As an unlicensed assistant for the past 12 years, I have worked in clinics where there have been no licensed technicians at all because practices don’t want to pay for them, and practices where the duties of the LVTs are unrealistic due to understaffing. Having an understanding of anatomy and the “why” behind the best practices of IV catheter placement are important. With that said, there are certainly capable assistants out there, but ultimately this is a function of a licensed technician or a student after completing certain competencies. I also know that whether this is amended or not, there will continue to be practices that utilize unlicensed assistants as if they were LVTs. The community should be looking at why there is such a shortage of LVTs and address those reasons.