Join NAVTA President Jennifer Serling for Jenn’s Open Door, a quarterly virtual town hall designed to keep NAVTA members informed and connected. These 30-minute sessions are an opportunity to hear updates from NAVTA leadership, including highlights from recent Board meetings and other initiatives impacting the profession. Members are encouraged to submit questions in advance so we can address the topics most important to you during the session.

 This webinar explores how veterinary nurses and assistants can be effectively utilized within veterinary practices to improve patient outcomes, strengthen team dynamics, and advance the profession. Rather than viewing utilization as something that happens to you, this lecture positions veterinary nurses and assistants as active participants in earning trust and demonstrating their value. 

The lecture unfolds in four key sections. First, we’ll define what good utilization actually looks like, moving beyond vague notions to concrete examples of how veterinary nursing teams contribute meaningfully to clinical work. Second, we’ll examine the tangible benefits: improved patient care, better staff retention and job satisfaction, and stronger professional standing within the veterinary team. Third, we’ll honestly address the barriers, common misconceptions about veterinary nursing scope, the way things have always been done, and gaps in trust between nursing team members and veterinarians. Finally, we’ll focus on what you can control: pursuing credentials like your AVA, CVT/LVT/RVT, or VTS, staying committed to your own ongoing training and development, and deliberately building professional relationships based on competence and reliability. 

• Learning Objectives: 
• Define effective utilization of veterinary nurses and assistants and identify what it looks like within a clinical setting. 
• Articulate the benefits of strong utilization for patient outcomes, team culture, and professional advancement. 
• Recognize common barriers to utilization, including systemic, cultural, and individual factors, and understand how they manifest in practice. 
• Identify personal strategies to overcome utilization barriers, including credential attainment, engagement with personal development, and intentional trust-building with veterinary colleagues. 

Presented by: Chrissy Giovannielli, MBA, CVT, VTS (SAIM) 

Sponsored by Ethos

*Sponsored Listing

NAVC HiVE East exists to loudly and proudly support the vital–and often under recognized–members of the veterinary community: veterinary nurses/technicians, assistants and practice management staff.

Your HiVE East registration, which starts at only $99, gives you access to a fully peer-led program brought to you by the same passionate team responsible for VMX. Beyond 12 hours of CE, you’ll build real-world skills, step by step, by peers who get it.

Register today and use code NAVTA for 25% off!

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Hypotension is one of the most common anesthetic complications, but treating it effectively requires more than simply reaching for fluids. This lecture explores the underlying causes of hypotension in anesthetized patients, how to interpret monitoring trends, and how to develop a logical, patient-specific treatment plan. Attendees will gain a practical framework for assessing blood pressure, identifying contributing factors, and choosing appropriate interventions to support perfusion and improve anesthetic safety.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the key physiological contributors to mean arterial pressure, including cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, heart rate, contractility, and preload.

2. Differentiate between common causes of anesthetic hypotension, including excessive anesthetic depth, vasodilation, bradycardia, hypovolemia, and reduced myocardial contractility.

3. Apply a structured approach to hypotension management, including assessment of anesthetic depth, fluid therapy, anticholinergics, inotropes, vasopressors, and multimodal patient support.

Presented by Rebecca Brangwynne-Smith RVT, BAppSc(VetTech), Cert IV VN, Cert IV TAE, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia)

Description: Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), the transfer of feces from a healthy individual to a disease recipient, is increasingly utilized in veterinary medicine. Recently, the international Companion Animal Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Consortium has published clinical guidelines for FMT in dogs and cats. During this session, we will review the current indications for FMT, technical aspects of performing an FMT, and important considerations for establishing a fecal donor program.

Learning Objectives:

1.  List the current indications for fecal microbiota transplant in dogs and cats. 
2. Describe the procedure for performing a rectal fecal microbiota transplant in a dog or cat.
3. Outline how to establish a fecal donor program. 

Presented by Jenessa A. Winston, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)

Sponsored by Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets

Session Description

With the implementation of new pet food label modernization regulations, it is more important than ever to clearly understand and effectively communicate these changes. This session provides a comprehensive overview of the updated pet food labeling requirements, highlighting what is new and why it matters. Attendees will gain practical insights and communication strategies to support veterinary teams and pet owners in navigating the evolving label landscape with confidence. We will translate complex regulatory language into clear, actionable messages to help you address questions, support compliance, and strengthen trust in pet nutrition.

Lecture Learning Objectives

• Describe the new pet food label modernization regulations in a clear and comprehensive manner.
• Compare the existing regulatory framework with the new requirements, highlighting key changes and their practical impact on labeling, communication, and compliance.
• Explain the implications of the updated regulations from a nutritional perspective.
• Build trust in pet nutrition by confidently translating complex regulatory language into simple, accurate, and actionable guidance that supports informed decision-making by pet owners.

Presented by Vicky Ograin, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)

Sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Join NAVTA President Jennifer Serling for Jenn’s Open Door, a quarterly virtual town hall designed to keep NAVTA members informed and connected. These 30-minute sessions are an opportunity to hear updates from NAVTA leadership, including highlights from recent Board meetings and other initiatives impacting the profession. Members are encouraged to submit questions in advance so we can address the topics most important to you during the session.