By Steve Dale, CABC
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions of NAVTA or its Board of Directors.
I agree with the popular notion that there is a shortage of credentialed veterinary technicians/nurse. I believe there are lots of reasons for that shortage, but here’s what I believe will not help to alleviate it: the creation of a new position in veterinary medicine called a Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA), as just happened in Colorado, Proposition 129. In fact, I believe this entire notion of a VPA is disrespectful to technicians/nurses.
The two most significant explanations for veterinary technicians/nurses leaving the profession are job dissatisfaction (not being fully utilized to their capabilities), and low salary.
According to a 2022 survey, nearly 20 percent of respondents of techs/nurses said they do not feel utilized to their fullest potential at their workplace. The top 3 barriers to better utilization were:
• Lack of trust/confidence by the DVM in the veterinary technician skillset
• Training uncredentialed staff to do veterinary technician tasks
• Not allowing veterinary technicians to handle tasks that they are licensed to perform and intertwined control issues on the part of the veterinarian
As of December 2024, according to Salary.com, the average annual pay of a veterinary technician in the United States is just $40,189. The site also points out it is not especially unusual for a veterinary technician/nurse to make as little as $30,000/year.
The VPA position would cut into what credentialed technicians do, theoretically leaving the technicians to scoop poop and walk dogs – if they are needed at all. As for pay, the VPA’s salaries – whatever they turn out to be – will likely exceed a technician’s salary. With a VPA earning a higher salary, where is the room for financial growth for techs?
One of the major purposes of the VPA is to create opportunities for the growing number of pet parents to have access to care. There’s debate regarding how significant the access to care issue is. No matter, why not take advantage of skills already available with credentialed technicians and nurses, before making this dramatic leap?
What’s more, someone has to pay for these new professionals. One way to do so may be to cut other employees – including credentialed technicians/nurses. Another will be to increase cost of care, which is contradictory to supporting access to care. Or perhaps most likely a combination of the two.
How Skilled Will VPAs Be?
VPAs will require intense but limited schooling and training for doing nearly everything a veterinarian could do and nearly everything a credentialed technician could do. In fact, the most significant obstacle to what they wouldn’t be allowed to do would be to prescribe, which only veterinarians can do in accordance with Federal law.
The VPA position would require a master’s degree. However, there is no currently accredited national educational program, national test, or regulatory structure to assure competence and public protection.
Colorado State University (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences is in the process of developing a degree program for a Plan B Master’s of Veterinary Clinical Care (MSB VCC) to fulfill the requirements, from which CSU would benefit financially. I believe the program seeks to bypass thorough preparation by immersing students directly into clinical decision-making without first grounding them in essential basic science knowledge and vital communication skills. This approach jeopardizes the quality of veterinary services; animal health, welfare, and safety; the safety of animal-derived products; and public health, and is not supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Yet despite training, which compares inadequately to a licensed veterinarian, VPAs would be given the freedom to offer a diagnosis, prognose and even conduct surgery. However, they cannot prescribe. If in the midst of surgery, say an anesthetic protocol needs to be adjusted, the VPA can’t make that call. So, what happens to that animal?
Aside from the AVMA, a long list of respected veterinary organizations oppose the creation of the VPA position, at least as described in Colorado. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) issued a statement saying that it stands universally opposed to allowing non-veterinarians to perform any surgical procedures on animals.
While I do want the best for the veterinary profession, I even more staunchly stand for what’s best for the welfare of animals.
The real concern is that having passed in Colorado, more states will create similar laws either legislatively or through a popular vote. In Colorado, I suggest voters were misled about what this position truly is, thinking that it’s like physicians’ assistants in human medicine. However, it’s not the same, and the situation is much more nuanced and ultimately will be costly for pet parents, which means less access to care. And I also believe this is a slap in the face to credentialed technicians/nurses.