Placing an intravenous catheter is an invasive procedure that requires skill but more importantly knowledge of the possible ramifications of the procedure. Specifically, in this day of antibiotic resistance, an individual placing a catheter needs to be knowledgeable about aseptic technique and how to prevent infection.  On the job training is spotty at best.  An individual having gone through coaching at the practice level will not have the required knowledge and background and therefore represents a risk to the patient and public. 

Veterinary assistants should not be placing IV catheters.  This is a procedure that requires specialized education in a variety of disciplines to safely perform, and is much higher risk to the patient (and the owners who cherish those patients) than phlebotomy.  Since IV catheters remain in place in the patient for sometimes days at a time, the consequences of a lapse in any step in the process can be severe.  This procedure requires good working knowledge of species-appropriate anatomy, aseptic technique, and bandaging to preserve distal circulation.  An innocent gap in this knowledge base, which is inevitable with variable and often hasty on-the-job training, can put our patients at risk of life-threatening complications.  I am sure all practicing DVMs have unfortunately seen serious complications and sequelae of improperly placed or managed IV catheters in their patients. 

I have personally witnessed occasional complications of IV catheters throughout my 11 years of full time practice at a variety of institutions where I have worked and trained (including primary care settings as well as secondary and tertiary referral facilities).  Some of the worst complications I have witnessed have occurred in a teaching hospital setting - i.e. with inexperienced students learning a challenging medical procedure with a relatively steep learning curve.  The most common complications I have seen include improper placement (fluids being administered SQ instead of IV, for example, or worse, a crashing patient where life-saving medications are inadvertently not received systemically in time when a catheter is improperly placed), bandaging issues (at best a swollen foot, at worst necrosis of an entire distal limb), and infection associated with the catheter ( again, varying from local dermatitis to systemic sepsis). 

This procedure is dangerous for untrained assistants to perform and it is unfair on multiple levels to expect them to step into this roll.  When I saw this proposed regulatory change, I could not think of one reason that this deregulation would be of benefit to our profession or our patients.  This proposed rule is a misguided, miopic attempt to hastily sidestep some of the systemic issues we all are facing in veterinary medicine (inadequate labor supply of LVTs, burnout, public perceptions of cost:benefit of care, COVID's impacts on caseloads).  We need to do better not just for our assistants and our patients, but also for the public and our Licensed Vet Techs.  The more we devalue their degree and expertise by implying that anyone can pick up these skills with on-the-job or informal training, the more of a skilled labor shortage we will face.  It is also unfair to the assistants themselves to be put in a position of potentially causing serious harm to a patient through lack of appropriate education and training.  We have a duty to people as well as animals in our profession - the owners entrusting us with the care of their animals (who are ignorant of the nuances of these regulations), our Licensed Vet Techs, and our assistants as well.  I hope we can work with integrity to address the very real issues our profession faces without compromising our duty to first do no harm to the patients, coworkers, and the public depending on us.

I am against the proposal to allow unlicensed veterinary staff to place Intravenous catheters. 

Taryn Singleton, LVT

Veterinary assistants should NOT be allowed to place IV catheters

Yet again this petition rears its ugly head...

The State of Virginia and the Board of Veterinary Medicine should be setting high standards of medicine, not lowering it simply to meet a need in practice due to the lack of LVT's in the Commonwealth of VA. I am against non-licensed persons placing IV catheters as there are risks of too many complications. If this is the road Virginia wants to take veterinary medicine, it speaks volumes for how little the profession is upheld, especially for the staff that holds a practice up.  Anyone can be taught a skill, it is the knowledge behind the skill that either makes the person a professional vs. dangerous to the profession. This does NOT help the profession, it LOWERS its standards of care.

There are 3 current schools for veterinary technology in the Commonwealth, all of which offer online courses and employers should be offering help to obtain licensure, not supporting an OJT person to perform medical tasks on pets and having the hospital or the attending veterinarian take the blame yet again for adverse events. 

Anyone in the veterinary profession should be ashamed of themselves if you are supporting a petition as ludicrous as this one. Imagine veterinarians having to fight technicians for performing small surgical procedures? That would be met with an uproar... but for technicians to have their skills dumbed down shows exactly how the profession really feels about their support staff. 

Congratulations VA for accepting yet another petition to lower the standards of care. 

Once again this has come up. Unlicensed assistants should not be allowed to place IV catheters. Rather than placing our patients at risk, why don't we address the real issues at hand- staff retention, LVT burn out, liveable wage. Decreasing the standard of care and patient safety is too great a price to pay. 

I will be paying attention to this and if passed will ensure my pets do not undergo any procedure which formerly required a licensed professional.  Why lessen safety and care when there are professionals able to do the job?

As a LVT that works with many assistants that are incredible at their job, I still believe that a licensed tech should be placing an IV catheter. We go to school for a reason and we should be recognized for our hard work and dedication we put in to our schooling in order to be able to better provide care for the animals. Don’t start taking things away from us to decrease our value, instead work to help LVT burnout and help pay your LvTs better so more will go to school for this! 

Don't lower the standards for my pets' care. 

Unlicensed techs should not be doing ANYTHING to my pet. Would you allow an unlicensed staff member place a catheter for you at the hospital?  

Our animals deserve high quality, licensed vet care. Do not dumb down the requirements for vet technicians!

100% against this petition. Any unlicensed assistant should not be placing IV catheters

I am 100% against lowering out standard of medicine for our patients!!   There are numerous avenues in which one can become a licensed LVT now. Our clients are becoming more aware and thus require a higher standard of care!!!  

There is a reason that LVT's go through the training they do, and the testing to become licensed.  I am 100% against the proposal to have an unlicensed staff member place IV's in our pets.  This is a lowering of the standards of care for our pets, and that is unacceptable.  I am extremely distressed that this is even being considered.

Going through proper training and receiving your certification/degree is essential in making sure the animal/person you work on is taken care of. It would be inhumane for an unlicensed tech to preform licensed tech duties. You wouldn’t want someone who hasn’t been properly trained and certified to work on you or a loved one, so why would you let that happen to your pets?!

This skillset is too risky to pass off to unlicensed techs. My pets deserve licensed techs for something this technical!! 

I am against this. Only licensed vet technicians and veterinarians should place an IV cath. Doing this will lower the level of care for our pets. 

I am completely and utterly disappointed that this is even being considered. At no point should an unlicensed person be able to insert a catheter into ANY living entity. 

I am against assistants being able to place IV catheters. That is an invasive procedure that needs to be done by licensed professionals. We should give our pets the same quality care that we would want. Many pet owners want what is best for their animals-and having someone who has learned and worked towards a degree/license is what they would want. If assistants want to be able to place IVCs-then they can enroll in a vet tech program. We should not be devaluing the LVTs that have been taking care of our animals. 

As a veterinary technician student I find this unfair! I am dedicating a lot of my time and money to become a licensed veterinarian technician! As vet techs we have veterinary medical education, training and skills to take care of your pets! Anyone can be an assistant! I am currently one at the moment. Assistants do not need experince or a degree to be one. Would you have an unlicensed nurse put an IV catheter in you? Or an assistant that has no medical education?? I think not! Our pets deserve the same care we get. 

I am against Petition 333 (To amend section 172 to allow an unlicensed veterinary assistant to place an intravenous catheter) for the following reasons:

Placing an intravenous catheter requires extensive training and knowledge of anatomy and physiology, aseptic preparation and placement technique, and a thorough understanding of implications regarding this procedure.  Intensive training is required to understand how to place the catheter in the least painful manner possible and to understand the repercussions of doing this procedure incorrectly. For example, an unlicensed assistant or other member of the public would not be sufficiently aware of the implications of administering drugs in a improperly placed IV catheter, or vein that has 'blown', to include causing pain and dangerous drug reactions in the body.  Improper preparation technique can cause infections at the IV site, leading to possible drug-resistant bacterial infections and even sepsis in a patient.

Training on-the-job is not sufficient to prepare those without formal schooling to perform this invasive procedure.  Rarely, is there direct oversight for training non-licensed individuals in practice, and this can be a danger to the patient.

Licensed veterinary technicians and veterinarians have gone through extensive schooling and oversight to learn the how's and why's for performing invasive procedures in their patients.  When they are licensed by the Board of Veterinary Medicine they have proven that they have done the schooling and training to perform tasks such as IV catheter placement, and are the only people qualified to administer certain drugs, including controlled substances, to a patient. It makes little sense to allow assistants to place IV catheters when they are not allowed to handle the majority of drugs that would be administered through an IV.

This amendment would endanger patient safety and undermine public trust in veterinary care by allowing untrained individuals to perform invasive procedures.

I am against this. Only LVTs should be able to place IVC.

I am against allowing on the job trained assistants perform IV catheters.  I want an LVT that has gone to school and licensed to perform such duties.  ALL patients deserve a qualified educated provider!

I'm against unlicensed personnel taking on these important responsibilities. 

According to the 2019 Virginia Healthcare Workforce report there were 2738 veterinarians practicing in some vet related position in Virginia.  Of those 2738, only 2672 were practicing as veterinarians seeing patients.  Likewise in 2019 there were 1397 licensed veterinary technicians employed in veterinary related jobs, 1369 of them, working as a licensed veterinary technician in a clinical setting.  This leaves 0.51 LVTs per DVM.  This is an unsustainable ratio, and leads substandard patient care.  

Having a trained, veterinary assistant place an IV catheter is a preferable option to a patient not getting a catheter, or having to wait for their IV catheter due to the shortage of Licensed Technicians.  Licensed technicians should be utilized to do more advanced patient care, and we should be advocating for a nurse practitioner type position for licensed technicians.  

Licensed techs are the backbone, and the lifeblood of almost every veterinary hospital, but there are not enough of them.  We are facing huge numbers of techs leaving the field, and leaving clinical settings.  This is because they are not being utilized, and treated like the educated professionals that they are.  Veterinary Assistants that have undergone proper training are more than capable of placing IV catheters, freeing the veterinarian and technician to work on patient care.  

IV catheterization is an invasive procedure that needs to remain regulated and properly taught to individuals. Unlicensed assistants should not be allowed to perform such procedures. There is a level of distinction that needs to be maintained between those of us that went to school, took the boards, and happen proven our competency. Leave assistants to what they're good at: assisting. If they want to be techs/nurses, then go learn how tobe one.

I am for this because I have met assistants who were more adept at placing IV catheters than both DVMs and (newer)LVTs. If they have the training, they should be allowed to perform this skill. In an emergent situation, if there is only an assistant available and they are able to safely and successfully place an IV catheter, they should be allowed to do so instead of sacrificing patient care. Plus, DVMs are going to let capable assistants do this anyway. 

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. 

As a licensed veterinary nurse in the Commonwealth of Virginia for nearly 10 years, I am against the petition to amend section 172 to allow an unlicensed veterinary assistant to place an intravenous catheter.

Placing an indwelling intravenous catheter, as well as phlebotomy in general, is an invasive procedure that requires knowledge of proper aseptic technique, as well as possible complications resulting from improper catheter placement (i.e. embolism, etc). In the age of antibiotic resistance, it is imperative that we as medical professionals do everything with in our power to protect the health and safety of our patients, and to prevent nosocomial infections. 

We as medical providers must strive to do our best for our patients and our clients. Our board of veterinary medicine should be focusing on codes and regulations that improve patient care, protect our licensed doctors and nurses, and to encourage gold standard care for all animals. Rather than devaluing the education and experience of licensed nurses, the board should focus on stricter requirements regarding delegation of duties such as anesthetic monitoring and recovery, phlebotomy, etc, etc. 

Licensed veterinary nurses across the country are undervalued and underpaid. Our community is facing a mental health crisis and suicide rates are staggering. The Commonwealth of Virginia could do better by focusing on protecting and elevating our licensed veterinary nurses, to set an example for gold standard veterinary care, rather than stripping away the few protections our licensed nurses have.

I am against the petition to allow assistants to place IV catheters. LVTs are trained how to correctly place them, and many drugs are given IV that can be very dangerous to an animal if not given properly; in emergencies, IVs are critical- they could save a life. Techs know where to place and which gauge to use; it is important that a credentialed tech place it. A pet deserves that level of care behind them, and LVTs are happy to make time to ensure it is done correctly. 

This industry has long been allowing unlicensed personell to perform a variety of duties only legally allowed by a licensed technician. Not only does this jeopardize patient health, this sends a very conflicting message to the pet owner and the veterinary community. Clients cannot understand why some clinics charge more than others or the difference between which staff are caring for their pets. We're sending a bad message about how we value patient care when we allow untrained individuals to practice veterinary medicine. Furthermore, we denigrate the LVT community by refusing to pay them what they are worth and acknowledging the hard work and training they've completed to adequately care for patients. Licensed technicians have the learned the "why" for the "how" of medicine, the science of which is sorely lacking by untrained persons. In a million years we would NEVER let someone without proper schooling administer drugs and place catheters in a human medical facility.  I wholeheartedly oppose this measure. 

It is insane to me to think that the state requires us to get licensed and complete a school degree and maintain our licensing and continuing education requirements yearly, but will allow for this once again. So many things can go wrong, so many! I have seen trained assistants believe they are technicians and not only ATTEMPT to place iv catheters but also go into the controlled drug box. I will not sacrifice my license because of the overconfidence and incompetence of someone off the street, nor should you ask us to. 

Against. 

Against, strongly. I work with some assistants that I barely trust to run the washing machine appropriately.  IVC placement is an educated skill that should be dedicated to educated, licensed individuals. 

The veterinary industry relies heavily on OTJ trained individuals. However, there are opportunists for schooling and licensing. Degrading LVTs by taking away a specific skill set is degrading to the veterinary field. We strive for excellent standard of care. Perhaps increasing the pay of licensed veterinary technicians will pave the way for more people to want to go through the schooling and fill the need of staff

In human medicine, placing an intravenous catheter requires a license or at the very least a certification. Why would we take a step backwards in veterinary medicine by allowing this petition to pass!

I am against this petition as a practicing LVT in the state of Virginia. 

I am against the proposal to allow unlicensed veterinary staff to place Intravenous catheters. This dilutes the level of care of veterinary patients in Virginia. Katie Smith, LVT

Only licensed LVTs should perform!

I am against this change. I believe that this would be a step back for the veterinary community and could result in patient harm. We have went to school and learned these skills and the consequences of improper placement/technique. We have passed board exams to earn our license and do continuing  education every year to keep these licenses. Veterinary assistants are vital for what we do, but they do not replace us or our skills that we have worked hard to achieve.  There are a lot of things that you can learn with OJT training but you cannot replace the knowledge gained through schooling and continuing education. We do not allow unlicensed/certified personnel to place IV catheters in us, why should we downgrade our standards for our patients. 

 I am against the proposal to allow unlicensed veterinary staff to place Intravenous catheters, as a LVT we are trained of appropriate techniques and also of how to appropriately tape, and administer drugs and care for an IVC. We learn in-depth about the drugs so we can make sure a reaction is low possibility and we know what to do when it occurs. Working in major practices in VA I have firsthand witness unlicensed persons handling IV catheters and not knowing what and how things should be cared for. The state needs to continue requiring educated LVT's and DVM's to only be allowed to place them, As a profession we as educated professionals need to be valued.

I am strongly against this change. As a newly licensed LVT I worked my butt off to get my license, studying for years to complete school and pass my boards. While vet assistants are a vital support staff for LVTs and doctors, they are not interchangeable to technicians and the skills we have acquired to hold the title of licensed veterinary technician. If we make this change what is next? Assistants intubating pets? Administering IM and IV medications? As a technician we are limited on what we can do because we were not trained as doctors. The same goes for assistants who are not trained as LVTs. We went through rigorous school work and hours of schooling perfecting our skills for a reason, there is risk when technical procedures are performed by untrained individuals.  If the concern is that the veterinary community is in need of more technicians then this would actually have a detrimental effect on LVT morale as we are already overworked and underpaid as is. Add in that assistants are able to do the skills we were trained to do without licensure and that will just create an influx of more unhappy veterinary professionals. 

I’m against unlicensed personnel placing intravenous catheters.

Against! 

Please we must maintain the integrity if our jobs our training. Until there is something else licensed techs can do that equates a nurse practitioner then we must protect our skills. Can eebtrain anyone to perform these skills. Of course we can. But then why have any lucesensed professional including human nurses. We need to differentiate the different skill levels and should maintain those differences in positions. We need to elevate and support the profession. 

Unlicensed staff should not be placing IVCs.

Only licensed technician should be administering catheters for the health and welfare of animals. 

I now work in a practice that I’m the only tech. And the assistants are capable to place IVC. They’re seasoned, and trained. It’s honestly not hard to do the motions of placing a catheter.  But still in my heart I just don’t feel right with it.  There’s so much more to IVC than just being able to place it. Education is really important-anatomy, pharmacology, etc.  Now that I’ve come into the practice, I place them. 
Not that these assistants can’t do it and learn. But if something goes wrong, it’s a SERIOUS problem. And that would fall on the DVM in charge. And cause a ruckus. Idk *shrug*. 
Imma LVT yall, step back, I got dis. :) 

AGAINST

Schooling should be required before an individual should be allowed to place an IV catheter. 

Against none licensed individuals placing iv catheters

As LVTs, we worked very hard to graduate and obtain our licenses.  We also have to have continuing education every to maintain that license.  Unfortunately we are not appreciated or utilized to our full ability or potential.  Allowing an unlicensed assistant to place an IV catheter would open a door for more things to be done by unlicensed personnel and further devaluing licensed veterinary technicians.