Credential Requirements

The following are the requirements for sitting for the AVECCT examination which are subject to change:

Section 1. Credential requirements dictate that each applicant, before he or she is declared eligible for examination, must:

A. Be a graduate of an AVMA approved Veterinary Technician school and / or legally credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician in some state or province of the United States, Canada or other country.

B. It is strongly encouraged that the candidate be a member of a local, state, provincial, or North American Veterinary Technician Association, and a member of the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society.

C. After graduating from a recognized school of Veterinary Technology and / or becoming credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician, meet training requirements, as specified:

1. Three years full-time work experience or its equivalent (5,760 hr), in the field of veterinary emergency and critical care medicine. All experience must be completed within five years prior to the application.

a) For the purpose of this eligibility requirement the definition of emergency care and critical care as established by the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society will be used.

(1) Emergency Care - action taken in response to an emergency. The term implies emergency action directed toward the assessment, treatment, and stabilization of a patient with an urgent medical problem.

(2) Critical Care - The care taken or required in a response to a crisis. In Medicine, the treatment of a patient with a life-threatening or potentially life-threatening illness or injury whose condition is likely to change on a moment to moment or hour to hour basis. Such patients require intense and often constant monitoring, reassessment, and treatment.

2. A minimum of twenty five hours continuing education related to veterinary emergency and critical care.

a) The continuing education must be completed within the last five years prior to submitting the application.

b) The continuing education must be received from a nationally recognized program. Proof of attendance is required.

D. Provide the documentary evidence of advanced competence in veterinary emergency and critical care nursing through clinical experience.

1. Completion of the Advanced Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Nursing Skills Form. The skills form documents those nursing skills that have been mastered by the candidate and are necessary to practice veterinary emergency critical care nursing at an advanced level. The list will be provided by the Credentials Approval Committee. The skills form is subject to change based upon the current state of the art in veterinary emergency critical care nursing.

2. A case record log is maintained form January 1 - December 31 of the application year. A minimum of fifty cases should be recorded. The cases should reflect the management of the emergent or critically ill patient and mastery of advanced nursing skills. The log should include the following: date, patient identification (name or number), species/breed, age, sex, weight, diagnosis, length of care, final outcome, and summary of nursing care techniques and procedures performed by the applicant on the patient.

3. Four case reports of no more than five pages each, double spaced. Case reports must demonstrate expertise in the nursing management of a variety of veterinary patients requiring emergency and critical care. The case reports should be selected from the case record log. Case reports must be the original work of the applicant.

4. Two letters of recommendations from a Veterinary Technician Specialist in emergency and critical care, anesthesia or internal medicine, a Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Society Veterinarian or a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

a. Until there are sufficient numbers of the aforementioned, letters of recommendations will be accepted from the following: board certified specialists in anesthesia, internal medicine, and surgery.

 

For more detailed information on credential requirements, please see the

Constitution and Bylaws, Article VII.

 

Interested in becoming a member, but don't meet the credential requirements yet?

Click here for information on the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS).