RVT transfer program aims to meet increased demandNovember 12, 2021The University of Missouri (MU) has joined forces with Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., to create a new transfer opportunity for RVT students.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusiveAre we making headway or losing ground?October 28, 2021By By Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (nutrition)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.
Patient advocacy focus of RVT summitSeptember 20, 2021Pain management, emergency critical care, and anesthesia are set to be explored at the North American Veterinary Community’s (NAVC’s) first annual global veterinary technician summit.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveCareer and entrepreneurial opportunities for veterinary nursesMarch 12, 2021Sometimes we need to watch others reach for their full potential and break out of the box in order to realize this same opportunity exists for us. It exists for all veterinary nurses, too. The box veterinary medicine has created is an invisible and false narrative, and our opportunities are only truly limited by our imagination. I’ve included a few examples of ways to enrich veterinary nurse careers, subsequently boosting the quality of veterinary medicine.
Embrace Pet Insurance launches scholarship for veterinary technician studentsApril 12, 2019Embrace Pet Insurance is awarding three veterinary technician students $1,000 scholarships as part of its Veterinary Technician Student Scholarship Program for the 2019-2020 school year. "Embrace is thrilled to be supporting the veterinary community by offering these scholarships," says its director of claims, Jenna Mahan, RVT. "The impact veterinary technicians have on the health and well-being of our pets can't be overstated. Our hope is each scholarship gets a lucky student closer to their goal of a career as a veterinary technician." To qualify, students must: • be 18 years of age or older; • be a U.S. citizen; • have a GPA greater than 3.0; and • be enrolled in a veterinary technician program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Students must submit a 500-word essay on why they want to work in the veterinary industry and how their work will make a difference for the pet population in their area. Recent transcripts and proof of the student's enrollment in an accredited veterinary technician program are also required. To apply, students must complete the online application and attach their essay, transcripts, and proof of enrollment. The deadline for applications …
Canadian RVT wins Petplan's 2019 Veterinary Nurse of the Year awardMarch 26, 2019Canadian registered veterinary technician Katie Berry was named the 2019 Veterinary Nurse of the Year at the Petplan Veterinary Awards in Orlando, Fla. When she went to the Veterinary Meeting and Expo (VMX) conference in January, Berry says she unaware she had won the award. Accepting the award was a blur she explains. "I don't know if I took a single breath. The amount of gratitude and love I felt was beyond belief." The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognize the industry's best in the U.S. and Canada. The award highlights veterinary professionals who go above and beyond to provide pets with exceptional care and clients with outstanding customer service. Berry says a co-worker nominated her for the award. According to Berry, the most fulfilling part of her job is the patients and the clients. "When I have clients I have a good relationship with, it makes this job worth it," says Berry who has been an RVT at Montgomery Village Veterinary Clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, since the clinic opened in November 2017. "I love seeing my patients thriving and I like my clients knowing I am there for them when they need me." Berry believes veterinary technicians everywhere need recognition. …
RVTTC designated a WSAVA affiliate memberNovember 5, 2018The Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada (RVTTC) is the newest affiliate member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Global Veterinary Community.
NAVTA announces diagnostic imaging as 16th specialty for vet techsSeptember 14, 2018The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) has announced a 16th specialty academy for veterinary technicians, the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging (AVTDI). The AVTDI comprises veterinary technicians who wish to perform higher-level diagnostic imaging, including digital radiography, fluoroscopic special procedures, CT, MRI, ultrasonography, and nuclear imaging. The organizing committee for the AVTDI worked diligently to meet the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS) standards for the association's specialty recognition, according to Ed Carlson, interim chair of the CVTS. The AVDTI joins the existing 15 NAVTA-recognized veterinary technician specialties: dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, equine nursing, zoological medicine, surgery, behavior, clinical practice, nutrition, clinical pathology, dermatology, ophthalmology, laboratory animal medicine, and physical rehabilitation. The NAVTA CVTS, formed in 1994, provides guidelines to veterinary technician organizations to form specialties and assists the existing academies. Academies develop pathways and advanced standards that candidates must complete and maintain in order to be awarded the designation of veterinary technician specialist in a specific discipline.
Behavior basics for the emergency clinician and technicianJanuary 22, 2018Emergency and/or critical care workers are often faced with urgent cases and fast paced environments. Unfortunately, this setting is not always conducive to caring for patient's emotional needs. Here are some easy ways to help patients in even the most trying situations. 1. Keep patients with their owners as long as possible. Being in an unfamiliar environment can cause fear. Having a familiar person there is one way to help minimize fear, and therefore, anxiety and stress. 2. Control pain. Pain can contribute to fear, anxiety, and stress. (Remember, acepromazine is contraindicated for treating anxiety and aggression.1) 3. Provide a comfortable kennel. Providing adequate bedding goes a long way for patient comfort. Provide lots of padding for large dogs. Inexpensive bolster beds are easy to wash, and small dogs usually love them. Cats like to hide. Provide a box, or cover part of the kennel with a towel or blanket. Giving cats their own, quiet space in the clinic will help lower their stress levels.4 4. Keep things quiet. If there is a howler in the hospital, do something about it. Not only for the howler's sake, but for the rest of the hospital's sake, as well. Humans included. …
BluePearl report challenge highlights vet techs, assistantsOctober 17, 2017Veterinary technicians and assistants have been invited to participate in BluePearl's first company-wide case report challenge, and five finalists will present their reports in a live webinar today. Afterward, a panel of veterinary technician specialists will select an overall winner. Anyone at the more than 50 BluePearl hospitals in 20 states can watch the webinar and see firsthand the depth of their colleagues' expertise, said Amy Newfield, BluePearl's national technician training manager. "We're giving technicians and assistants a voice to share their knowledge about a case they worked on," Newfield said. "We're also showing that we view them as an equal part of our patients' care." The competition can be viewed online today from 6:30 to 9 p.m. EST, and those outside of BluePearl hospitals can watch free of charge. Advance registration is required through this link. The five finalists were selected by a team of judges from 22 total entrants. In addition to reports on diseases and trauma in dogs and cats, the reports also included one on a rabbit and one on a wallaby. The titles of the reports by the five finalists are: "Vital Pulp Therapy with Crown Reduction Patient"; …
