New Veterinary Technician Specialty Recognized by NAVTA
August 1, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia:
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) recently announced a new specialty academy for their members. The Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT) is the newest specialty to become approved as an official specialty by NAVTA.
The AVNT joins the nine, NAVTA approved, existing specialties: Dentistry, anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgical, equine, zoology, behavior and clinical practice. “The NAVTA Academies give veterinary technicians acknowledgement for achieving advanced education, training and experience in an area of specialization,” stated Amy Butzier, CVT, VTS (Equine), Chair of the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS). “We are thrilled to have an increasing number of veterinary technicians seeking this level of specialization—it truly helps the entire veterinary health care team and the services we can provide.” The AVNT’s mission is to enhance the skills and knowledge of veterinary nutrition technicians and promote technicians as integral members of the veterinary nutrition team. “It is important to our profession to identify nutritional issues in animals and educate veterinary technicians on how to handle nutrition related issues. Nutrition is vital to the health of all of our patients,” explained Kara Burns, MS, MED, LVT, Chair of AVNT.
The NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technicians Specialties was formed in 1994 and is recognized by the America Veterinary Medical Association. The committee provides guidelines to veterinary technician organizations to facilitate the formation of a specialty. Academies develop pathways and advanced standards that candidates must complete and maintain in order to be awarded the designation of Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in their specific discipline.
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America is a nonprofit organization that represents and promotes the profession of Veterinary Technology. NAVTA provides direction, education, support and coordination for its members. Incorporated in 1981, NAVTA is the national organization devoted exclusively to developing and enhancing the profession of veterinary technology. For more information about NAVTA and the veterinary technician specialties, visit their website at www.navta.net.
