NAVTA opposes the creation or expansion of alternate routes to veterinary technician credentialing and supports graduation from an AVMA CVTEA-accredited veterinary technology or veterinary nursing program, successful completion of the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), and state credentialing, as the recognized pathway into the veterinary technician profession.
NAVTA recognizes the real workforce challenges facing veterinary medicine and supports expanding access to the profession; however, workforce solutions must strengthen, not bypass, the credentialed veterinary technician pathway.
NAVTA recognizes and respects the contributions of veterinary technicians who were credentialed through previously authorized pathways. This statement is focused on future credentialing standards and should not be used to question the professional standing, service, or contributions of individuals who already hold a valid credential. Alternate routes that replace accredited education and standardized examination with non-accredited apprenticeship-style, employer-based, experience-based, supervised-work-hour, exam-only, credit-for-experience, or non-equivalent reciprocity pathways risk fragmenting professional standards, weakening title protection, reducing mobility across states, and undermining long-term public and patient protection.
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