As a recent graduate who just received her license in December 2014, please consider increasing the current continuing education requirements for our profession.  It is my opinion that return on this investment would increase the professionalism of our field and would not place an undue burden on LVTs.

I have been a licensed technician for 14 years now, originally licensed in MD - now licensed in both MD and VA.  I am not in support of raising the hours from 6 to 8.  Many technicians are already extremely underpaid for the work they do and many of the CE's require taking off more work to attend.  Additionally, most CEs are in 6 hr increments, therefore to obtain 8 we would have to use up 12 working hours of time to get the 8.  I personally search for relevant CEs and many of those out there are simply not beneficial.  I learn WAY more in the clinic doing hands on work than I ever have in any CE.  

Maryland requires 24 over 3 years - not 8 per year, so for two years you can attend one 6 hr session, and one year you do two.  Even this is better than making 8 an annual requirement.

Sincerely,

Susan Biesecker

I support this action and would request that consideration be made to allow practice management themed courses to be eligible for a portion of the required CE credits.  Topics such as controlled drug regulations and inventory or personnel management can benefit technicians who are playing an ever expanding role in their practice. 

I am in favor of the increase in hours.  I usually obtain more then the required number of CE every year.  It is only a 2 hour increase and I believe it will improve the knowledge and education of all techs.  We are licensed professionals and should be held to higher standards!

I support an increase in CE hours required for licensed veterinary technicians in Virginia.  I have always felt that only requiring 6 hours was a bit of a joke anyway.  Any legitimate conference offers 20+ hours in possible CE, and most clinics will pay toward this.  

I support increasing the number of hours of CE required for Licensed Veterinary Technicians in Virginia.  We owe it to our veterinary patients and their owners to be as up to date as possible on our knowledge and skills. 

I am in support of the proposed increase.  This brings VA more in line with other state requirements and shows that our profession takes continued education for patient and public health seriously. I appreciate the VA offers flexibility in type of CE accepted (online, association provided, vendor provided, nationally RACE approved) which allows all to obtain quality CE at little to no cost to those technians that have financial constraints. 

I am 100% in favor of increasing the CE annual requirement from 6 per year to 8 per year for Virginia LVT's. Virginia, I do believe requires the least amount of annual CE credits, when compared to the other states that require crentienals. Also, there are multitudes of ways to obtain CE nowadays (multiple conferences in and out of state, online programs, etc.). I think this increase will definitely help promote positive and proactive change to our profession as LVT's.  

After thinking long and hard I am against increaseing the CE hour 2 more hours unless there is more support from VALVT for yearly conferences. Most LVTs are under paid and cannot afford to pay for CE hours, I am lucky I am not one of them. Also no not all hospitals pay for CE or even give time off to go.  There are really not enough free CEs (on line or actually go to a conference) to allow LVTs to continue to take them for free year after year.  I live in Northern Viriginia, I believe the last time VALVT came up into our area and sponsored a coference was in 2006 or 2007.  You want to increase the hours then help your members in all of Viriginia not just the Blue Ridge area get some CE hours.  We as a group look at ourselves as professional, but our state does not. If you look at the the fact that most LVTs are underpaid and over worked because employers do not want to pay you over time, but you still have to be at work anyway; so you go to salary then work 45-50 hours a week with no compensation. You want to call yourself professionals then VALVT fight to have LVTs exempt like the doctors are so we get paid for the hours we work.  Also, while I am thinking of it, to be professionals why not fight for us to STOP allowing lay people (assistants) do skills that we went to school for? For example: drawing blood, dentals, injections, monitoring anesthesia to name a few areas. This would truly show that we as a group are professionals like doctors.  Then increase our CE hours.

I am in support of increasing CE hours from 6 to 8 hours.  There are plenty of opportunities to gain these hours through many facets including VALVT and specialty organization conferences and online opportunities.  As professionals, if we are more educated and engaged in our field, we will gain more respect from our peers and the clients we help. I believe 2 hours more are not a imposition on our time, especially if those 2 hours can improve our skills and the efficiency of completing those skills. 

"I solemnly dedicate myself to aiding animals and society by providing excellent care and services for animals, by alleviating animal suffering, And by promoting public health.

I accept my obligations to practice my profession conscientiously and with sensitivity, adhering to the professions Code of Ethics, and furthering my knowledge and competence through a commitment to lifelong learning."

This is the oath we take when entering our profession.

It is our ethical duty to be up to date with the newset technolgies, treatments, and medications to further improve the life of our patients. Learning is part of the job description. I am in favor of increasing the CE required hours from 6 to 8. It's just another part of the many jobs Licensed Veterinary Technicans have to do. With easy access to getting credits; whether it's online, conference weekends, or lunch/ dinners. It's important to the profession as a whole that we know as much as we possibly can to give the patient and the client options.That's what can make the difference between life and death in some cases, an option. 

I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician in Virginia.  When I first heard of the idea of increasing the CE requirement my first question was the same for any other new idea…Why?  I am a person that questions everything whether it be good, bad, or completely innocuous.  Questioning is how I learn.  So, to educate myself on the pros/cons of increasing CE requirements I began to ask questions of other LVT’s that I knew and some I didn’t know that were attending (ironically) the same CE meetings I was attending.  Most responses I received were hovering around the same topics.  Those topics were mostly relating to respect from clients and the fact that other professions in Virginia required more CE than LVTs do.  So, I asked more questions pertaining to education.  “Do you feel you are unprepared or unqualified to do your job as an LVT?,” I asked.  The response to that question was a resounding, “No,” from those that I asked.  They felt fully prepared, educated, and qualified to perform their duties in their respective clinics.  My follow up question was then, “if you feel prepared and educated to perform your job, why would we need to, literally, change the Code of Virginia to make a requirement of LVTs to acquire something they don’t need?”  The only response to that question was that it will look better to the clients if LVTs have a higher requirement and would yield more respect from the public.

It is my experience that education is best learned in a hands-on environment.  That is why doctors have a period of residency and electricians begin as an apprentice.  The same applies to veterinary medicine.  True learning and training does not come from a CE meeting, it comes from working in the field and learning from those with more experience.  Book learning definitely has its place, but it cannot take the place of hands-on learning. 

I am NOT in favor of increasing the CE requirement for LVTs based on the illogical thought that 2 more hours per year will make an individual better suited to do their job.  In addition, it seems to me this proposal is based on appearance rather than true necessity.  To require LVTs (who are ridiculously under paid) to take more time, money, and travel to gain 2 additional hours of CE every year is an unnecessary burden.

Public and client respect is gained when standing face to face while treating a beloved pet, not by the number of CE hours or a license that hangs on a wall.

I am in support of increasing CE hours for technicians. Our field is evolving and growing over the years and we are being held to higher expectations as technicians. We should be willing to learn and grow individually, however, the CE hours increase will help with that process. Most conferences easily allow you to earn 8 hours in a day or two.

I am in support of increasing CE requirements from 6 to 8 hours annually. I have no problem expecting technicians to remain current in the field.  I think the increase will encourage hospitals to increase CE allowance for technicians.  

I have read some of the posts stating that cost and time are reasons against this increase.  There is a ton of free CE online or at reduced cost; you just have to look for it. This is my career not just a job. This means that I need to put in the effort to remain relevant regardless. In order to do this it may mean doing CE on my own time and money.  

I do think it would make it easier for techs to change the CE from 8 per year to 16 per 2 years. This might make attending a large conference more economical for technicians and clinics more likely to pay. 

Aimee Walker, LVT

.I am in favor of increasing the CE hours. Veterinary Technicians play a very important role in the veterinary field. Increasing the CE hours will let our technicians sustain knowlege to better help the doctors,staff, and owners. 

Continuing education is essential to staying current with medical standards, and often the best source and most useful information in veterinary medicine.  CE is also very easy to come by, and is often offered by local and regional organizations at no charge.  An increase in required hours from 6 hours to 8 hours is not a lot to ask, especially when it is so critical to keeping LVTs at the top of their game.  

As a student Veterinary Technician I am in favor of increasing the required CE hours from 6 to 8.  I believe increasing the hours would add to the knowledge and skills of Veterinary Technicians.  Increasing the hours should not cause any hardships because there is an abundance of free CE offered throughout the state by the VALVT and regional VMA's.

I am in favor of increasing CE hoursfrom 6 to 8 hours,and heres why. It not only helps the LVT to stay up to date with current new treatment techniques, but it helps all of the staff of the veterinary practice. As an assitant to our LVT she often shares her experiences and new information and everyones knowledge expands. This is very important for client education and providing the best medical care for our patients. 

I dont see where it would be an inconvenience because there are plenty of free CE opportunities to LVT thru the State Organizations such as the VALVT. That the additional hours would be beneficial to the LVT but also to the clinic he or she is employed at. I support the increase in hours for the benefit of patient health and well being. 

As a student veterinary technician, I am in support of increasing the number of CE hours for LVT's. The conferences are important for staying up to date on new information. There is so much to be learned not only from the conferences, but also from other technicians who know of different ways to perform tasks. This profession is growing and more people recognize what we do for the practice, and the CE hours are essential to us and our clients. Increasing the annual CE hours is not only beneficial to us, but also to our practice and all the pet owners we serve. 

I support increasing the number of CE hours required for LVTs in Virginia. I believe the more knowledge we have the better care we can provide for our patients.

I support increasing the number of hours of CE required for Licensed Veterinary Technicians in Virginia.  We owe it to our veterinary patients and their owners to be as up to date as possible on our knowledge and skills.

While I am in favor of education for LVT's, I see no need to increase the CE requirement.  Nothing is stopping LVTs from getting 8 hours or more per year at this time.  No information has been presented indicating increasing the requirement by 2 hours will address any ongoing issue or shortcoming.  Adding 2 hours to the annual requirement will not improve LVT skills - those who want to learn and stay current will regardless of the law, and those who don't - well, adding 2 hours to their annual CE won't change that.

This change is a solution in search of a problem.  Leave things the way they are.

As a seasoned LVT I have encountered numerous LVTs that have become complacent and subpar due to burnout and/or lack of challenge, attending a couple of free dinner CEs that may not even pertain to them.  Although 2 hours seems small (it is a 33% increase!), it is a step in the right direction, holding our profession accountable for the medicine we are practicing and the quality of our patient care.  Those who consider additional CE burdensome are an insult to the rest of us that are fully invested in the integrity of having a license and being the higher standard.

I support the CE hour increase, I mean, why not?  We need hours, adding a couple more is only going to benefit us!  It's important to keep up with the times in this profession, we signed up for this!  Anything we can do to better ourselves as LVTs, we should take advantage of this opportunity to increase our hours!  YES!  I know we are pulled in multiple different directions as LVTs (I mean, look at our job descriptions...we do it ALL).  But we must stay open minded, and take this chance to learn from others. 
Don't forget why we are here, and why we do what we do...it's not all about you, it's about our patients and clients, and they deserve the best.  

Speaking as a credentialed veterinary technician of 40 years, I oppose any official increase in required CE hours.  Providing competent and compassionate care is of utmost importance to the majority of LVTs who generally continue to educate themselves throughout their careers. Does anyone really believe that 6 or even 8 self selected hours of dubious value, often industry promoted, do anything to protect the public and their pets?  I really don't think so.

I support the increase of continuing education hours for our LVT's. My babies are clients of Gretna Animal Clinic.

I support raising Annual CE hours from 6 to 8 hours. 

I think those of us that are committed professionals acquire 8 hours of CE without even thinking about it, however, there are some in our professions that unless held accountable will not follow through, thus making minimum standards necessary. 8 hours is a day.  A day of training is not too much to ask of anyone as a basic, baseline standard.  Things change very rapidly in veterinary medicine and annual CE is crucial to maintaining knowledge levels and expertise in order to deliver quality care to our patients and their owners.

I am in support of the increase of CE's for Vet Techs in VA to be better educated and to take better care of our animals. This will enable the technicians to stay updated on the changes and research with small animals. 

Thank you, 

Stacey Thompson

I support increasing CE hours requirements for LVT's.

I strongly encourage the board to increase the required hours of continuing education from 6 to 8 hours. LVT's are being utilized more by veterinarians to assist with important areas such as client education, patient care, obtaining and reading of in house samples (ear smears/fecals/ect.) making it vital for them to be up to date. I understand that many are worried about the added cost and time requirements an additional 2 hours of CE may cause. However, this may be offset by the clinic compensation as well as numerous free events throughout the year sponsored by veterinary schools, specialty refferal clinics, local VMA's, and also online sites such as DVM360. Online sessions could be done at the technicians convience from home or during slower times at the clinic. 

If we are expecting more of our veterinary technicians then we should support them by encouraging further education.

I support the increase of education hours for LVT's. There is always something to learn and imporve on. 

I support LVT's requiring more CE credits. 

I support the increase in CE hours from 6 to 8.  

I am writing in support of an increase in the number of required hours for Licensed Veterinary Technicians in Virginia.  We must keep the standards of our profession high and I would like to see Virginia among the highest in required hours for CE.  To obtain 8 or even 10 hours in a years time is easily available even through free courses online or in person.  Anyone who is devoted to their profession should spend at least this amount of time improving their skills each year.

Jeff Smith, Mount Hermon Animal Clinic

The increase in CE hours for LVT's is good for our profession.  It will help us continue to increase our knowledge and education to better serve our patients and improve our technical skills.  Two more CE hours is not difficult to obtain over the course of twelve months.  Many regional veterinary groups offer CE credits every quarter, usually at no cost to the technician.

I support increasing the CE credit hours for LVTs from 6 to 8

I oppose the increase in the number of CE credit hours.

Ongoing CE is vital to the Veterinary profession as it is a constantly evolving field. Most LVTs I know have no problem obtaining 8+ hours a year on free CE alone.  It is not unreasonable to increase the minimum to encourage all licensed individuals to continually seek knowlege in their field.

I do not agree with increasing the required CE hours.   This only increases the time I have to spend away from family or work.   It wouldn't be so bad if we had a two or three licensure period to get CE done. 

With an ever increasing role technicians fill in practice, particularly with advanced technologies, I see an increase in CE hours as being appropriate.  Technicians are an equally important member of the health care team and I see no reason why CE requirements shouldn't mirror veterinarian requirements quite honestly.

I am in agreement with the increase in the hours.  I feel the more education you have then the more knowledge you have to help the patients in the best possible way. 

In support of increase

I do not think that they should increase the CE credit hours. Many practices only give you a certain amount of money to do CE. If you increase the amount of CE credit hours than that means that a lot of people will have to pay for their own CE conferences that they go to, which are very expensive!