VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: What three ECC techs in the trenches wish every GP team knewSeptember 17, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESRoesler’s favorite phone-triage question cuts through the owner’s tunnel vision: “How is the pet acting right now?” Clients often fixate on one symptom, such as vomiting, and say so without mentioning the dog is also too weak to stand. Asking about overall demeanor, not just the presenting complaint, surfaces the details that determine urgency.
Education Center - SponsoredVector-Borne Disease Coming to a Neighborhood Near You: Which Tests to Reach For, and Why?by • AntechWhether it’s a screening to identify exposure to tick-borne pathogens, or a broad molecular diagnostic panel to help with acute disease detection or confirm the presence of genetic material, these options empower veterinary teams, guide treatment, and support antimicrobial stewardship.
2026 Vet Box unboxing video with NAVTA presidentSeptember 14, 2026Want to know what's in the box? Take a look inside with VPN Plus+ Tech Talk columnist and NAVTA president Jennifer Serling as she shares the contents of the 2026 Vet Box. VPN Plus+ annual subscribers received the Vet Box at the end of summer as a value-added benefit with their annual subscription.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Cracking the pharmacology codeAugust 18, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESMemorizing pharmacology names doesn’t have to mean brute-force repetition until the words blur together. Here are memory tricks that consistently help techs retain them faster and recall them more reliably under pressure.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Intimidated by the vet tech-doctor hierarchy?July 23, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESWith a few good strategies, you can speak up with confidence, advocate for your patients and your coworkers, and actually build stronger relationships with the doctors you work with without torching the bridges that keep your team functioning.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: How to assess the true value of a CVTJune 11, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESA technician functioning below their training level represents lost economic opportunity. For example, if a technician allows a veterinarian to see four additional appointments daily instead of only one, the revenue difference over a year can be enormous. Poor delegation reduces ROI dramatically and may even prevent practices from meeting increasing client demand.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: 10 things veterinary practices should know about new credentialed techniciansMay 21, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESNAVTA president explores the most common misconceptions veterinary practices have about new technicians, with particular attention to education, credentialing, and onboarding, and provides some practical strategies to address them. "It's time to let go of the 'this is the way we have always done it' way of thinking.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Creating a bucket list for techs (or any veterinary pro)April 15, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTEScredentialed veterinary technicians can benefit tremendously from building a career bucket list. This is a living document of professional goals, experiences, and contributions they hope to accomplish throughout their careers. The most important thing to remember is this is not the end-all list and is adaptable. A wonderful thing about a bucket list is when you have been in this profession long enough, that list can become both surprisingly ambitious and deeply meaningful.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Collaboration among vet orgs strengthens the professionMarch 18, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESMost importantly, these efforts do not exist in isolation. Conversations taking place within the AVMA complement the initiatives being led by NAVTA and AVTE, demonstrating how multiple organizations can contribute to the same goal from different vantage points and highlighting that when organizations work together for the common good, amazing things can be made possible.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: A case against Arizona's 'hours vs education' billFebruary 5, 2026By Jennifer Serling, MVEd, BVSc, AAS, CVT, RVT, VTESCritics of SB 1144 emphasize workforce shortages are real but argue they should be addressed through solutions that strengthen, rather than weaken, professional standards. Proposed alternatives include increasing wages and benefits, expanding access to accredited programs, offering tuition assistance, improving workplace conditions, and developing structured apprenticeship models that complement formal education.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveAn American vet tech in SwedenDecember 29, 2023This year’s conference was at the Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet or Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, which houses both the veterinary and veterinary nursing programs. It is the only university in Sweden for both professions and is a state-of-the-art training facility. While I was excited to speak about U.S. veterinary technology education, well-being, and the team-based learning pedagogical concept we are doing at Appalachian State, I was even more excited to meet fellow educators from all over and learn more about education in the UK and EU, and what struggles and successes they had.
