NAVTA announces 2024 theme of National Veterinary Technician Week

Photo: Maria Sbytova/Adobe Stock

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians (NAVTA) announced the theme for this year's National Veterinary Technician Week (NVTW), which takes place annually during the 3rd week of October. This year, the celebration will take place from October 13-19, 2024.

NVTW was instituted to celebrate, recognize, and promote the valuable contributions credentialed veterinary technicians make to the veterinary profession and society, according to NAVTA.¹ This year, the theme of NVTW is ‘Credentialed Veterinary Technicians Change Lives.’ The theme is meant to highlight the profound impact credentialed veterinary technicians can have on the lives of their patients, clients, colleagues, and the community, whether this impact is known or unknown.

Veterinary technicians play a crucial role in the veterinary healthcare team, constantly working on the front lines. These professionals provide dedicated care to animals and offer compassionate support to clients. They use their broad professional and personal skills, as well as their technical and scientific knowledge to work in exam rooms, laboratories, and operating rooms.¹ “They do it all with love and a smile daily,” wrote NAVTA, in a news release.¹

NVTW is being sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition. According to NAVTA, the 2024 theme came to fruition after the NAVTA board suggested the theme to Hill’s, explaining that the theme would encompass not only the impact these technicians have on clients and patient care, but also on colleagues and others through mentoring and teaching.²

One example of a veterinary technician embodying the 2024 NVTW theme is Melody Martínez, CVT, president of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association; and consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker. At the 2022 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Austin, Texas, Martínez delivered a lecture on nontraditional job options available to veterinary technicians, helping these professionals learn more about the various paths available to them.³

“I remember the mentors and teachers who helped me when I was new to the profession, and I hope that I can fill those shoes for the new team members I work with today,” said Jamie Rauscher, NAVTA president, in an organizational release.¹ “Every day, we have a chance to positively impact and change the lives of those around us, even if we never [knew] we did. How are you going to change a life?”

Hill's Pet Nutrition will fund social media and public relations outreach for the celebratory week. Additionally, Hill’s field representatives will dispatch NVTW posters and goodies to Hill’s clients throughout the country. This will ensure almost 5,000 practices in the United States know about and are thanked for the work credentialed veterinary technicians do, according to NAVTA.¹

“On behalf of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, I want to express my sincere appreciation for everything [veterinary technicians] do for pets and for the families that love them. Veterinary technicians are the heart of the veterinary profession. Thank you for your expert knowledge, your unwavering caring approach, and your dedication. Credentialed veterinary technicians do change lives!” Vicky Ograin, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), scientific communication senior specialist at Hill’s, said in a news release.¹

Moreover, NAVTA will be hosting contests, offering members a chance to win gift cards, and more, in celebration of NVTW, according to the organization.¹

“Our entire team appreciates and celebrates you during National Veterinary Technician Week and beyond. Enjoy your week!” said Ograin, in the release.¹

References

1. Celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week 2024. National Association of Veterinary Technicians. September 6, 2024. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://navta.net/news/celebrating-national-veterinary-technician-week-2024/
2. NAVTA report on major initiatives and activities — May and July 2024. National Association of Veterinary Technicians. August 19, 2024. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://navta.net/news/navta-report-on-major-initiatives-and-activities-may-and-july-2024/
3. Coppock K. A vast amount of nontraditional jobs provide options for veterinary technicians. dvm360. June 24, 2024. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://www.dvm360.com/view/a-vast-amount-of-nontraditional-jobs-provide-options-for-veterinary-technicians