Veterinary technician underutilization, lack of job satisfaction, lack of professional respect, limited career advancement, low wages, and lack of employee benefits have been reported in multiple surveys for decades as the primary reasons individuals leave the field. I contend these are also reasons we do not have more individuals entering the profession.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increasing the severity of this longtime problem, bringing it to the current crisis level. Credentialed veterinary technicians are working longer hours, often asked to work additional shifts, frequently shorthanded, and many times without veterinary assistants to support them. We have lost members of the profession to COVID, burnout, and suicide.

Read almost any veterinary industry-related social media platform, blog, new media publication, or job board and it is obvious there is a significant need for more credentialed veterinary technicians. Almost all position advertisements include signing bonuses far higher than I have even seen during my career, such as a $10,000 sign-on bonus for an opening at a specialty hospital advertising for a neurology technician Clinical Positions – Pathway Vet Alliance.

What are some solutions for this profession in crisis?

Veterinary medicine needs to start thinking of credentialed veterinary technicians as the educated, skilled medical professions we are. Here are some strategies that are great places to begin to move us in the right direction:

• Title job ads either "veterinary technician" or "veterinary assistant." Each of these are separate positions. Each is equally important to the veterinary health care team and the veterinary hospital. As a credentialed veterinary technician, when I read a job posting that says, "veterinary technician or assistant," it says to me this hospital does not know the difference between the requirements for each position.
• Use technicians appropriately, meaning allow them to practice at the top of their license. Credentialed veterinary technicians are responsible for doing the hospital laundry, cleaning cages, stocking the hospital, etc. These are all important tasks, however, they do not require a college degree or passing a national credentialing examination. This is one of the many reasons credentialed veterinary technicians are not paid well. Hiring and utilizing veterinary assistants appropriately just makes good business sense.
• Celebrate veterinary technicians during National Veterinary Technician Week (NVTW), instead of an overall "Employee Appreciation Week." Providing meals during NVTW for everyone in the hospital is a nice gesture, however, it is not celebrating or showing appreciation to veterinary technicians specifically. Consider creating a client service week, an assistant week, yes, even a veterinarian week! Or, schedule an employee appreciation week at another time of year.
• Consider doing something to recognize your credentialed veterinary technicians, perhaps taking them and their significant other only out to dinner, or a bonus, or gift card. Send an email to all your clients listing the names, maybe even pictures of the credentialed veterinary technicians employed at your hospital explaining their important role on the veterinary health care team.

Some veterinary hospitals and groups are also offering:

• Tuition assistance, partial and even full scholarships for veterinary assistants and others to attend an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited veterinary technology or veterinary nursing program so they may qualify to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) and become credentialed.
• Substantial bonuses for those obtaining a credential, in addition to covering the cost of tuition, the exam, and licensing fees.

And, we are also seeing a long overdue increase in credentialed veterinary technician salaries, in some cases $30 to more than $50 per hour.

Veterinary technicians in executive leadership positions

Recently, veterinary technicians have been placed into executive leadership positions.