Oct. 13–19 was Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week. Many people do not realize how important technicians are to the veterinary field. We wouldn’t be able to function without them.
Technicians function like nurses in human medicine. Some may have certifications while others have on-job training. Some have specialty certifications like emergency and critical care or nutrition. They may be responsible for a variety of jobs like laboratory work, patient care, nail trims, blood draws and anesthetic monitoring. They are the “Swiss Army Knife” at any practice.
While technicians are an integral part of any veterinary practice, they don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The technician field is remarkably underpaid, with the median income being $21.03 per hour according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association, the wages of veterinary techs has increased by 25 percent since 2016, but they are still not adequately compensated for the knowledge they have.
The burnout rate in veterinary medicine is high across the board but is extremely high among technicians. This is partly due to low salaries, but there are other reasons including lack of title protection, difficult clients and high staff turnover, according to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America.
Compassion fatigue is another major challenge that techs often struggle with. Compassion fatigue describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others. Veterinary technicians are often there for the first puppy visits and their patient’s last breaths. Techs have sometimes cared for an animal for its entire life. They have gotten to know the pet’s family and the animal’s little quirks. Seeing not only the animal’s pain, but also its owner’s pain, can become emotionally taxing.
Even though this article will be published after veterinary technician appreciation week, I ask that when you see any technicians at your next vet visit, please say thanks for all they do. They will appreciate the thank you more than you realize—and they deserve every one of them.