without the direct supervision of other professionals.
Paraveterinary workers are likely to assist other professionals, or perform by themselves, medical skills such as observations (e.g. taking and recording pulse, temperature, respiration etc.
), physical interventions (e.g. catheterizations, ear flushes and venipuncture) and preparing and analysing biological samples (e.g. performing skin scrapings, microbiology, urinalysis, and microscopy).
They may also maintain treatment records and inventory of all pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies, and help with other administrative tasks within a veterinary practice, such as client education.
The level of education of a paraveterinary worker will depend on the role they are performing, and the veterinary medico-legal framework for the area in which they are working.
This may require maintenance of a log of all work completed, which may need to be signed by a supervising professional (such as the vet or senior member of the veterinary staff) to indicate competence.
Many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and parts of the United States, restrict some elements of practice, and may restrict use of the recognised name, to those people currently registered with an appropriate licensing body, meaning that it would be illegal for any person not on the register to represent themselves as a paraveterinary worker, or to perform some of the procedures that a licensed professional could.
This licensing body may have its own requirements for maintaining a registration, and those who hold the requisite academic qualification may still have to complete a further range of exams or tests to become registered.
For instance, in some states of the US, people with a set number of years or hours of experience assisting other professionals could sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam, however this route was phased out in 2011, and future candidates must have an academic qualification.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of veterinary assistant jobs is expected to grow up to 19% by 2026, much faster than the average career.
[22] Attempts at professional solidarity resulted in the creation of the International Veterinary Nurses and Technicians Association (IVNTA) in 1993.
Its instructors include diplomates of the ECVAA, nurse anesthetists from the human medical field, neurologists, and veterinary physical therapists.
Successful completion of the course results in the awarding of the post-nominal letters VAT (Veterinary Anaesthesia Technician).
