The Michigan Association of Veterinary Technicians endorses the pursuit of the establishment of the national credential of Registered Veterinary Nurse by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA).
As a professional organization, the Michigan Association of Veterinary Technicians is committed to career growth and advancement of its members within the veterinary medical profession. The veterinary medical profession is enhanced through the efficient utilization of veterinary technicians as part of the veterinary health care team. The Michigan Association of Veterinary Technicians promotes the integral role of veterinary technicians in the delivery of competent, humane veterinary care for patients and their valuable role in communications to animal owners and the public that the profession serves, as well as their importance in the promotion of public health.
Multiple studies by our professional veterinary medical organizations have shown that the most successful veterinary practices are those that leverage the knowledge and skills of credentialed veterinary technicians. Despite ongoing efforts to educate the public and veterinary medical profession regarding the title of veterinary technician, there has been minimal change in public and professional understanding o the role. The variation in the title of the credential across states further clouds public understanding of the essential role of veterinary technicians, including the depth of knowledge, the level of nursing care as well as the technical expertise that veterinary technicians provide to the animals and the public they serve.
Members of the Michigan Association of Veterinary Technicians experience first-hand the ever-increasing professional and economic challenges facing the veterinary profession. It is essential that the veterinary medical community continuously strives to meet these challenges while continuing to serve the needs of the public. A single, unified title and a standardized credential of Registered Veterinary Nurse throughout the nation will better align public perceptions of the role of the veterinary nurse and bring clarity to the field of veterinary medicine. This can only serve to help assure the highest quality of care to patients and animal owners, improve public relations, promote the use of veterinary services and enhance the sustainability of the veterinary profession.
The Michigan Association of Veterinary Technician’s Executive Board fully supports the Veterinary Nurse Initiative. We have Licensed Veterinary Technicians, a Registered Veterinary Technician and a Licensed Veterinary Technician with a VTS that sits on this board. Still, each of us with our own title and position feels that the Veterinary Technician profession should be under and would benefit from a united title. We want more than anything to be recognized and respected for what we do from day to day, and we want the public and pet owners to fully understand and respect this. We want standardization and unity; one name that separates us from the other roles and describes who we are in the veterinary profession. The MAVT stands behind this coalition.