I strongly oppose having Assistants be permitted to place IV catheters, or, indeed, perform venipuncture of any kind.  Assistants do not have any training or education in anatomy or physiology, so they do not understand the intricacies involved in venipuncture.  For instance, what happens if they cannot visualize the vein? They do not know anatomy to be able to perform a blind stick.  There is no requirement for Assistants to maintain Continuing Education, so they will not have attended sessions on venipuncture and how to manage various kinds of veins (poor perfusion, blown veins, saving a blown vein, etc.).  They do not have a background knowledge of disease processes that can drive appropriate venipucture site choice - i.e., avoiding larger vessels in animals with potential clotting issues, using appropriate needle gauges for the patient's current status and fluid needs, knowing which veins to move to when one vein is deemed "lost," etc.  Until Assistants are required to have the education level and licensing requirements that a Licensed Veterinary Techinican receives, they should not be granted this responsibility.  There are too many complications that can arise from venipunture, and an IV catheter is critical to some of our patients.  A wasted catheter is time that is wasted, and possibly a vein that is completely lost depending how badly an uneducated Assistant has botched the process; a lost vein could be a lost life in an emergency situation.

I understand that Assistants think that venipuncture is glamorous, and that they are "missing out," especially if our Assistants are allowed to perform such tasks in other states that do not require Licensed Technicians.  What they do not realize is the amount of learning, knowledge, Continuing Education, and responsibility that comes with the title of Licensed Veterinary Technician. Those of us who completed our degree, passed the National Exam, and achieved our license fully comprehend what it means to have those initials after our name, and we take our jobs seriously.  We know that our job responsibilities have consequences, and none of them are "glamorous."  The state has granted us our licenses with that understanding; Assistants have not been granted those same rights and responsibilities.  If they wish to have them, then they should go through the same steps that we have, gain the same knowledge, respect, and understanding.