Paraveterinary worker

A paraveterinarian is a professional of veterinary medicine who performs procedures autonomously or semi-autonomously, as part of a veterinary assistance system. The job role varies throughout the world, and common titles include veterinary nurse, veterinary technician, and veterinary assistant, and variants with the prefix of "animal health".

The scope of practice varies between countries, with some allowing suitably qualified paraveterinarian scope of autonomous practice, including minor surgery, whilst others restricting their workers as assistants to other professionals.

In North America, paraveterinary workers who have completed a course of study, passed an examination, and have a defined scope of practice are called veterinary technicians. Veterinary technicians hold a technician degree in Veterinary Technology. Most Canadian provinces have a formal registration process and, legally, veterinarians must hire registered veterinary technicians. In America credentialed veterinary technicians must attend a Veterinary Technician program approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), most of which are two year programs which confer an Associate of Science (or an Associate of Applied Science) Degree in Veterinary Technology. Graduates must pass the VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Exam) to become credentialed in their state. These credentials (whether Licensed [LVT], Registered [RVT], or Certified [CVT]) must be renewed every two years with requirements varying from state-to-state.

Human nursing associations have often claimed rights over the term "nurse". In some countries this is protected by law, and in the United States, 39 states have title protection over "Nurse", with Nursing Practice Acts mandating that only those who are Registered Nurses (RNs) may use the title "Nurse".

"Nurse" title protection was in place in the United Kingdom until 1984, where veterinary nurses were referred to as 'registered animal nursing auxiliaries', in line with the naming convention at the time for less qualified assistants in human nursing, called 'nursing auxiliaries'.

There are currently only seven countries in the world (out of ~195) who have a recognized paraveterinary profession and use the term "Veterinary Nurse" to describe those workers:

There is an effort to change the title of credentialed Veterinary Technicians in the United States but legislative efforts have failed in all four states where the name change has been introduced to date. The VNI has spent over $200,000 with no clear accounting of where the money has been spent and no success. Many state Veterinary Technician associations and Veterinary Medical Associations oppose the effort to change the title of the profession in the United States, and the AVMA has refused to support the name change (but does support the other stated goals of the VNI).

In most countries, a veterinary assistant is a person with fewer or no formal animal health qualifications, who has no autonomous practice, but who is designated to assist other professionals.