"I’ve heard the arguments that using the word "nurse" will somehow create confusion between how people fulfilling that role in the human medical and veterinary fields are trained and what they can do"

Has there been an argument that a veterinarian shouldn't be called "doctor"? I fail to see how using the term "nurse" for a veterinary technician (especially in an animal clinic setting) would cause confusion.

When my critters are ill, I "nurse" them at home. If that term is used, I cannot imagine anyone mistaking me for a highly trained nursing professional for either animals or humans.

I am a highly trained and skilled Registered Nurse with an earned Master of Science in Nursing degree. I agree that technician does not begin to describe what these wonderful people do for our pets. They have earned the title of "Veterinary Nurse". What they do for our beloved pets is what we human nurses do for our patients - care, in every way. I was pleased to hear the "techs" referred to as "veterinary nurses" at the specialty clinic where one of our Siberian Huskies is undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma. I hope this term becomes universal and I will be honored to share the title of "nurse" with them.

Just like nurses in an MD's practice, a Veterinarian's Technicians can make or break them. While our older dog was ill, we had more direct contact with the Techs than with the Vet, and they made the experience much more bearable for us and our pup. When the time came to euthanize Gretel (I refuse to sugar coat it) the lead Tech was there, assisting and grieving with us. She is the one that offered the most genuine reassurance that we had done everything possible before accepting the inevitable as gracefully as we could.

We respect our Vet, but we love our Techs, whatever you call them!

To me, a technician is someone who works with inanimate objects, and animals are far from being inanimate and unfeeling.. I've always referred to the vet techs as nurses.

I confess to never thinking much about AVT and RVT titles -- but now that I've read this post, am 100% behind elevating Technician to Nurse. Of course, this appropriate term is merited!

I definitely feel vet technicians need to be given the honorable title of RN. They probably know ,more than many young RNs today. Many become RN's for the high salary and NOT dedication to caring for humans. Given their low salary, years of education, credential exam, I imagine a vet "tech" has a high love for & dedication to the animal BEING they care for. I say this in all respect to the human BEING nursing profession. I am an RN & I know what I see in many a younger hospital RN. Other countries have vet RNs. It is the American Nursing Association that denies American vet techs an "RN." They feel there will be confusion as to an RN with human beings and an RN with animal beings. (Oh Pleasseeeee!) And very importantly, this also denigrates the patient served, the animal. An animal is a sentient being. Research has proven (what pet owners have known) that animals have cognition, emotions, similar to humans...and of course, feel FEAR & PAIN. At a time when great strides are being made for animal welfare, with a long way to go (cruelty, prosecution, factory farming, inhumane slaughter, etc.), raising the vet tech to RN is a vital recognition of the animal. *Animal welfare and rights and human morality. Thank you.

Before wondering what to call a veterinary technician, it would help if veterinary hospitals would have their staff wear name badges that identify name and title of that person and when I am taken into the room by somebody it would help if they would introduce themselves along with their title so I know what skill level to expect from that person.
I am a Registered Nurse and I find that even in human medicine the general public is not always aware of what the different titles mean, this is confused by the fact that many doctors offices do not employ any licensed nurses these days and they call their Medical Assistants "Nurse" and they even put those staff members on the phone "I let you talk to the nurse" when a patient calls with a problem.
Veterinary Technicians do have a lot of training so I feel it would be very appropriate to call them Veterinary Nurse and if there is a demand for it, like in the human field, there could be different levels of veterinary nurses.
That said, I will make sure that I will recognize my vet's technicians when I go there this week, so thanks for the heads up.

We who love our Pet-Kids, Want to honor these wonderful People, who work so close to our Pet-Doctors. Thank-you

I have been an RN for over 36 years, almost 30 of that in the ER...I monitor and perform procedures on humans; from the very young to the very aged. I also volunteer in an animal shelter that is extremely underfunded, and unable to pay the going rate for a full-time "technician". They have given me on-the-job training to function as an assistant to our full-time vet....under his supervision I monitor and perform procedures on the shelter animals; from the very young to the very aged. I have taken blood samples, given medications, and performed CPR on both humans and animals. Both can be very rewarding and very frustrating. Should techs be called "Veterinary Nurses"? ABSOLUTELY!!
(I even tweet under @VetRN).....

The NAVTA and veterinary technicians throughout the country wrangled with this issue years ago and decided that we should be called veterinary technicians. Yes, nursing our veterinary patients is a large part of the job but we also do much more including blood testing, cytology, radiology, etc which is generally, on the human side, done by technicians. I believe the NAVTA was requested by nursing organizations to refrain from calling veterinary technicians nurses. If that is true, it was right for the NAVTA to respect that request.

If the members of the veterinary technology profession have decided what to call themselves, I don't think it's right for someone outside the profession to question it whether it's a columnist, a state board, or an employer.

It is the veterinarians and state boards that want to dilute the meaning of the title of "Veterinary Technician" when they refuse to credential us or allow non-credentialed asssistants to perform the same tasks that diminish our profession, not what we are called.

I am proud to be a veterinary technician and have no desire to be called a veterinary nurse.