The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) has released a new report examining the landscape of veterinary scope of practice (SOP) acts across the United States and their impact on veterinary teams, patient safety, and the profession.
Developed by the NAVTA Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI) Practice and Standards Committee, the Scope of Practice Report: How State Regulatory Gaps Devalue Credentials and Compromise Patient Safety provides a comprehensive 50-state review of veterinary practice acts and board rules, a national survey of veterinary professionals on SOP enforcement, recognition, and impact on career sustainability, and recommendations for positive change in scope of practice laws.
The report builds on the Committee’s earlier work on title protection and represents an important step in understanding how these regulatory frameworks shape the veterinary workforce utilization and the delivery of patient care.
Why Scope of Practice Matters
Scope of practice laws determine which tasks veterinary professionals are legally permitted to perform and under what level of supervision. When clearly defined, these laws help:
- Protect patient safety by ensuring complex or high-risk procedures are performed by appropriately trained individuals.
- Reinforce professional accountability by aligning task delegation with education and credentialing standards.
- Support workforce sustainability by encouraging credentialing and enabling utilization of team members to practice at the full extent of their training.
However, the Committee’s analysis found significant variation in how states regulate veterinary team members. In many jurisdictions, scope of practice for veterinary technicians/nurses or veterinary assistants is poorly defined or absent, and few tasks are legally restricted to credentialed professionals.
Key Findings
As with title protection across the U.S., the report highlights widespread inconsistencies in task delegation rules, supervision definitions, and recognition of credentialed professionals’ roles. Many respondents reported confusion about legal responsibilities and inconsistent enforcement of scope of practice laws in clinical settings.
Recommendations for Positive Change
The report outlines six key recommendations for improving scope of practice frameworks across jurisdictions, including:
- Defining scope of practice in all jurisdictions
- Using itemized task lists aligned with national model regulations
- Implementing a dual-list framework distinguishing technician/nurse and assistant responsibilities
- Expanding clearly defined supportive tasks for veterinary assistants
- Standardizing supervision levels
- Strengthening education and implementation of scope of practice laws
Together, these recommendations aim to support safer patient care, clearer delegation within veterinary teams, and stronger recognition of the education and training of credentialed veterinary technicians and nurses.
Read: NAVTA’s Scope of Practice Report: How State Regulatory Gaps Devalue Credentials and Compromise Patient Safety
NAVTA encourages veterinary professionals, educators, regulators, and policymakers to review the report and consider how clearer, more consistent scope of practice frameworks can strengthen veterinary teams and improve patient care across the profession.