National Veterinary Technician Week, launched by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America in 1993, began yesterday and runs through Saturday, Oct. 16. Events are already springing up across the country. For example, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, this year’s sponsor, is hosting more than 20 events in various states designed just for technicians. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with other veterinary technicians and learn about Hill’s continuing education opportunities. Drinks, ice cream and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. For details, click here. Hill’s has also partnered with Hallmark Business Connections to create a digital e-card with a special thank you message that will be sent to more than 8,000 technicians. This will also be distributed to more than 18,000 veterinarians, academicians, veterinary and veterinary technician students and practice managers encouraging them to take time to thank their technicians. On NAVTA's website it offers suggestions on how veterinary hospitals can celebrate the observance of National Veterinary Technician Week. A few ideas include conducting client workshops, creating a community pet calendar, inviting a speaker to talk about clinical advances and launching continuing education initiatives. Banfield, The Pet Hospital reported today that it is supporting veterinary technicians with a new internship program for students currently enrolled in credentialed veterinary technician education courses. To date, 65 students have partnered with Banfield hospitals to participate in the Veterinary Technician Student Clinical Training Experience. “Encouraging technician students to excel by providing clinical training and hands-on opportunities within our hospitals is an important initiative not only for our practice but the profession as well,” said Julie Legred, CVT, certified PetNurse career specialist for Banfield and president elect for NAVTA. “Providing opportunities like our internship program helps ensure that competent and confident technicians continue to work in veterinary hospitals for years to come.” Bob Lester, DVM, vice president for professional relations for Banfield, said the company is proud to support National Veterinary Technician Week. “Our appreciation for their hard work and dedication should not be limited to one week a year and we are implementing initiatives to recognize their achievements on an ongoing basis,” Dr. Lester said. “In addition, helping our paraprofessionals further their skills and become credentialed veterinary technicians is a priority for our practice—their skill set truly adds tremendous value.” In a recent survey, Banfield found that 68 percent of veterinary technicians felt that helping pets was the most rewarding aspect of their job, followed by 27 percent who felt respect and gratitude for their work were keys to job satisfaction. “We discovered that helping pets and being respected are the two main aspects of job satisfaction for credentialed technicians—these are also key factors for our practice to keep top of mind when hiring and retaining professionals,” Lester said. “Employing credentialed veterinary technicians has positive impacts in our practice and we found they aid in hospital efficiency, provide increased doctor satisfaction, better client experiences and improve overall pet care.” Lack of compensation ranked as the top complaint for all respondents. The survey was part of Banfield’s internal research on credentialed veterinary technicians. Three hundred technicians responded to the survey, which were solicited through the NAVTA e-newsletter. <Home>
