2nd year student = LVT?

I've heard that students who have completed their 2nd year of vet school are legally able to function as LVTs in practices.

Is there any truth to this? I'm not sure where I'd look it up. It likely varies between states? I am in WA - this state is kind of crabby about how much you can do without a LVT cert.

Hrm, I've not heard that. It may just be a child of the misconception a lot of the general public has that vet tech school and vet med school are the same thing. In other words, a 2 year vet tech degree.

lailanni said:

I've heard that students who have completed their 2nd year of vet school are legally able to function as LVTs in practices.

Is there any truth to this? I'm not sure where I'd look it up. It likely varies between states? I am in WA - this state is kind of crabby about how much you can do without a LVT cert.

Click to expand...

Look up the WA practice act. In California, those who completed year 2 are considered equivalent to an RVT when working in a clinic outside of school activities (that is in a practice in California).

Definately check with the board of vet medicine in WA. Only state I can think of that makes that exception is CA. Of course there are states that dont have tech licensure at all so that wouldnt count. Most states that have official licensure (LVT, RVT) require that you have
1) graduated from an AVMA accredited LVT program and
2) taken and passed the VTNE (national board) exam to function as an LVT.

On a more depressing note, I know of at least 2 states that specify a vet student cannot even practice "DVM" stuff until they are in an official preceptorship (ie 4th year). Doubt that is enforced much but just FYI.

LVT2DVM said:

On a more depressing note, I know of at least 2 states that specify a vet student cannot even practice "DVM" stuff until they are in an official preceptorship (ie 4th year). Doubt that is enforced much but just FYI.

Click to expand...

Really? here we are required to certify to give rabies vax during orientation.

This topic comes up all the time... and I still don't 'get it'. Perhaps because I am from NYC, and NYC (at least when I worked) didn't really do the whole "LVT" thing.

So... what the hell can a LVT do that a NON-LVT can't do in these states (that require you to have a "L" before your VT title.

P.S. The rabies thing I get 100%, and I understand the liability aspect (for the vet/hospital).

But are there really laws that govern what Vet Techs can and can't do?

No Imagination said:

This topic comes up all the time... and I still don't 'get it'. Perhaps because I am from NYC, and NYC (at least when I worked) didn't really do the whole "LVT" thing.

So... what the hell can a LVT do that a NON-LVT can't do in these states (that require you to have a "L" before your VT title.

P.S. The rabies thing I get 100%, and I understand the liability aspect (for the vet/hospital).

But are there really laws that govern what Vet Techs can and can't do?

Click to expand...

Check your state veterinary practice act-it varies. Using my home state as an example, to be an LVT you must have taken the state licensing exam. And to take the state licensing exam, you must have graduated from a 2 or 4 year accredited veterinary technician or technology program. They must renew their license every year and fulfill CE credit as well.
The state practice act says-

43-29-12.1 Veterinary technician services - Emergency services - Prohibited services.
1. A veterinary technician may perform the following services under the direction, supervision, and control of a licensed veterinarian, provided the licensed veterinarian performs a daily physical examination of the animal being treated:
a. Venipuncture, including insertion of an indwelling catheter when required.
b. Catheterizing the urinary bladder.
c. Injection, including hypodermic injection and parenteral fluids, except when in conflict with a government regulation.
d. Immunization immediately after examination by a licensed veterinarian, except when in conflict with a government regulation.
e. Inducing, maintaining, and monitoring anesthesia under the direct supervision of the licensed veterinarian.
f. Exposing and developing radiographic film.
g. Collecting and administering whole blood or plasma to an animal.
h. Assisting in surgery as directed by the licensed veterinarian.
i. Taking electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram tracings.
j. Performing routine laboratory procedures, including hematology, serology, microbiology, cytology, chemistry, urinalysis, fecal analysis, and skin scrapings.
k. Administering colonic irrigations and wound dressings.
l. Operating ultrasonic and polishing instruments for dental prophylaxis.
m. Preparing animals for surgery, including clipping, scrubbing, and disinfecting an operative site.
n. Preparing medicants for dispensing to clients on the direct or written order of the licensed veterinarian.
o. Maintaining surgery, x-ray, and laboratory logs and pharmacy records.
2. Under emergency conditions, a veterinary technician may perform the following treatments:
a. Applying tourniquets and pressure bandages to control hemorrhage.
b. Administering pharmacological agents and parenteral fluids only after direct communication with a licensed veterinarian, if the veterinarian is present or enroute to the location of the distressed animal.
c. Performing resuscitative oxygen procedures.
d. Applying temporary splints or bandages to prevent further injury to bones or soft tissues.
e. Applying appropriate wound dressings and external supportive treatment in severe burn cases.
f. Providing external supportive treatment in heat prostration cases.
3. A veterinary technician may not perform the following services unless the veterinary technician is acting as a surgical assistant to a licensed veterinarian under this chapter:
a. Making a diagnosis.
b. Prescribing a treatment.
c. Performing surgery.


I've heard that if you have an unlicensed vet tech doing these procedures and something happens, you get sued, etc, the state board will not back the tech or the supervising veterinarian up, but I don't know if that is actually true....
But I'm sure there are plenty of non-licensed techs doing these tasks everyday and no one bats an eye.

Thank you for the wonderful response.

I always thought as long as you didn't do:

rugbychick16 said:

a. Making a diagnosis.
b. Prescribing a treatment.
c. Performing surgery.

Click to expand...

without a DVM after your name, you were golden.

I am going to have to read these a digest this before I respond. The other post about the Mexican School Accredidation (and the AVMA) has gotten under my skin a bit, think I am going to have to relax before i comment 😉

I checked our state laws (GA) and they are about the same as what rugbychick16 posted. Any malpractice ins agent or carrier will have this kind of information very handy and up to date (there is a lot of out of date info out there).

In SC, where I was an unlicenced tech, there were defined limits to what any tech could do, but the big differences were in the level of supervision. IE, LVT's could be supervised remotely (ie within phone or email contact) while unlicence required direct (at minimum in the same building) supervision. There were some other things, but that was the biggest thing, which meant emergency/critical care hired mostly LVT's and other places hired mostly unlicenced. I prefer the states where you can use experience, other education, and testing to obtain an LVT...partly because some of the LVT programs are a joke while others are exceptional.

lailanni said:

I've heard that students who have completed their 2nd year of vet school are legally able to function as LVTs in practices.

Is there any truth to this? I'm not sure where I'd look it up. It likely varies between states? I am in WA - this state is kind of crabby about how much you can do without a LVT cert.

Click to expand...

Lailanni,
as a WA resident, although a MN vet student, I will say that WA is probably the most restrictive state I have worked in. I also have found what was said above to be the guideline. That said, while working in clinics in WA, and I am coming back this summer, I have been allowed to do a lot of "beyond tech stuff" when it involved things a tech was not normally doing, but for GP stuff the techs did most of the skilled procedures, and the aides/vet students did the basic stuff. Then again, I work in a specialty clinic that does many procedures most techs are not interested in, along with the other vets who do GP stuff. So it probably depends on who you are working for.

haha I'm just about to enter my fourth year and am totally unqualified to be a veterinary technician or do most of the tasks listed in that list. gulp.