How to Become a Vet Tech in Tennessee - TN | Veterinary Technician Schools and Job Description

Satisfaction at the end of a workday is something we all strive for. A Licensed Veterinary Technician working in Tennessee knows what an important job it is to care for and treat sick and injured animals.

Tennessee has stringent requirements for licensing as a Veterinary Technician. This ensures that the medical services the Vet Tech offers are based on education and high standards of practice.

Employment Prospects for a Veterinary Technician in Tennessee

Licensed Veterinary Technician positions are projected to grow at least 30 percent from 2012 to 2022.

New jobs are becoming available as spending for pet/animal services expands. In recent years, the animal consumer market has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. Quality medical care has proven to be a top priority for animal owners.

Licensed Veterinary Technicians can find employment in a variety of capacities such as medical specialty clinics, rescue shelters, exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities, teaching colleges, research laboratories, non-profit organizations, and in the military and government.

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Veterinary Technician Salaries in Tennessee

Licensed Veterinary Technicians in Tennessee earn an average of $27,000 per year. Tennessee, according to Indeed.com A Registered Veterinary Technician’s can make $46,000 per year plus with specialized continuing education. A Small Animal Ward Technician can make, on average, $37,000 per year.

What a Vet-Tech Does in Tennessee

As a Licensed Veteran Technician your tasks may include:

Observe and record an animal’s behavior and condition
Provide nursing care to ill and/or surgery recovering patients
Administer emergency first aid as needed to injured animals
Assist in surgery, administer anesthesia, monitor responses and vital signs
Collect blood, urine, or tissue samples for laboratory testing
Perform lab tests such as urinalyses and blood counts
Take and develop x rays and other types of imaging
Administer medications, vaccines, and treatments prescribed by a veterinarian
Communicate with animals’ owners in an informed and courteous manner

Accredited Tennessee Veterinary Technology Programs

There are five Veterinary Technician School in Tennessee, three with full accreditation and two with initial accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association. These programs are 2 years or 4 semesters long equaling 68 credits plus 6 credits of required Internship.

Veterinary Technician programs offer students hands-on experience with dairy cattle, horses, cats, chickens, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, sheep, goats, pigs, llamas, turkeys, rodents, ferrets, reptiles, birds and zoo or exhibition animals such as lions, tigers, bear and more. You will also have an opportunity to work with lab animals including mice, rats and guinea pigs and exotic animals like eagles, lizards, snakes, owls, hawks, and vultures.

Your school have modern labs and surgical facilities where students gain practical skills in veterinary radiology, surgery, patient records, in-coming patient protocol and client education. Students can use this knowledge in a at university teaching hospitals, nonprofit and government animal services facilities, at large and small animal hospitals and veterinary practices, pharmaceutical and biological research laboratories, feed companies and animal sanctuaries and shelters.

Some graduates pursue additional education, whether a four-year veterinary technology degree, or a degree in a related area such as animal science.

For more information you can refer to these resources:

Veterinary Technology Coursework

Animal Husbandry
Nutrition
Medical Terminology
Clinical Procedures & Techniques
Diagnostic Lab Procedures
Surgical Nursing & Anesthesia
Zoological Animal Care
Pharmacy and Medication
Diagnostic Imaging
Animal Diseases, Parasitology and Entomology

The Vet-Tech Can Also Specialize In

Zoological and Exotic Animal Medicine
Emergency and Critical Care nursing
Anesthetist
Clinical Practice
Animal Nutrition
Equine Medicine
Dental Technician
Internal Medicine
Clinical Pathology
Behavior Modification

Educational Costs

Your Veterinary Technician program in Tennessee will have Student Aid information for you. Scholarships set up by businesses or private foundations and/or traditional student loans may be available to you. You can discuss your specific financials needs and your coursework with your Student Guidance Counselor.

After graduating from a vet tech program in Tennessee, students will be prepared to sit for the national and state licensing boards. Obtaining both of these will allow students to practice in Tennessee as a Licensed Veterinary Technician as well as in most other states.

(For List of Accredited Tennessee’s Veterinary Technology Programs click here.)

Tennessee Vet Tech Testing and License Requirements

In order to be certified as a vet tech by the Tennessee State Board Of Veterinary Medicine the applicant must:

1) Complete and submit the application

2) graduate from an accredited veterinary technician program approved by the American veterinary Medicine Association, and

3) pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB).

4) provide proof of good moral character.

The Board may consider a waiver of these requirements if you can prove you have worked as a veterinary technician for at least one out of the last five years in another state or Canada.

The Board may also require an applicant to appear before the Board to answer questions regarding the applicant’s character.

There is a $75 candidate application fee and a $90 renewal fee paid annually.

The Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) is a test by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. To qualify, you must have a degree from an AVMA/WVTA accredited veterinary technician program.

The VTNE exam costs $300 to take and is given three times a year. It is a three-hour test with 150 questions. You must have a high enough passing score in order to be licensed as a Veterinary Technician through the State of Tennessee.

Continuing Education For License Renewal in Tennessee

The Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medicine requires you renew your license every year. In order to renew your license you must have 12 hours of continuing education each calendar year. A maximum of four hours can be done online or other media.

Since one of their major goals is to provide continuing education for technicians, the Tennessee Veterinary Technician Association (TNVTA) website has a great deal of information about the wide range of continuing education classes.

Career Opportunities

Your school will have assistance available to you while looking for a job. Also, the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CACVT) has an active job posting page separated into geographic regions.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), an organization that represents and promotes the profession of veterinary technician, has a resources in their website’s Career Center page.

Potential Employers in Tennessee for Licensed Vet-Techs

Tennessee Association of Veterinary Technician Serves To:

Promote the science and art of Veterinary Technology.
Promote progressive and humane medical care for all creatures.
Educate the public about the importance of Licensed Veterinary Medical Technicians within the veterinary medical profession.
Sponsor Continuing Education conferences for veterinary technicians each year.
Sponsor a booth at the UT Veterinary Conference (Knoxville) and the Music City Veterinary Conference (Nashville).
Provide emails and quarterly newsletters to update members on current information about the profession.
Provide active support and brochures for members who wish to educate the public about veterinary technology.
Provide representation during meetings of the TVMA and BVME.
Support schools of veterinary technology within the state by awarding an annual scholarship to a deserving student at each of the five schools.
Inform members about legislation that concerns their profession and introduce legislation that will benefit veterinary technicians in the state of Tennessee.

Your Career as a Licensed Veterinary Technician

Working as a Licensed Veterinary Technician in Tennessee will provide you with a good income, the chance to grow in your field and the satisfaction gained from helping animals who need your care.

Steps to Become a Veterinary Technician in Tennessee