Elevating veterinary nurse use directly impacts patient care, team morale and practice revenue, writes Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS. He shares the benefits of high-level veterinary nurse engagement, reviews barriers to using them at the “top of their license” and provides a responsible utilization formula.
Yagi says responsible utilization means establishing a safeguarded environment in which advanced delegation is guided by concrete criteria. It is defined by rigorously answering five critical questions he calls the “5 rights of responsible utilization.”
Source: Veterinary Practice News, June 30, 2026. Link. When nurses are trusted, trained, and supported to perform at the top of their license, the hospital ecosystem evolves in several powerful ways, says Yagi:
- From task-doers to case managers
- Self-regulating workflow efficiency
- The confidence ripple effect
- Growth and retention
- A reciprocal culture of learning
Don’t try to overhaul your entire practice at once. Apply this formula to one skill in your hospital that is considered a “doctor thing” that doesn’t have to be.” – Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS
INSIGHTS: By law across most jurisdictions, veterinary technicians are prohibited from performing four fundamental veterinary medical acts: 1) diagnosing diseases, 2) determining prognoses, 3) prescribing medication or treatment, and 4) performing surgery. These acts are reserved exclusively for licensed veterinarians.
Image: Link.
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